The American Library Association affirms that all libraries are forums for information and ideas, and that the following basic policies should guide their services.
Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.
Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgment of free expression and free access to ideas.
A person's right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views.
Libraries which make exhibit spaces and meeting rooms available to the public they serve should make such facilities available on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use.
Adopted June 18, 1948.
Amended February 2, 1961, and January 23, 1980,
inclusion of "age" reaffirmed January 23, 1996,
by the ALA Council.
Library
Bill of Rights
A strong intellectual freedom perspective is critical to the development of academic library collections and services that dispassionately meet the education and research needs of a college or university community. The purpose of this statement is to outline how and where intellectual freedom principles fit into an academic library setting, thereby raising consciousness of the intellectual freedom context within which academic librarians work. The following principles should be reflected in all relevant library policy documents.
The general principles set forth in the Library Bill of Rights form an indispensable framework for building collections, services, and policies that serve the entire academic community.
The privacy of library users is and must be inviolable. Policies should be in place that maintain confidentiality of library borrowing records and of other information relating to personal use of library information and services.
The development of library collections in support of an institution's instruction and research programs should transcend the personal values of the selector. In the interests of research and learning, it is essential that collections contain materials representing a variety of perspectives on subjects that may be considered controversial.
Preservation and replacement efforts should ensure that balance in library materials is maintained and that controversial materials are not removed from the collections through theft, loss, mutilation, or normal wear and tear. There should be alertness to efforts by special interest groups to bias a collection though systematic theft or mutilation.
Licensing agreements should be consistent with the Library Bill of Rights, and should maximize access.
Open and unfiltered access to the Internet should be conveniently available to the academic community in a college or university library. Content filtering devices and content-based restrictions are a contradiction of the academic library mission to further research and learning through exposure to the broadest possible range of ideas and information. Such restrictions are a fundamental violation of intellectual freedom in academic libraries.
Freedom of information and of creative expression should be reflected in library exhibits and in all relevant library policy documents.
Library meeting rooms, research carrels, exhibit spaces, and other facilities should be available to the academic community regardless of research being pursued or subject being discussed. Any restrictions made necessary because of limited availability of space should be based on need, as reflected in library policy, rather than on content of research or discussion.
Whenever possible, library services should be available without charge in order to encourage inquiry. Where charges are necessary, a free or low-cost alternative (e.g., downloading to disc rather than printing) should be available when possible.
A service philosophy should be promoted that affords equal access to information for all in the academic community with no discrimination on the basis of race, values, gender, sexual orientation, cultural or ethnic background, physical or learning disability, economic status, religious beliefs, or views.
A procedure ensuring due process should be in place to deal with requests by those within and outside the academic community for removal or addition of library resources, exhibits, or services.
It is recommended that this statement of principle be endorsed by appropriate institutional governing bodies, including the faculty senate or similar instrument of faculty governance.
Approved by ACRL Board of Directors: June 29, 1999
Adopted July 12, 2000, by the ALA Council.
This program is outlined in Title 44, Chapter 19 of the United States Code and is administered by the United States Government Printing Office (GPO).
"The legal responsibilities of Federal depository libraries fall into two broad categories:
(Instructions to Depository Libraries, Revised July 2000)
Kreitzberg Library (previous library was the Chaplin Memorial) of Norwich University has been a Federal selective depository since 1908 and serves an "at large" Congressional District. The primary patrons served by this collection are Norwich University students, faculty and staff. The general public is also served, however collection development focuses on the needs of the primary patrons.
The depository librarian, in consultation with other library staff and university faculty, is responsible for the selection and acquisition of depository publications. Selection sources include but are not limited to: List of Classes of U.S. Government Publications, GPO Subject Bibliographies, Catalog of U.S. Government Publications, and the List of Item Selections. Other guides that review and/or evaluate government publications may also be used in the selection process.
Collection development procedures for depository publications will follow the rules and recommendations as outlined in the most current edition of the Federal Depository Library Manual and its supplements and the most current edition of Instructions to Depository Libraries and its supplements.
All publications listed in the "basic collection" list as it appears in the Federal Depository Library Manual (Revised November 1993) are selected, and these titles will continue to be maintained as long as Kreitzberg Library is a selective depository library. Over and above this core collection, the Library is free to select those publications provided by GPO which best suit the Library's needs.
As part of the collection development process the depository librarian is responsible for following the procedures and recommendations of the GPO and FDLP in regards to the Annual Selection Update Cycle. Appropriate library staff and faculty members will be consulted during the year regarding any additions or deselections that will need to be made. The depository librarian will also act as consultant in this process, making recommendations and suggestions when appropriate as to the availability of government publications so that the most efficient and effective means of selecting, housing, and retrieving of information is chosen. Final selection/deselection decisions will be the responsibility of the depository librarian.
Major subject areas to be selected and maintained will vary with the curriculum changes of the University and the need to serve the public at large. However, certain programs which remain a staple part of the curriculum, and those titles which consist of the "basic collection" (see Federal Depository Library Manual,) of all selective depositories will be maintained.
These subject areas include, but are not limited to: justice studies, business and commerce, health sciences, military studies, geology, architecture, general and social sciences, and humanities.
A "list" of item numbers and Superintendent of Documents (SuDoc) classification stems which are collected - the item selection profile from GPO - is not part of this document but is available in the government documents office.
Specific selection tools will be used to aid in identifying and selecting government publications that are available through the FDLP. See "Selection Responsibility" above for a list of those titles. Those government titles which are not available through the FDLP, but which are deemed necessary to the collection, will be purchased/requested through the appropriate channels, i.e. GPO bookstores, government agencies, members of Congress, commercial publishers, etc.
As an aid to selection tools, the depository librarian will monitor those items which are circulated to determine if a particular category should be further collected. Circulation reports from the library automation software will also be run and studied to identify government publication needs in particular subject areas. ILL requests and reference questions will also be monitored to determine if a particular publication or subject area should be considered for future selection.
The majority of depository publications will be cataloged for the Norwich University online public access catalog (OPAC). The documents librarian will have discretion to decide which publications will have bibliographic records in the OPAC. Full consideration will be given as to whether an item should be cataloged based on: usefulness, format, amount of information provided, and timeliness.
In general, the following types of publications will be cataloged: monographs, individual titles within series, relevant and useful titles within the Serial Set, hearings, general serials, and CIA maps as well as other specific topic maps. All formats are included.
Publications which are not cataloged include, but are not limited to: pamphlets, brochures, and publications such as grant applications which have a limited time use. These will be placed on display on the government documents bulletin board and/or table located on the mezzanine.
(Note: see "Electronic Products" below concerning the cataloging of Internet sites/publications.)
Classification Systems: The classification system used for paper publications and CD-ROM products will be the Dewey Decimal System, 21st edition. Publications received in microfiche will use the Superintendent of Documents classification system, unless otherwise noted in the SuDoc card file. Maps have their own homemade method of classification; separate instructions for cataloging maps is available in the depository librarian's file.
Formats: Selections will be limited by format made available by GPO. All titles in the "Basic Collection" may be available electronically, though some paper formats will continue to be collected for ease of use and familiarity to the patron. If a choice is given for format in the List of Classes, it is the depository librarian's responsibility to decide on which format to select based on: space considerations, perceived use of the title, importance of the information within the title to patrons, perceived resistance to that format by patrons, ease of use, and technology requirements (in the case of electronic products). Publications will continue to cease publication in paper or other tangible material as GPO continues to migrate to electronic publication. The Government Documents office will do less collecting and more identifying and cataloging of electronic resources as this process continues.
Electronic Products: It is the responsibility of the depository librarian to identify electronic sources of government information, particularly that which comes through the FDLP, and to communicate to staff, faculty, and patrons the availability of these products. The depository librarian will consult with the information technology librarian as to Public Access workstation requirements from the FDLP, and to ensure that the Library has the technology available for patrons to view any electronic formats received. Internet sites will also be monitored through: announcements on GOVDOC-L, Administrative Notes and its Technical Supplement, GPO Access, The Internet Connection, and other sources which may contain reviews/lists/recommendations of Internet sites. Government information web sites will be cataloged at the discretion of the Government Documents Librarian.
Circulation: All items, except those shelved in the reference collection, selected maps, the U.S. Code, periodical titles which are part of the general periodical collection, and titles which are considered to be rare and/or valuable, will circulate. This includes CD-ROMs and microfiche. Exceptions may be made on an individual basis for those items which do not circulate.
Evaluating the depository collection is an ongoing task. Circulation statistics, reference questions, publications left on tables, and publications being shelved are all used to determine how the collection is used and what is being used. The depository librarian will take an active role in using all of the above to make selection/deselection determinations. Core collection lists and standard bibliographies will also be consulted in evaluation process. The Annual Selection Update Cycle will be used to perform a zero-based collection review.
Weeding: Weeding will follow the rules laid out in the latest edition of Instructions to Depository Libraries. Worth noting in particular is that all depository items must be retained for a minimum of five years unless otherwise stated in Instructions.
Items will be selected for weeding using the following criteria (but not necessarily in the order presented):
Weeding is generally done during school breaks and in the summer, when library activity has slowed down. Weeding is also done when book shifting is necessary.
Superseded items will be withdrawn and discarded if the item appears in the Superseded List or in any updates to that list.
When a major curriculum change has occurred a determination will be made as to whether to weed out that particular area (or begin selecting in that particular area.) For publications which may be considered rare/valuable, a determination will be made in consultation with the director, archivist, and other documents librarians (via GOVDOC-L) on whether to keep or place on an "offers list".
Weeded documents will be listed on a "Needs & Offers" list and sent to the Regional Library in Orono, ME. Until permission is received from the Regional on whether to discard or send items to them, weeded documents will be stored in the basement. After permission is received, any remaining weeded documents will be listed for and sent to the national Needs & Offers (electronic) List. Once all GPO criteria have been met, any leftover documents may be discarded, or given away.
Maintenance: Publications which have been found to be missing will be so marked in the OPAC, but not withdrawn or the bibliographic record deleted until it is determined that the item is truly gone, usually within three to six months, and cannot be replaced. Once it has been determined that the publication is gone, the depository librarian will decide whether or not to replace, either through purchasing or through the national Needs & Offers List. Publications found to be in poor condition but necessary to the collection will be repaired or rebound. When necessary, a publication will be purchased to replace a worn-out copy.
Kreitzberg Library clearly recognizes its responsibility to both the public and the Federal government concerning access to the government publications collection. The library places no restriction on use of government publications to its primary patrons or to the public at large. Anyone may come into Kreitzberg Library and use the materials on site. Non-university affiliated patrons may only charge out items if they purchase a guest borrower card for an annual fee of $25.00. Guest borrowers are limited to five charged items at any one time. Interlibrary loan of government publications from a non-university patron's local library is available.
Reference service is readily available to anyone who enters or telephones the library, however the primary patrons (university staff, faculty, and students), particularly during the regular academic year, are given preference. Otherwise there is no differentiation between types of patrons.
Professional librarians are available during regular "business" hours all year and in the evenings and Sundays during the regular academic year. One reference point is available for all queries.
The Public Access Workstation to access electronic government information is available during the hours the Library is open, for the use of the general public.
The depository collection is available for interlibrary loan and has a loan time of four weeks (same as the general collection). In turn, items which are needed by our University-affiliated patrons but which are not selected by this library will be made available through ILL or through purchase if the title appears to warrant regular use by other patrons. Non-University patrons do not have ILL privileges, however, every effort will be made to direct that patron to a nearby library which has the item or to an electronic source. Contacting specific agencies to obtain government publications is also an alternative.
Selection and deselection decisions will also be somewhat based on the availability of items in other Vermont depository libraries. Vermont is unique in that one "can't always get there from here" due to its rural nature and the north-south mountain ranges which makes crossing east to west difficult for some patrons. Therefore it is important that items be selected to serve the immediate population of the area, even though a library a few miles away may have the same item.
This policy will be reviewed annually, especially as the method of document delivery changes to a more electronic format.
The Journal Request Form may be accessed online (using the Adobe Acrobat Reader); it should be printed, filled out neatly, and mailed to the Kreitzberg Library Director. Forms may also be available from library staff.