Core Requirement #2.9 (Learning Resources and Services)

The institution, through ownership or formal arrangements or agreements, provides and supports student and faculty access and user privileges to adequate library collections as well as to other learning/information resources consistent with the degrees offered. These collections and resources are sufficient to support all its educational research, and public service programs.

Compliance Certification

The College of William and Mary is in compliance with this requirement.

Explanation

Collections

Swem Library's collection includes 1,276,876 cataloged volumes; 1,463,470 microforms; 594,082 government publications; 23,143 maps; 5,404 print periodicals and serials; 28,888 multi-media materials; and 11,816 linear feet of manuscripts and archives. In addition to the main library, Swem Library has separate libraries for Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Music, and Physics. Additional William and Mary libraries serve the Schools of Business Administration, Education, Law, and Marine Science.

The library offers many electronic resources, including an online catalog (LION) and access to more than 200 databases and 10,000 electronic journals. These are available through Swem's home page (Swem Library) and controlled by a proxy server for off-campus access.

Reference Services

Reference librarians, available most hours that the library is open, can help identify library resources that are of potential use to patrons, explain and instruct on the use of specific information tools, assist with searching electronic databases, offer group instruction to classes, and provide general advice on using the library and its resources.

Government Information Services

The Government Information Department provides access to federal, state, and international documents. Swem Library is a depository for publications issued by the United States and Virginia governments. Access to electronic government information on the World Wide Web is provided at the Government Information Department's web page. Specialized indexes for microform collections of government titles are available in the department.

Circulation Services

All of the library's collections are available for use within the library, and most items can be borrowed for use outside the building. Undergraduates may borrow most items for thirty days; graduate students, staff, and faculty receive longer loan periods. All students, staff, and faculty must present a current college ID card to borrow materials. The use of Swem Library is subject to the principles of the Honor Code.

Library users may check their own records to see lists of items they currently have checked out, renew items, and view holds and fines online.

Interlibrary Loans

If a book, journal article, or other item is not available at William and Mary, it can usually be borrowed from another library. Requests for such materials may be submitted to the Interlibrary Loan Department's office or online. Most materials are received in less than 5 days; journal articles are increasingly being delivered electronically.

Library Hours

During the regular academic year, Swem Library is open Monday through Thursday 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 midnight, Friday 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Sunday 1:00 p.m. to 12:00 midnight. Hours for departments within Swem Library and for branch libraries may vary. The library is open until 3:00 a.m. specified days during the exam periods.

Special Collections

Swem Library's Special Collections include the University Archives, manuscripts and rare books, and the Warren E. Burger Papers. The University Archives documents the history of the college from its founding in 1693 to the present. The collection includes publications, photographs, official records, artifacts, memorabilia, and other materials relating to the College. The manuscripts and rare books collections include books dating back to 1479, eighteenth and nineteenth century Virginia family papers, papers of distinguished alumni and Virginia political leaders, travel accounts, and local history materials. These books and manuscripts can be located through LION, Swem's online catalog and are accessible for undergraduate and graduate research.

Consortial agreements

Swem Library participates in and enjoys the benefits of a variety of consortial relationships that provide collection resources to the students and faculty.

VIVA, the Virtual Library of Virginia, with funding from the Commonwealth of Virginia, provides electronic databases to William and Mary and subsidizes interlibrary loan staffing at Swem Library to expedite priority service to and from other institutions of higher education in Virginia. ASERL, the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries, provides a broader range of research libraries in the southeast for interlibrary loan. The organization also provides discounted license agreements for electronic resources and participation in various projects such as electronic reference.

SOLINET/OCLC, is the library's backbone utility for the creation of the online catalog, interlibrary loan activities, technical services support and staff training opportunities as well as additional discounted electronic resource licenses.

CRL, the Center for Research Libraries, loans specialized research materials to faculty and students. WRL, the Williamsburg Research Libraries is a local consortium of William and Mary and Colonial Williamsburg libraries providing a joint online catalog with unified access to the holdings of both libraries, adding particular strength for research in colonial history. The Tidewater Library Consortium allows students and faculty of higher education institutions in Hampton Roads to borrow materials from member libraries.

Support of Courses and Programs

The Educational Policy Committee of Arts and Sciences (EPC) reviews and approves new undergraduate courses, degrees, and programs. Swem Library staff members are members of the committee. (See Educational Policy Committee Membership and Bylaws, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Section 3.1 for relevant policy.) This active participation by Library staff in the course review process ensures careful consideration of the necessary library resources to support revised and new course offerings.

Library Liaisons for departments and programs provide assessment data to evaluate the adequacy of library collections and to describe library services that support areas of study as part of periodic program reviews. As noted in the response to Core Requirement 2.5, regularly scheduled department and program reviews provide the opportunity for both internal and external evaluations of the adequacy of library resources. (See, for example, the following reports from external reviews: Sociology External Evaluators' Report (circa page 14), Government External Evaluators' Report (circa page 4) and English External Evaluators' Report (circa page 2). The Sociology Department Assessment of Library Resources provides an excellent example of an internal analysis of library resources and their use.

Library Policy Advisory Committee

Representatives of all campus libraries meet three or four times each year with the Library Policy Advisory Committee, a provost-appointed committee composed of faculty, undergraduate and graduate students, and chaired by a faculty member. (See LPAC members for 2004-2005 for a list of recent members.) The committee considers issues of service, collections policies and expenditures, and concerns brought by students and faculty. A review of LPAC Minutes reveals the active participation of representatives from Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, Law, and Marine Sciences in monitoring the adequacy and availability of library resources. (See, for example, LPAC Minutes for February 24, 2005 and Minutes April 3, 2003.)

References