University of Wisconsin-Parkside Library
2002 Self-Study

Purpose of the Self-Study

During the summer of 2002, the University of Wisconsin-Parkside Library assembled a self-study narrative in preparation for the February 2003 North Central Association (NCA) accreditation visit. This self-study is based on the Association of College and Research Libraries' Standards for College Libraries, 2000 Edition. The "Library Overview" portion of the self-study is taken from the university's accreditation report. The overview provides a capsule description of the library and a context for the self-study. It is hoped that the self-study can also serve as the core for the library's next program review.

Library Overview

UW-Parkside's library has long had an outstanding and well-deserved reputation as a teaching library. In the 1970s and 1980s the campus's Collegiate Skills program included a one-credit course in library research taught jointly by members of the Department of English and the professional library staff. The general education program revisions of the 1990s eliminated the separate Collegiate Skills program and the English 102 course, but in its place instituted "Information Literacy" as a graduation requirement. The University Seminar, administered by the General Education program, is the venue through which most students complete and meet this requirement. Transfer students who enter with fewer than 90 credits work directly with the library to complete it. One session of the University Seminar is devoted to an introduction to the requirement and to the web-based tutorial that forms the core of the program. These sessions take place in computer labs housed within the library and library staff members deliver instruction. The library staff has developed a web-based information literacy tutorial consisting of set of modules and quizzes managed through WebCT. (WebCT is an integrated set of tools for developing and delivering interactive courses or course components over the web.) (https://uwp.courses.wisc.edu/public/Infolit3/index.html). The program is self-paced and students spend an average of 3-4 hours out-of-class time completing the requirement. UW-Parkside's library was one of the first in the nation to develop an interactive tutorial, which now serves as a model for other institutions. The librarians also have the responsibility for administering the program and certifying completion of the information literacy requirement. Beyond this, UW-Parkside librarians, in partnership with other Information Services staff, focus on helping students and faculty learn to use a wide selection of electronic resources through classroom instruction, instructional web pages for specific disciplines and courses, faculty/staff workshops, and one-on-one reference assistance. Remote reference assistance is enhanced through Human Click, interactive software available on the library's web page that allows students and faculty to hold chat sessions with UWP reference librarians.

The library's web pages (http://www.uwp.edu/departments/library/) were developed with the aid of Instructional Technology Support staff, including a graphic designer and a curriculum specialist; the design process included usability studies. The web pages provide easy-to-follow access to the library's catalog, electronic reserves, licensed and free remote electronic resources, information literacy tutorial, library polices, staff contacts, and information about library services.

The UW-Parkside Library provides access to a wide variety of electronic information resources. E- resources include full-text journals, e-books, and general Internet access. The number and quality of these resources rival those found at much larger institutions. In part, this is due to the strong support of the UW System through a special shared electronic resources fund managed by the UW System Collection Development Committee (CDC), to which UW-Parkside sends a representative. Since 1998, this group has recommended the purchase of over a million dollars worth of licenses for electronic resources on behalf of all UW institutions. In addition, the State of Wisconsin provides licensed access to several important e-resources for its citizens (e.g. Ebscohost). Students and faculty gain access to licensed library resources from their homes, offices, and dorm rooms via the library's proxy server, which verifies a user's UWP affiliation to outside information providers. The library's Information Coordination Team and the CDC frequently review licensed resources to determine whether they remain useful and affordable. Although some vendors supply usage statistics, at this point the statistics appear unreliable and librarians' observation of use based on reference questions, course assignments, and other such factors appears more valuable. The CDC is pressing database vendors to provide more reliable and useful statistics

The UW-Parkside Library houses an eminently respectable collection of 396,000 print volumes, over 21,000 AV/electronic media items, 976,000 microforms, and 1,450 print serials subscriptions. Library liaisons work closely with faculty to choose new materials for the collection and select periodical subscriptions, and to cull obsolete volumes. Over the past ten years, the library's material budget has been fairly static. However, the library was very fortunate to receive increases in its materials budget in both 2000/01 ($37,993 from the state) and 2001/02 ($26,309 from the university). These two increases helped the library cope with relentless, decade-long inflation in the cost of library materials, particularly periodicals subscriptions, and the need to stretch the materials budget to purchase electronic resources. Unlike many other UW libraries, the UWP library does not plan a substantial cut in periodicals subscriptions for 2003. Instead, it will continue its project to migrate print subscriptions to electronic format. However, fewer physical items have been acquired in recent years. Despite an ongoing weeding program, the book collection is seen as increasingly out-of-date. The library is particularly distressed at the small number of monographic titles purchased during the past several years: 2,431 in 1999/00, 3,408 in 2000/01, and 2,628 in 2001/02. For 2002/03, the library has put together a special fund of nearly $28,000, much of which will be used to purchase additional books. Many print serials subscriptions have been cut over the past several years, with few new ones added. However, this has been balanced by improvements in resource sharing between UW libraries and by the library's increasing ability to provide journals and other information in electronic form. The library has a well-defined collection development policy (http://www.uwp.edu/departments/library/services/cdprocedures.htm) that has been used as a model for other institutions. In addition, the library has several other related policies, including a privacy policy (http://www.uwp.edu/departments/library/services/privacy.htm), and a copyright and fair use policy for electronic reserves (http://www.uwp.edu/departments/library/services/copyright.htm).

The library provides students, staff and faculty with comprehensive interlibrary loan services. ILL staff work with several automated systems: Voyager (the library's automated system), OCLC (an international bibliographic utility), and ILLiad (resource sharing management software). Staff have the capability to email articles directly to the requester. The library also offers Universal Borrowing, a Voyager-based do-it-yourself interlibrary loan service provided in cooperation with other UW System libraries.

There are eight professional librarians on the staff, drawn from all over the country via rigorous national searches. In addition, the CIO is a librarian. The library also has a devoted group of six classified staff and approximately 20 student workers. A key to the library's success is that a conscious decision has been made to move librarians from the back room/technical services area in order to focus on reference and library instruction. The thinness of staffing in the technical area has been addressed by the skillful hiring of personnel - getting just the right people, carefully prioritizing the work to be done, and using new technologies. The team structure seems to suit the culture of the library, with staff productive and satisfied, and faculty and students pleased with the resources and services that are available.

In terms of electronic equipment, UW-Parkside is in an enviable position, possessing more and better computers than those observed at UW peer institutions. Thirty-two late model public computers are available for general library research, including a specially equipped workstation for individuals with disabilities. The library offers the public two networked printers, one being a high quality color printer. Seven laptops with wireless connection to the Internet are available for checkout, and there is a wireless email bar. Library staff each have their own late model computer.

Assessment studies indicate that the UW-Parkside community is highly satisfied with the services provided by the library. According to the 1996 and 2000 ACT Alumni Outcomes Surveys concerning satisfaction with nine student services/programs, UW-Parkside alumni have been most satisfied (by a good margin) with library services and materials. In 1997 the library commissioned the (then) UW-Parkside Center for Survey and Market Research (CSMR) to survey students and faculty to determine the effectiveness of library services. The survey included questions on the use of library-based technology. The CSMR concluded:

Overall it appears that the [library] is providing good service to both
faculty/staff and students. If one area were to be singled out for greater attention it would be electronic resources - more up to date equipment/software and more things available through the WWW and/or Internet.

Since then, as indicated above, the library has been successful in procuring late model equipment and dramatically increasing access to electronic resources.

Note: This self-study is based on the Association of College and Research Libraries' (ACRL) Standards for College Libraries (2000).

A. Points of Comparison.

The UW-Parkside Library has chosen two sets of peer groups for the purpose of comparisons:
1) The Colorado Commission on Higher Education (CCHE) has identified the University of Wisconsin-Parkside as being a member of the following peer group: University of Southern Colorado, Eastern Washington University, Western Washington University, Humboldt State University, SUNY at Plattsburgh, SUNY at Potsdam, University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, West Texas A&M University, and University of Wisconsin-River Falls. The library believes that these institutions constitute a valid peer group. The input and output measures (Table 1) discussed in this section are based on ALS data (1999/2000) from these institutions (Table 2).
2) The UWP Library is in frequent contact with other UW libraries, monitors their activities, reviews their statistics, and confers with them about initiatives and problems. Three UW System libraries are considered peers and are watched particularly closely: UW-Green Bay, UW-Platteville, and UW-River Falls. The input and output measures ( Table 3) discussed in this section are based on UW System data (2000/01) from these three institutions (Table 4).

• The library had the highest ratio of volumes to students & faculty in both peer groups. However, the library's collection is quite dated in several areas.
  
• The library had a relatively low volumes added to students & faculty ratio for 1999/00, but a high ratio for 2000/01. Many volumes added in 2000/01 were periodicals counted as part of a binding catch-up project. In an average year, the library probably falls in the mid range for this ratio.
  
• At $126 per FTE student/faculty, the library had a slightly above the mean ($120) ratio of materials expenditures to students and faculty among its CCHE peers in 1999/00. In 2000/01, the library's spent a healthy $148 per FTE student/faculty.
  
• In 2000/01, the library spent $17 per FTE student/faculty for electronic resources, outdistancing it's nearest UW peer, Green Bay, at $15.
  
• The library falls near the CCHE peer mean for the percent of the budget expended on materials and leads its UW peers in this measure
  
• The library falls below the CCHE peer mean, median and mode for percent of the budget expended on staff. It lies at the bottom of its UW peers for this measure. With the library's 2002/03 position cut, its score on this measure will fall farther below its peers.
  
• The library falls below the CCHE peer mean, median and mode for the ratio of library staff to students and faculty. It falls with the mode for its UW peers. With the library's 2002/03 position cut, its score on this measure will probably fall below all peers.
  
• With a circulation to FTE faculty/student ratio of 9.1, the library scores lower than most all peers on this measure. This is probably due to an aging collection and also to students' preference for electronic resources, which the library has in abundance.
  
• The library scores below the CCHE mean for ILL borrowing to students & faculty and a little above the mean in the UW peer group. The library scores in the mid range of both peer groups for ILL lending to borrowing. The library's strong electronic resources and the trend towards increased resource sharing among UW libraries make this statistic unstable.
  
• In 1999/00, the library had a low ratio of reference questions to FTE student/faculty. Subsequently, the library changed the way it gathers reference statistics and now follows ALS guidelines. In 2000/01 the library achieved the highest peer reported rate of 7 questions per FTE student/faculty. Because of differences in reporting, reference question data is of questionable validity.
  

  Explanation of ratios

B. Planning, Assessment, Outcomes Assessment.

1. Is the library's mission statement clearly understood by the library staff and the institution's administration? Is it reviewed periodically?

• The library's mission and goals statement was drafted in the 1970s and was accepted by the university community; it was periodically reviewed, without revision, by the library staff in the 1980s and 90s. In early 2002, it was reviewed and revised slightly to more closely reflect the university's mission statement, which was revised in late 1997.
  
• The library's mission statement appears on its web pages (http://www.uwp.edu/departments/library/services/mission.htm) and is also posted near the university's mission statement on the library staff bulletin board. Mission statements for Information Services (IS) and the university are also available on the web: (http://www.uwp.edu/departments/library/services/STRATPLN.HTM) and (http://www.uwp.edu/admin/academic.affairs/strategicplan.html)
  
• The library's policies and services reflect a solid understand of its mission statement.
  

2. How does the library incorporate the institution's mission into its goals and objectives?

• The university's mission is a clearly stated commitment to high quality educational programs, creative and scholarly activities, and services responsive to its diverse student population and its local, national, and global communities. The library's mission statement reflects this commitment by emphasizing its role as a teaching library, actively involved in the development of the community's human resources. Library programs and services are to be designed to meet the life-long intellectual and cultural needs of the developing information-based society served by the university.
  
• The library's ten goals provide more detailed plans for the accomplishment of its mission. Goal 1 mandates that the library's policies and programs are to be compatible with the university's mission. Subsequent goals discuss ways to enrich the university curriculum, support scholarly activities, promote cultural activities, and cooperate with university and community groups to achieve institutional goals.
  
• Each year the staff develops a new set of objectives, based on the mission and goals of the library, Information Services, and the university (Library 2002-2003 Priorities). Objectives flow from individuals, teams, library administration, IS administration, university committees, and UW System planning activities and documents, such as the Council of University of Wisconsin Libraries' Strategic Directions for 2001-2003 (http://www.uwsa.edu/olit/cuwlweb/strgdr03.htm). UWP Library objectives are gathered and combined into one document, which is reviewed by library staff and then by the Information Services Administrative Council. Library objectives are integrated into the Information Services annual priorities document, which is reviewed by various university governance groups. At the end of the year, the library prepares a final report on progress on the year's objectives (Library 2001-2002 Priorities Final Report). (Final reports for the past several years are available in the library.)

3. How does the library maintain a systematic and continuous program for evaluating its performance, for informing the institution's community of its accomplishments, and for identifying and implementing needed improvements?

• As noted in section B2, the library annually develops mission-based objectives, which are reviewed and evaluated at the end of the year. These objectives and the follow-up reports are integrated into IS documents that are reviewed and discussed by various university governance groups.
• The library invites anonymous suggestions and comments on its service via forms provided under the Opinion Column bulletin board mounted near the Check out desk. Using these forms, students and faculty ask questions, make suggestions, and praise or complain about library services and facilities. Library staff prepare replies and post the forms. The library follows up on viable suggestions or constructive criticism, and, of course, basks in praise.
  
• The library is developing a web-based email form to invite suggestions and comments.
  
• In 1991 and again in 1997, the library used the university's Center for Survey and Marketing Research (CSMR) to prepare, conduct, and assess surveys of student attitudes about library services and to determine their needs. The CSMR also conducted a 1997 faculty/staff survey for the library. The library used the results of these surveys to improve services. For example, the 1997 student survey revealed that students were very interested in the following: more instruction on electronic resources, class reserve materials available from home via the web, longer library hours, and additional small group study rooms. All of these needs were met. (Copies of the surveys are available in the library.)
  
• Because the CSMR has closed, the library is currently investigating conducting a survey on its own, using earlier survey questions and methods as a model.
  
• The library reviews the results of the UW System faculty/staff and student surveys about computing resources (http://www.uwsa.edu/olit/survey/index.htm). The surveys include questions about library services (e.g. percent of UWP students who use electronic library resources). Among the results: faculty need to be more aware of the library's excellent electronic resources (a library objective for 2002-03) and students consider library resources to be very important.
  
• The library reviewed the results of the 2000 ACT Alumni Outcomes Survey. Under the Impact of School Experience section, "Accessing and using a variety of information sources" received the highest rank: 1. Similarly, under the Satisfaction with Student Services/Programs section, "Library services and materials" received the highest rank: 1.
  
• Students voluntarily use a web-based evaluation tool to submit their comments and concerns regarding the library's information literacy tutorial. Librarians seek feedback from faculty after instruction sessions. Instruction librarians are working on developing web-based assessment tools for individual instruction sessions.
  
• The library has made use of focus groups and usability studies in analyzing web pages and redesigning them.
  
• During the fall and spring semesters, the library routinely emails short bulletins to faculty/staff and students. These library bulletins contain information on new services (e.g. laptops now available for checkout, wireless email bar up, a new group study room, new licensed electronic resources).
  

4. Is the library's assessment plan an integral component of the institution's assessment and accreditation strategies? For example, does the library revise and update its assessment procedures in conjunction with campus-wide planning and the actions of academic departments?

Yes.

• Several facets of the library's assessment strategy relate to institutional assessment. The library's annual objectives and year-end report are of particular relevance; some objectives are formulated in response to information gathered from various university committees and academic departments. Library objectives are discussed by the university community during the review of Information Services priorities.
  
• Library staff have attended meetings, provided information, and in other ways participated in institutional assessment efforts to prepare for North Central Accreditation. In particular, the library prepared this self-study, based on the Association of College and Research Libraries Standards for College Libraries (2000).

5. How does the library assess itself? (e.g. What quantitative and qualitative data does the library collect about its performance? How does it take into account special needs, such as those of physically challenged users?)

• Quantitative data. a) The library collects and submits data for the Academic Library Survey (IPEDS) every two years. b) The library collects and submits data to the UW System every year. For the 2000/01 year, the UW System form was based on the 1999/2000 ALS. c) The library collects, on a monthly basis, more detailed statistics. These statistics are compiled and reviewed annually. (Copies of IPEDS, UW System, and local statistical reports are available in the library.)
  
• Qualitative data. See section B3.
  
• The library webmaster uses Bobby, automated testing, analysis, and reporting software, to detect and manage website accessibility problems (http://webxact.watchfire.com/). The library offers a special room equipped with ergonomic chairs and assistive technology for the vision and hearing impaired. The equipment is frequently reviewed and updated in consultation with the university's Coordinator of Disability Services. Beyond that, the special needs of users, such as the physically challenged, are addressed on an individual basis. For example, a student with limited sight requested that the access workstation be moved to a more private location. The library moved the workstation to the group study room near the Reference desk. One of the library's 2002-03 objectives is to move the group study equipment and software from that room to a new group study room.
  

6. What outcomes does the library measure, and how does it measure these outcomes?

The ACRL standards define outcomes as "the ways in which library users are changed as a result of their contact with library resources and programs." Thus far, three initiatives address this issue:

• The library reviewed the results of the 2000 ACT Alumni Outcomes Survey. Under the Impact of School Experience section, "Accessing and using a variety of information sources" received the highest rank: 1. Similarly, under the Satisfaction with Student Services/Programs section, "Library services and materials" received the highest rank: 1.
  
• The library has commissioned several assessment surveys. Some of the survey questions measure outcomes (e.g. the 1997 student survey indicated that 64.2% of the students had used, or expect to use what they learned from the Basic Library Skills workbook).
  
• Instruction librarians are working on developing web-based assessment tools for individual instruction sessions.
  

7. How does the library compare itself with peers?

• The University of Wisconsin-Parkside has been identified by an outside agency, the Colorado Commission on Higher Education, as being in the following peer institution group: University of Southern Colorado, Eastern Washington University, Western Washington University, Humboldt State University, SUNY at Plattsburgh, SUNY at Potsdam, University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, West Texas A&M University, and University of Wisconsin-River Falls. ALS data (1999/2000) from these institutions is used as the basis for the input and output measures discussed in section A. Points of Comparison.
  
• The UWP Library is in frequent contact with other UW libraries, monitors their activities (e.g. which libraries have an electronic reserves system), reviews their statistics, and confers with them about initiatives and problems. Three UW System libraries are considered peers and are watched particularly closely: UW-Green Bay, UW-Platteville, and UW-River Falls. This continual peer assessment and support is very valuable. UW System data (2000/01) from these institutions is used as the basis for the input and output measures discussed in section A. Points of Comparison.
  

C. Services.

1. How well does the library establish, promote, maintain and evaluate a range of quality services that support the academic program of the institution and optimal library use?

The library strives to provide and promote a full range of supportive, quality services. The 1997 student and faculty/staff surveys, independently evaluated by the CSMR, concluded that the library provides good service to both faculty/staff and students. The Center further noted: "If one area were to be singled out for greater attention it would be electronic resources…" In response, the library has greatly enhanced its electronic resources over the past five years.

The library establishes, promotes, maintains and evaluates its services in the following ways:

• Ideas for new or enhanced services take root as staff brainstorm, talk to colleagues in the library and university communities, read professional journals, and participate in listserves. IS teams discuss potential objectives; if viable, objectives are proposed for support and funding. Library administration also suggests objectives. The UW System proposes and supports new or enhanced library services. The UWP Library likes to stay near the front of the pack in providing new services. For example, it created one of the first web-based interactive information literacy tutorials, was an early adopter of Serials Solutions (provides a customized, regularly updated database of all UWP's full-text electronic serials) and Human Click (electronic, interactive ref chat software), and purchased Docutek's electronic reserves system, including Docufax software, in 2001.
  
• Library services are promoted through liaison contact with faculty (http://www.uwp.edu/departments/library/services/staff/liaison.htm), library email bulletins, signs on tripods in high traffic areas of the library, the university's faculty/staff orientation program, outreach brochures, discussions at various university committees, and brief articles in the Communique newsletter for faculty and staff and the Ranger student newspaper. The 2001 UW System IT Survey revealed that while students have a fairly good opinion of the library's electronic resources, less than 50% of UWP faculty/staff consider the library's electronic resources to be good and 47% do not make use of them. The library needs to work harder on getting out the word to faculty about its excellent electronic resources.
  
• With the exception of a few transition years, the library has faithfully prepared annual objectives and follow-up reports for self-evaluation purposes. It has also made use of a variety of tools to gather outside opinions of its services (see section B). Two library 2002-03 objectives are geared to evaluation of services: a) investigate the desirability of assessing the Information Literacy program through pre- and post-testing of University Seminar students, b) investigate the feasibility of performing another student and faculty/staff survey.
  

2. Are reference, circulation, and government document services designed to enable users to take full advantage of the resources available to them?

Yes -- except that there is no separate government document service.

• The Reference desk is located in a prominent place near the entrance to the
  reference room, almost in direct line with the front double doors to the library. Reference staff are available in person, over the telephone, or via live chat software 56.5 hours per week during the fall and spring semesters, and 40 hours per week during interim and summer school (http://www.uwp.edu/departments/library/services/ref.htm). There is concern that reference service is not always available to those students working remotely, especially those writing papers and using electronic resources late at night. Adding to this concern, a reference/instruction librarian position was cut in 2002/03, necessitating an 11-hour per week reduction in reference service. On the positive side, individuals are prompted on the web pages to contact the library (http://www.uwp.edu/departments/library/askus/) and can email a question at any time. The library has developed a set of Best References Sources by Subject and Just for Your Class web pages (http://www.uwp.edu/departments/library/guides/), which can help those working at home, in dorms or offices.
  
• The lengthy wood and black granite Check out desk is easily located near the library entrance, along one side of the main lobby. Circulation staff are ready to assist patrons whenever the library is open. Information about circulation services (e.g. loan periods, overdues, reserves) is available directly from staff or on the Circulation Policies web page (http://www.uwp.edu/departments/library/services/circ.htm).
  
• Even if the library is closed, faculty and students can use the electronic reserves system. Individuals can also use the OPAC to find out what materials they have checked out and can renew those materials online. They can also find out what fines and fees are outstanding. Students, faculty and staff can request materials directly from other UW libraries and can check to see which materials have arrived and which are still pending. To make circulation services more convenient, staff will pilot a courier service for faculty/staff in 2002/03.

3. How do student and faculty expectations affect library services?

The library finds out about student and faculty expectations using the techniques described in sections B3 and B5. Opinion Column comments seem to be an especially timely way of learning about student expectations, while one-on-one discussions with faculty are more likely to elicit their current expectations. Sometimes the library can inform a user that a service (e.g. designated quiet study area) already exists. Sometimes a request is easily fulfilled (e.g. purchase an electronic stapler for public use). However, not all expectations can be met. Some faculty requests (e.g. subscribe to these five periodicals) cannot be met due to limited resources. Some student requests (e.g. put multiple copies of all textbooks on reserve) reveal that the individual has a different idea of the library's role is or a different view of the direction the university community should take (e.g. printing and photocopying should be free). Many user expectations (e.g. students should be able to take laptops home overnight) lead to good staff discussions of what services the library should provide.

4. How well do interlibrary loan and document delivery services support the needs of qualified users?

ILL turn-around time has been quite satisfactory, as indicated, for example, in the 1997 student and faculty/staff surveys. Staff feel that recent improvements in technology and workflows have resulted in a quicker and better service. Highlights of the library's ILL activities:

• Requests can be made using paper or electronic forms (e.g. article form: http://www.uwp.edu/departments/library/services/ill.htm); requests are processed on the day that they are received.
  
• A variety of cooperative programs and agreements enables the ILL Officer to obtain requested materials not held by the UWP Library.
  
• It takes an average of 7-10 days to obtain material from another library. Some journal articles are sent as electronic documents and generally arrive within 2-4 days.
  
• Students, faculty and staff can arrange online do-it-yourself interlibrary loans from other UW campuses via the Universal Borrowing feature of the UWP OPAC. The owning library retrieves the material and sends it to the UWP Library through a van delivery service. Delivery takes an average of 3 days. The requester is emailed or phoned when the item is ready for pickup.
  
• The UW System libraries recently purchased ILLiad, OCLC's new resource sharing management software which enables staff to administer all borrowing, lending, and document delivery through a single Windows-based interface. The UWP Library will implement ILLiad in fall 2002.
  

5. Does the library maintain hours of access consistent with reasonable demand?

• The library is typically open 96.25 hours per week during the regular semester and holds extended hours during finals (http://www.uwp.edu/departments/library/services/hours.htm).
  
• The library schedule was extended in spring 1999, adding 3.5 hours to the regular schedule and 13 hours to the interim schedule. These hours were added in response to the results of the 1997 student survey and in support of the needs of students in evening courses, the Outreach program, and extended hours graphic designs classes. Additional funding was not received to cover the new hours. Instead, a job description was rewritten to partially shift duties from the back room to circulation in order to deepen Check out desk coverage and help ensure that a permanent staff member is present when the library is open.
  
• From time to time, the library receives direct requests from students to increase hours. For example, the library recently received one request from a student to open earlier in the morning and another to further extend hours during finals week. After reviewing hours at peer UW institutions, informally observing library use during times adjacent to the requested hours, and examining staff scheduling options, it was decided that, at present, extending hours would benefit few students and not be worth the added cost.
  

6. What library services are provided for programs at off-campus sites? How are the needs of users and their satisfaction determined at those sites?

The library's electronic resources, including licensed databases, reference interactive chat sessions, electronic ILL forms, and electronic reserves, are available at off-campus sites to those with a computer and phone line. Librarians are also available via telephone. The campus has extremely limited off-campus programs; thus there has been no real need to assess user satisfaction.

7. How are students and faculty informed of library services?

• The instruction program teaches students about library services.
  
• The library's presentation during the university's orientation program informs new faculty and staff about library services.
  
• Staff working at various service points (Check out desk, ILL office, Reference desk) tell students and faculty about the library's services.
  
• Library liaisons regularly talk to faculty about a variety of library services, especially instruction and collection development activities. Liaisons visit new faculty to find out what their research interests are and to talk about library services.
  
• Short library email bulletins to students, faculty and staff describe new or existing services.
  
• Signs on tripods and on library walls advertise new services (e.g. laptop checkout).
  
• Email announcements and fliers advertise InfoBreak sessions for faculty and staff.
  
• Information about the library is shared at the Technology Advisory Committee (TAC), the Information Resources Committee (IRC), and other university committee meetings attended by faculty and student members.
  
• News about library services is published in the Communiqué; on occasion, the Ranger publishes an article about the library.
  
• The library's web site, including the FAQ section, contains much information about library services.
  

8. Does the library maintain and utilize quantitative and qualitative measures of its ability to serve its users?

Yes, information is gathered about the success of library services for faculty, staff, students, and others in the community:

• Quantitative measures collected and utilized include circulation statistics, interlibrary loan statistics, reference statistics, instruction statistics, and archives statistics. Statistics are reviewed and discussed by appropriate teams and individuals.
  
• The student and faculty/staff surveys contain both quantitative and qualitative measures.
  
• Opinion Column comments, the information literacy tutorial web-based evaluation tool, the ACT Alumni Outcome Survey, informal discussions with faculty and students, and more formal discussions during university committee meetings provide qualitative information about the library's ability to serve its users. Unfortunately, some of this information is undocumented.
  

D. Instruction.

1. Does the library provide formal and informal opportunities for instruction?

• Formal instruction opportunities:
  
  • the library's information literacy program, which is a graduation
    requirement for students, including transfer students with fewer than 90
    credits (http://www.uwp.edu/departments/library/infolit/intro/)
    
  • course-related instruction provided by library liaisons
    
  • library presentations for new faculty and staff as part of the
    university's orientation program
    
  • InfoBreak sessions for faculty and staff
    (http://www.uwp.edu/departments/infobrks.htm), some of which are prepared and taught by librarians (e.g. web-based information on
    tax returns).
    
  • the library's Discovering Research program
    (http://www.uwp.edu/departments/library/services/instruction.htm),
    which is an outreach to local high schools
    
• Informal instruction opportunities:
  
  • one-on-one instruction through reference service-in person,
    by phone, or by the web using live chat software
    
  • individual instruction sessions on an appointment basis
    
  • profile interviews with new faculty
    
  • web-based and printed guides (e.g. Best Resources for Chemistry:
    http://www.uwp.edu/departments/library/guides/portals/chem_portal.htm, Just
    for Comm 310: Communication in Everyday Life:
    http://uwp.edu/~behling/comm/com310/com310.html,
    and How to Cite References Using APA Style:
    (http://www.uwp.edu/departments/library/guides/pdf_guides/apa.pdf)
    
  • point-of-use instruction (e.g. Printing to RangerCARD Color Laser
    Printer - a card located on the table holding the printers)
    
  • records management web pages
    (http://www.uwp.edu/departments/library/archives/recman.htm) and
    sessions with university office staff
    

   

2. Does the library provide adequate space for instruction for both large and small groups? Is the available space designed to provide hands-on instruction, as well as presentation of all types of resources?

• Large group instruction takes place in the library classroom, which seats over 20 students. The room is equipped with a computer with Internet access and presentation software as well as a data projector. The library is considering using wireless laptops for hands-on instruction in this room.
  
• Large group instruction also takes place in the three computer classrooms located on D-1, the floor immediately below the reference room. Each room seats approximately 25 students; two rooms are equipped with a Smartboard for enhanced presentation/instruction, all rooms contain data projectors and Internet accessible computers for student use.
  
• Small group instruction takes place in two D-1 computer classrooms, each seating 8-12 persons and providing Internet accessible computers. The rooms are both equipped with data projectors and one room has a Smartboard.
  
• Portable data projectors are available if librarians need to travel to a classroom for instruction.

3. Does the library make appropriate use of technology in its instruction?

Yes. The following software and equipment are used regularly in instruction sessions:

• WebCT course management software to create the library's information literacy tutorial quizzes
  
• web pages constructed by instruction librarians for individual instruction sessions (e.g. Just for Your Class: Introduction to Marketing http://uwp.edu/~bartosz/marketing/mkt350/mkt350.htm) and pages covering broad subject areas (e.g. Best Resources for Criminal Justice http://www.uwp.edu/departments/library/guides/portals/crmj_portal.htm)
  
• Dreamweaver and other HTML editors for creating web pages
  
• PowerPoint for presentations
  
• late model computers with Internet connections, Smartboards, and data projectors
  

4. How do librarians work with classroom faculty in developing and evaluating library curricula in support of specific courses?

• There is an assigned library liaison for each academic department and all major units on campus. Liaisons work with faculty to develop instruction sessions for individual classes. They seek feedback from faculty after sessions in order to assess the success of the presentation and to plan for future instruction sessions.
  
• Library liaisons meet with new faculty to welcome them to the campus and introduce them to library services. Profiles of new faculty members are gathered and reviewed by librarians to determine what the instruction needs will be.
  

5. If applicable, how does the library facilitate faculty research?

Library liaisons communicate with faculty to identify and procure materials that support faculty research. Liaisons are available for additional assistance as requested.

6. Does the library provide a variety of educational programs?

Yes, beyond the instruction opportunities mentioned in section D1, the library offers the following:

• educational programs for the campus community, sponsored by the Friends of the Library
  
• workshops for the campus community, sponsored by the Archives
  

7. How does the library promote and evaluate its instructional programs?

• The information literacy program is a university graduation requirement. Students voluntarily use a web-based evaluation tool to submit their comments and concerns regarding the tutorial.
  
• Course-related instruction is promoted through library liaison contact with departmental faculty.
  
• The university promotes its orientation sessions for new faculty and staff. The library's presentation is an integral part of the orientation program.
  
• InfoBreaks are promoted via email announcements and fliers heavily circulated and posted.
  
• Discovering Research is promoted through community outreach brochures distributed to local high schools.
  
• Instruction librarians seek feedback from faculty on individual instruction sessions and on the library's program. The Instruction Team meets regularly to discuss the instruction program and develop new ideas.
  
• Instruction librarians are working on developing web-based assessment tools for individual instruction sessions.
  

8. How does the library apply the Information Literacy Standards for Higher Education?

The library's web-based information literacy tutorial and quiz program, taken by all new students and many transfer students, was designed around the core competencies set forth by the Information Literacy Standards for Higher Education. Tutorial modules and quiz questions were carefully designed to help students meet the goals set forth in these standards.

E. Resources.

1. What criteria are used to make decisions about the acquisition, retention, and use of print, electronic, and media resources? How does the library select resources for its users?

• The library's Collection Development Policy (http://www.uwp.edu/departments/library/services/cdpolicy.htm)
  outlines selection criteria and standards used in the acquisition of all library resources. The policy encompasses both materials owned by and housed in the library and those licensed electronic resources to which the library provides access. The Collection Development Policy was last revised in early 2002; the revised version was sent to governance groups for feedback.
  
• The Collection Development Team (CD Team), including all librarians, the Acquisitions Supervisor, and the ILL Officer, meets each month to discuss planning issues, budget matters, policies, projects, large purchases, and other related matters.
  
• Each librarian is responsible for monographic/AV purchases in one or more subject areas, overseeing the expenditure of the discipline's allocated acquisitions budget. The librarian serves as a liaison to departmental faculty, sending out Choice cards and other information about possible purchases, and receiving and approving purchase requests. Monograph/AV requests must be approved by the appropriate library liaison before orders are placed. If money is available at year-end, Choice and Library Journal best books of the year lists are reviewed by liaisons and most titles not already owned are purchased.
  
• Faculty and others make the case for new periodical subscriptions by filling out a questionnaire, which provides information about how the periodical will be used. The CD Team reviews subscription requests; decisions are made based upon the Collection Development Policy, budgetary considerations, and occasionally, issues of market predatorship or copyright and fair use. Sample periodicals are sometimes used as a decision aid.
  
• The library has developed guidelines for migrating periodical subscriptions from paper to electronic form (Philosophy for Changing Formats). Each year, print subscriptions also available in electronic format are reviewed to determine whether a cancellation of the duplicate print subscription is warranted. Library liaisons work closely with faculty on this project.
  
• The Information Coordination Team makes acquisition and retention decisions about licensed electronic resources. Most members of the team are reference/instruction librarians, familiar with the types of information faculty, students and staff need. Decisions are based on the Collection Development Policy, trials, licensing restrictions, budgetary considerations, and projected or observed usage. Retention decisions are reviewed annually.
  
• The UW System's Collection Development Committee (CDC) meets several times a year to make decisions on the expenditure of over a million dollars worth of jointly licensed electronic resources funded by the UW System (http://www.uwsa.edu/olit/cuwlweb/cdcpge.htm). The CDC also works together to coordinate some serials cancellations. UWP is a voting member of the CDC and is vocal in representing the interests of its faculty and students.
  
• UW Digital Collections (UWDC) is a cooperative effort to digitize and provide access to UW materials that highlight Wisconsin's cultural heritage and relate to academic programs. Using guidelines established by an oversight committee, the UWP Archivist selected and submitted materials for digitization and inclusion in the Pioneer Experience, which will be one of the first UWDC collections.
  

2. What is the role of the classroom faculty in the selection of library resources and in the ongoing development and evaluation of the collection?

• Librarians and faculty jointly share the responsibility for selection of library materials. Each department is assigned a librarian who acts as liaison to coordinate acquisitions for that department (http://www.uwp.edu/departments/library/services/staff/liaison.htm). Librarians send faculty Choice cards and other information to help identify materials in various formats for possible purchase. The librarians receive and approve purchase requests for their assigned departments. Librarians work closely with faculty when making decisions about periodicals subscriptions and database licenses.
  
• The library's weeding program is the responsibility of the CD Team in consultation with the appropriate faculty and is an ongoing component of collection development.
  

3. Does the library have a continuing and effective program to evaluate its collections, resources, and online databases, both quantitatively and qualitatively?

• The library systematically weeds the general collection. Materials that have become obsolete, are no longer relevant, or are in poor physical condition are reviewed for discard, replacement, or repair. As each section of the collection is weeded, the quality of materials remaining in the section is assessed and gaps are noted.
  
• Periodical subscriptions are reviewed by liaisons before renewal each year to ascertain whether they remain suitable and affordable. Format changes are also discussed; print subscriptions available in electronic format are reviewed to determine whether a cancellation of the duplicate print version is warranted. Decisions are based on the library's guidelines for migrating periodical subscriptions from paper to electronic form and include careful consideration of the quality of the electronic version.
  
• The library's Information Coordination Team and the UW System CDC frequently review licensed electronic resources to determine whether they remain useful and affordable. Although some vendors supply usage statistics, at this point the statistics appear unreliable; librarians' observation of use based on reference questions, course assignments, and other such factors appears more valuable. The CDC is pressing database vendors to provide more reliable and useful statistics. COUNTER (Counting Online Usage of NeTworked Electronic Resources) is a new multi-agency project whose objective is to develop a single, internationally acceptable code of practice that will allow online products and services to be measured more consistently (http://www.projectcounter.org/about.html). The UWP Library is watching this initiative.
  
• When an academic department prepares for an accreditation visit, the library can provide support by evaluating its resources. If necessary, the library will reallocate funds to bolster resources in appropriate subject areas.
  
• The library uses data gathered annually by the UW System to compare UWP holdings statistics and other related measures with other UW libraries, particularly UW-Green Bay, UW-Platteville, and UW-River Falls.
  

4. Do print, media, and electronic resources reflect campus curricular and research needs?

Yes. The library's Collection Development Policy sets out the following priorities:

• Priority 1: Materials absolutely necessary to support the curriculum and items which should be part of any standard collection.
  
• Priority 2: Materials to support research and to enhance the teaching/learning process.
  
• Priority 3: Materials desirable for collection enrichment and collection balance.

The library uses these priorities when making purchasing and licensing decisions.

5. Does the library have sufficient user licenses for its electronic resources so that on-site and remote users can be accommodated?

• The library has a proxy server, so that both on site and remote UWP users are afforded access to all purchased electronic resources. License agreements vary greatly. Some vendors allow an unlimited number of authenticated users to simultaneously access their databases, while others have licenses that preset a particular number of users for a particular price. The library prefers and typically provides access for an unlimited number of users. When a limited number of simultaneous uses must be selected, the library's Information Coordination Team projects database usage and purchases the most appropriate option. Contracts are annually reviewed and, if necessary, changed. Some vendors provide turn away statistics, which are helpful when licenses are reviewed.
  
• The CDC also reviews UW System licensed databases annually. Simultaneous use levels are discussed and revised.

6. How are consortium purchasing and licensing agreements utilized?

While many electronic resources are purchased directly from vendors, a large number of licensed resources are available through the UW System purchasing consortium, managed by the CDC. Other licensed resources are available to UWP through UW-Madison's agreements with some vendors on behalf of all UW libraries. Additional licensed resources are available through the State of Wisconsin's contract with certain vendors. The library also arranges some licenses through the Wisconsin Library Services (WiLS) consortium. UWP belongs to the Wisconsin Academic Library netLibrary Consortium for purchase of some e books.

7. If the library has responsibility for collection and maintaining the institution's archives, how does it address these responsibilities?

The library is home to the university's Archives and Special Collections (http://www.uwp.edu/departments/library/archives.htm), where manuscripts, rare books, and the records of the university are maintained. Currently, nearly 1500 cubic feet of records having permanent value are housed in the Archives. During fiscal year 2002, eight offices and departments transferred approximately 20 cubic feet of records to the archives. During the same time period, 25 cubic feet were processed, and records management training was conducted with a variety of university offices. Archives staff note that a growing percentage of requests concern university records. Many of the paper guides to university records are currently being converted to electronic format for ease of access and possible future mounting onto the web. The Archives serves as an area research center, one of a network of 13 Wisconsin centers that make local public records and historical manuscripts available to the public.

8. How do the library's collections and online databases compare with its peers?

• The 1999/2000 data show that the UWP Library has the most favorable ratio of volumes to students & faculty (109) among both CCHE peers and UW System peers, but Parkside's ratio of volumes added to students and faculty (1.2) falls below the CCHE peer average of 1.6. Parkside's 2000/01 added volumes ratio increased to 2.6, highest amongst all its peers. However, many of these new volumes were periodical volumes added to the collection as part of a binding catch-up project. In an average year, UW-Parkside probably falls in the mid range with regard to the ratio of volumes added to students and faculty.
  
• The library is particularly distressed at the small number of monographic titles purchased during the past several years: 2,431 in 1999/00, 3,408 in 2000/01, and 2,628 in 2001/02. For the 2002/03, the library has put together a special fund of nearly $28,000, much of which will be used to purchase additional books.
  
• UW-Parkside heavily invests in electronic resources. The 2000/01 data show that the library's ratio of electronic materials expenditures to students and faculty is a $17, the highest among its UW peers. This expenditure, added to the UW System's, a portion of UW-Madison's, and the State of Wisconsin's electronic resources expenditures, allows the UW-Parkside Library to provide faculty and students with access to a very rich array of e resources. CCHE peer expenditures for electronic resources were generally not available.
  

9. Does the library maintain the currency of the collection through a judicious weeding program?

In order to maintain a viable and useful collection and to assure adequate housing space, in fall 1999 the library instituted a plan to weed the physical collection. The weeding process is the responsibility of the CD Team in consultation with the appropriate faculty and is an ongoing component of collection development.

• Monographs: The CD Team maintains a list of LC subject areas most need of weeding. Taking one or two areas at a time, subject liaisons pull from the shelves materials that are obsolete, are no longer relevant, or are in poor physical condition. Culled volumes are shelved in a special area and faculty are invited to review the selections for discarding, replacement, or repair.
  
• Periodicals: CD Team subgroups visit and review designated areas of the bound periodicals stacks to identify runs of titles that are no longer relevant. Draft lists are compiled and then reviewed on a title-by-title basis during CD Team meetings. The process includes faculty consultation. The library is aware of faculty attitudes about retention of paper copies of primary journals and has chosen not to weed physical volumes of JSTOR titles at this time.
  
• AV materials: Obsolete formats are weeded when machines are no longer available to play the materials. Individual AV materials are weeded on a case-by-case basis. A more formal AV weeding program will be planned when the current pass through bound periodicals collection has been completed.

F. Access.

1. What methods are used to provide maximum intellectual and physical accessibility to the library and its resources?

• The library's web home page (http://www.uwp.edu/departments/library/) is the starting point for intellectual access to its resources. Designed by a special IS team employing focus groups and usability study techniques, the pages continue to improve and evolve. The library provides a text-only version of its web pages and uses Bobby (automated testing, analysis and reporting software) to detect and manage website issues in the areas of accessibility, content and web application defects, and usability.
  
• With few exceptions, the library's entire physical collection is cataloged and can be found in the Voyager OPAC (http://pkslib.wisconsin.edu/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?DB=local&PAGE=First). The catalog is available approximately 21 hours a day. During 2002/03 the library will add an OPAC telnet option.
  
• Examples of additional web resources and services include the library's E-reserves (http://docutek.uwp.edu/courseindex.asp) which uses Docutek software, its web database of print and electronic journal holdings (http://nms.uwp.edu/Voyager/) which uses Serials Solutions software, and its interactive information literacy tutorial (https://uwp.courses.wisc.edu/public/Infolit3/index.html) which uses WebCT courseware. Human Click software provides interactive electronic chat sessions with the library's reference staff (http://www.uwp.edu/departments/library/askus/). A proxy server using EZproxy software provides off-campus access to most of the library's electronic resources 24x7.
  
• The library is physically located at the heart of the university, right off of Main Place. Because of UWP's layout, at some point most persons coming to the university will find themselves near the library's wide open double doors and inviting floor to ceiling windows. The staff is ready to assist anyone who might have a problem moving about the library or physically accessing materials. During the semester, the library is open over 96 hours per week, with more generous hours during finals.
  

2. How are the accuracy and currency of the catalog assured?

• The library has one cataloger, a senior academic librarian who has responsibility for the accuracy and currency of the catalog. She is an experienced cataloger, keeping current with changes in cataloging rules and name and subject headings changes. A comprehensive authority control program was implemented when Voyager was brought up.
  
• The serials librarian, also an experienced senior academic librarian, is responsible for the serials records in the catalog; she edits and/or adds records as titles change, merge, or cease. Due to their nature, serials problems can take weeks or months to resolve. Periodical issues are checked in as received, with holdings reflected in the catalog.
  
• The current status of materials is available to the public as items move through order, receipt, catalog and physical processing stages. Most materials are fully cataloged and available within one week of their arrival at the library.

3. Is the arrangement of the collections logical and understandable?

For the most part, the arrangement is logical and easy to understand. Based on user feedback, many changes have been made within the last few years. In 2002, the microfilmed newspaper collection was completely reorganized and the physical arrangement of the current periodicals section was reversed, so that general periodicals (class AP) begin nearest the center of the room. The largest problem seems to be locating older periodical issues. Unless otherwise indicated, all collections are arranged by LC call number.

• Reference materials are located on low shelving, with larger atlases in special cabinets at the far end of the collection. Some very heavily used reference books are shelved at the Reference desk.
  
• The Friends of the Library Reading Room has a sizable rental collection of popular books, with fiction arranged by alphabetically by author. The library's new books are also temporarily located in this room.
  
• The general circulating collection is located on the upper two floors (L-2 and L-3) of the library. Government documents are integrated into the collection. Oversized items are shelved in special shelving at the end of the regular collection on each floor.
  
• The Instructional Materials Collection (IMC) is located in a large, open bay on L-2, near the education books (classification LB).
  
• Current periodicals are located adjacent to the Reference Collection. Older periodicals, located near the current periodicals shelves, are arranged by title.
  Sometimes older issues can be very difficult to find because runs are separated when a title changes. A project is underway to label and arrange older periodicals by LC classification.
  
• Newspapers on microfilm are located in cabinets between the current periodicals shelves and the older periodicals stacks.
  
• Several large microfiche sets (e.g. LAC, LEL, CSI) are shelved together near the microfilmed newspapers and within easy access of the microfiche reader. A sign lists the collections housed in the cabinets.
  
• AV materials, with a few exceptions, are located in a special AV area and are shelved by format (i.e. videocassettes are shelved together). Associated equipment is located in nearby carrels and viewing rooms.
  
• Some theft-risk materials (e.g. CDs, DVDs) and non-electronic reserves materials are shelved behind the Check out desk.
  
• Some smaller collections, such as the remaining paper indexes and U.S. census volumes, are tucked away in corners of the library and are more difficult to find.
  
• Archives has a large variety of materials (e.g. local manuscripts, local government records, citizenship records, census records, genealogy books, university records), which are shelved in four rooms: the Racine room, the Kenosha room, university records, and the reading room. Arrangement of the resources depends on the type of material considered. Special Collections and genealogy books are arranged by LC call number, while other materials are stored and organized in a manner conducive to their format, content, and preservation needs.
  

4. Does the library provide timely and effective interlibrary loan or document delivery service for materials not owned by the library?

• ILL service is available to UWP faculty, staff and students as an aid to research and study. Requests may be placed using paper forms or using an electronic form available on the library's web site. Requests are processed on the day that they are received.
  
• The average time required to obtain material from another source is 7-10 days. Journal articles owned by some UW campus libraries are sent as electronic documents and generally arrive within 2-4 days. When several sources must be contacted before an available copy is located, the process may take longer.
  
• ILL policies are available on the library's web pages (http://www.uwp.edu/departments/library/services/ill.htm).
  

5. Does the library participate in available consortial borrowing programs?

• The library has reciprocal borrowing agreements with all other UW libraries except UW Madison (see bullet below). The library also has reciprocal agreements with several other institutions (e.g. Alverno College, Central Michigan University, and Lake Superior State University) and is actively seeking additional partners.
  
• UWP is a member of WiLS (http://www.wils.wisc.edu/), which accesses the UW-Madison campus libraries to fill requests. If requests cannot be filled from the Madison collections, they are referred to libraries across the state and beyond. WiLS provides members with a newsletter, verification assistance, workshops, consulting, and a 24-hour rush service, Request Express, for UW-Madison campus materials. A van delivery service running 5 days a week picks up and delivers materials between institutions.
  
• The library is a member of Libraries Very Interested in Sharing (LVIS), an OCLC non-charge Group Access Capability with over 1,300 participating libraries (http://www.sos.state.il.us/library/isl/oclc/lvis_dir.html).
  
• Starting in the library's OPAC with a multi-library search of other UW libraries, users can arrange online do-it-yourself interlibrary loans from other UW campuses using Voyager's Universal Borrowing feature. The owning library retrieves the material and sends it to the borrower's library through the courier service noted above. Delivery takes an average of 3 days. The requester is emailed or phoned when the item is ready for pickup.
  
• When visiting other UW libraries or Carthage College, UWP faculty, students and staff are allowed to check out materials due to reciprocal borrowing agreements.
  

6. Does the library provide sufficient numbers of appropriately capable workstations for access to electronic resources?

• In the reference room there are 24 public Internet-enabled workstations and three workstations dedicated for cdrom use, one specifically set up for census information research. In addition, there is a workstation in the stairwell lobby on L-2 and another one in the L-3 stairwell lobby. These two workstations allow access the library's catalog but do not offer Internet access.
  
• Six laptops are available for checkout to faculty, students and staff. They can connect, via a wireless network, to library databases such as the online catalog and electronic databases and journals, and to the Internet. The laptops may be used for activities not presently available on most library computers, such as word processing, email, and chat rooms. They may be checked out for four hours and must be used in the library. The library plans to purchase seven additional laptops in 2002/03.
  
• In the library's first floor (L-1) lobby, there is a wireless email bar with four workstations able to access the university's email program as well as popular Internet-based mail services.
  
• A group study room, located on L-1, is available for groups of students wishing to work together on projects requiring library resources and presentation software. The room is equipped with a high-end computer and large monitor and a scanner. Software includes the full Microsoft Office suite, including Microsoft Publisher and Power point. Students may edit images or text from digital cameras or scanners. Two additional group study rooms, to be located on L-2, are in the planning stages.
  
• Adjacent to the reference room there is a room provided with equipment for individuals with disabilities. Equipment includes a computer, a scanner, and specialized software (e.g. Window-Eyes, Jaws, Dragon Naturally Speaking, Dec Talk, and ZoomText).
  
• Instructional Technology Support (ITS) (http://www.uwp.edu/departments/its/), another branch of IS, runs an open access computer lab with 112 Internet-enabled computers on D-1, immediately below the reference room. In the adjacent Learning Tech Center, there are another 21 computers.
  

7. Is access to the catalog and to other library resources available across campus and off-campus?

Yes. The library's web pages, including the catalog, are available on the Internet. All licensed databases are available remotely, with authentication provided through an EZproxy server. There are some problems, however, with users' ability to remember the correct password, which is the university email password rather than the id number on the RangerCARD. The RangerCARD number is used to get personal information (e.g. books overdue, fines) from the Voyager system.

8. If materials are located in a storage facility, are those materials readily accessible?

No materials are located in a storage facility.

9. In what ways does the library provide for its users who are engaged in distance learning programs?

Although UWP has few distance ed students, the library is moving towards conformance to the UW System Policy on Library Support for Distance Education, Extended Education Students, and Faculty. Achievements include:

• the appointment of a distance education liaison librarian.
  
• the installation of a proxy server.
  
• the implementation of E-reserves.
  
• the creation of an online, interactive information literacy tutorial.
  
• the availability of interlibrary loan service for distant students.
  
• the provision of access to a significant number of licensed electronic resources (link to Table 5).
  
• the provision of electronic, interactive reference through Human Click software.
  
• the provision of electronic forms for interlibrary loan, reference, and acquisitions.

As UW-Parkside's distance education program expands, the library will:

• provide an 800 phone number for the library.
  
• create a web distance Ed home page with direct linkage to library services.
  
• provide a designated space for consultations, ready reference collections, reserve collections, electronic transmission of information computerized database searching and interlibrary loan services, and offices for the library distance learning personnel.

G. Staff

1. Does the library employ staff capable of supporting and delivering information in all available formats, including electronic resources?

• Librarians are recruited nationally. Initial screening is performed by carefully chosen search and screen committees; interviews are granted based on closely examined letters of application, vitas, and other supporting documentation. Telephone interviews of references are conducted for the top candidates. Candidate interviews are rigorous; for reference/instruction librarians, an instruction presentation is required. Initial contracts are for a one-year period.
  
• Support staff are hired through the Wisconsin civil service program, which requires standardized tests and provides rankings/scores to potential employers. A small search group (usually appropriate library staff) interviews each interested candidate and conducts telephone interviews of references for the top candidates. A six-month probation period is required.
  
• Student employee applications are reviewed; students are interviewed before a hiring decision is made. New student employees are closely supervised.
  
• As a result of the above practices, UWP is proud of its library staff, which acts as a very capable, energetic and forward-looking team, comfortable with current and even cutting edge library services and technology.
  

2. Is sufficient budgetary support provided to ensure the ongoing training of all staff?

• Information Services considers staff development a high priority and makes available to all IS staff monies for conference attendance, professional meetings, and other similar activities. Most requests are at least partially funded and most staff avail themselves of the many off-campus opportunities available.
  
• There are special funds available to all academic staff from both the UW System and UW-Parkside for professional development. Library staff have applied for and made use of these monies.
  
• UWP offers free tuition benefits to staff to cover job-related course work. Several library employees have been reimbursed for courses taken at the UW-Milwaukee School of Library and Information Science.
  
• Release time is offered to library staff for free on-campus and local workshops. For example, each year IS provides a series of InfoBreaks on varied topics and occasionally provides other timely workshops (e.g. software virus protection). The Office of Human Resources sponsors workshops on personnel management and diversity, which are well attended by library staff.
  
• Staff development is a priority for the University of Wisconsin System Office of Learning & Information Technology (http://www.uwsa.edu/olit/). Significant funds have been budgeted and expended for numerous training sessions. For example, the UW System coordinates and pays for generous Voyager-related training.
  

3. Does the library have qualified librarians, other professional staff, skilled support staff, and student assistants in adequate numbers to meet its needs?

• During the past several years, the library has lost a few staff positions. In 2002/03 the library lost a librarian position due to university budgetary problems. The library is hopeful that the position can be restored.
  
• Compared to its CCHE peers, the UWP Library ranks near the bottom for the library staff to students and faculty ratio and it spends the smallest percentage of its budget on staff. Likewise, all UW System peer institutions spend a larger percentage of their budgets on staff. In 2001/02, UWP's ratio of library staff to students and faculty was .005, the mode for UW peer institutions. This ratio does not reflect the library's 2002/03 position cut, which make its staffing picture bleaker. In recent years, the library staff budget has decreased as experienced senior librarians have retired and been replaced by less experienced individuals.
  
• Fortunately, four factors have helped to counteract an erosion in service:
  
  • a high caliber staff, dedicated and hard working
    
  • a flat organizational structure and effective teams
    
  • the assistance of other IS personnel
    
  • improvements in technology and a shift from resource ownership to access, reducing the need for student assistants in certain areas
    

4. How does the institution ensure that the library's professional staff have the appropriate accredited degrees, and how does it encourage them to engage in appropriate professional activities?

• The UWP Library requires that all librarians have a masters degree from an ALA accredited program. During the search and screen process, each applicant's library school transcript is checked for the degree.
  
• Librarians are strongly encouraged to engage in appropriate professional development. A review of professional activities is included as part of each librarian's annual evaluation. Release time and funds are available to help support attendance at conferences, workshops, and meetings.
  

5. How does the size of the library staff relate to the goals and services of the library, the institution's programs, degrees, enrollment, size of the faculty and staff, and auxiliary programs?

• The small library staff reflects the relatively small enrollment at the university. However, over the past few years enrollment has increased, while the number of library staff has been reduced.
  
• Almost all librarians are employed in a reference/instruction capacity and almost all support staff are engaged in public service activities. The increased emphasis on instruction, reference, and other public services matches a shift in priorities to more closely support the university's mission and was made possible by an increase in technical services productivity.
  

6. How do library staff policies and procedures compare with college guidelines and sound personnel management, especially in the areas of hiring, recruitment, appointment, contract renewal, promotion, tenure, dismissal and appeal?

• Library practices with regard to personnel management are in conformance with university and state requirements. Library staff work closely with the Office of Human Resources and with the Assistant to the Chancellor for Equity and Diversity when making personnel decisions.
  
• Academic staff are covered by the university's Academic Staff Personnel Policies and Procedures (http://uwp.edu/staff/gov/aspp/aspp.htm). This document clearly identifies academic staff status, rights and responsibilities. Classified staff are covered by the State of Wisconsin's civil service program (http://www.uwp.edu/departments/human.resources/staffinfo/staffinfo.htm).

7. How do staff members who are responsible for instruction maintain sufficient knowledge and skills to be effective instructors?

• Recruiting librarians with an interest and experience instruction is a priority; this emphasis is reflected in position ads ("…professional commitment to librarianship, especially to library instruction") and interview sessions.
  
• Experienced librarians work closely with new instruction librarians to ensure that they have the necessary skills and knowledge.
  
• Librarians attend conference programs on instruction and occasionally the library has invited experts to campus to present workshops. UWP librarians also attend instruction workshops sponsored by nearby Carthage College. Two staff members have attended the ACRL Information Literacy Institute immersion program. IS workshops are frequently held to familiarize staff with new or updated software, software, and equipment.
  
• The Instruction Team reviews issues and trends in instruction and incorporates appropriate projects into their objectives.
  

8. How does the library provide security, preservation, and emergency training for its staff?

• Library staff attend university-sponsored workshops on topics such as personal safety and the use of fire extinguishers.
  
• The university distributes information about what to do in case of tornados, fires, encountering hostile persons, and other emergencies. In addition, it conducts drills, which library staff and patrons participate in.
  
• The library does not have a significant preservation program. Occasionally, the Archivist identifies items needing attention and arranges for them to be sent out for appropriate restoration. The library trains the staff member responsible for repairing books.
  
• The library has a detailed business continuity plan (i.e. disaster plan), which it periodically updates and reviews with staff.

H. Facilities.

1. Does the library provide well-planned, secure and adequate space for users?

• The library is a beautiful and, in general, a well-planned facility with adequate space. In 2001, UW-Parkside worked with staff from the UW System to develop plans and priorities for major construction/renovation projects. The library completed a comprehensive review of its space as part of this planning effort. The review identified numerous improvements that should be made in the space provided for users. Since it will be several years before the UW System campus renovation project begins, the library has started to work on its own to complete projects outlined in its plan. User space plans include adding or upgrading eight reading areas/rooms, converting nine rooms/areas to group study rooms, and converting the Art Slide suite to an IMC workroom suite (to be done in conjunction with the campus renovation project).
  
• The library is generally a safe, secure place for users, although the upper floors seem a little cold and hostile. Occasionally, a purse is stolen from a table or an individual exhibits alarming behavior. Whenever these sorts of incidents occur, library staff immediately telephone UWP Police Dept.
  
• The security of library resources is maintained by restricting public access to the library through the front doors. An electronic theft control system is in place near the Check out desk and front doors. Other doors in the public area to adjacent parts of the university are locked or equipped with an alarm and left unlocked for use during fire emergencies. On rare occasions, there are problems with locked doors left open or alarmed doors malfunctioning or propped open by facilities workers.

2. Are building mechanical systems properly designed and maintained to control temperature and humidity at recommended levels?

The library has experienced problems with ventilation and temperature control, particularly in some staff office areas. Although individuals vary greatly in the indoor temperatures they find comfortable, on a number of occasions most persons have found the temperature too warm or cold, or the ventilation inadequate. Energy conservation measures have sometimes affected the level of comfort in the library. Humidity has not been a problem.

3. What are the perceptions of users regarding the provision of conducive study spaces, including a sufficient number of seats and varied types of seating?

The 1997 student survey reported that students considered seating in the library to be slightly less than good. Since that time, the library has taken several steps to improve study spaces and seating, including:

• the creation of the attractive Friends of the Library Reading Room, near the entrance to the library on L-1. Seating includes two leather sofas, two overstuffed chairs, and two wooden study tables with matching chairs.
  
• the creation of a comfortable reading area in the southeast corner of L-1. Seating includes two leather sofas and two overstuffed chairs.
  
• the reupholstering of chairs and sofas on L-1.
  
• the addition of four upholstered armchairs in the reference room.
  
• the removal of many 4-sided study carrels on L-1 in order to open up the area and alleviate a cluttered, cramped look.
  
• the creation of a group study room on L-1.

Student reaction to the changes has been quite encouraging and the new seating areas are very popular. Following the plan mentioned in section H1, much more will be done to improve seating in the library over the next few years.

4. Is there enough space for library collections?

• By the mid 1990s, the collection was cramped for space, with volumes shelved on highest and lowest shelves and, in several areas, shelves completely filled. Small shifting projects were often required. At the same time, however, the growth of the collection slowed considerably due to a fairly static materials budget, significant inflation in the cost of library materials, and the availability of an increasing number of resources in electronic format.
  
• A monograph weeding project was instituted in fall 1999 and is proceeding at a steady pace. Between fall 1999 and fall 2002, over 16,000 volumes were withdrawn from the collection and significant shelf space was freed.
  
• In the future, the monograph collection will not serve as a repository but rather as an active, living collection, supporting the university's curriculum and scholarly/creative endeavors. The library will focus on housing those materials that are considered currently relevant and those that have value as classics. In many subject areas, newer volumes will push older ones out; it is not envisioned that the collection will grow in size.
  
• A periodicals weeding project was begun in fall 2000 and has proceeded at a fairly rapid pace, with over 7,200 volumes withdrawn in 2001/02. After the initial weeding project is completed, a second pass through the collection may be planned. It is anticipated that the size of the periodicals collection will not increase greatly in the future because an increasing number of titles are available electronically.
  
• The AV collection will be heavily weeded within the next two years.
  
• With the continuation of judicious weeding programs and an increasing shift from paper to electronic format, the library plans to increase aisle width between stacks to comply with ADA requirements and also to remain within the current "footprint" of the collections.

5. Does the library have sufficient workspace, and is it configured to promote efficient operations?

• Yes, for the most part, workspace is adequate and promotes efficient operations. During 2001, a small team of volunteers worked with the rest of the library staff to completely redesign room L191, the major staff office space. After much effort and negotiation, consensus was reached on a new layout. The physical move took place in January 2002. Office and work areas were reallocated and relocated based on workflows, work relationships, and aesthetics. Those without private office space received semi-private areas with a view of the beautiful Parkside campus. Wood and fabric wall panels from other areas of IS were used to create the new offices and work areas. New panel sections and other furniture will be purchased gradually over time. As expected, those with offices near the outside windows experience temperature problems in the winter months.
  
• Circulation office space is sufficient, but workflow and space usage has not been formally reviewed. A study and possible reorganization of this space will be a library objective within the next two years.
  
• The library has a workroom in the basement (D-2) for the periodicals peg-binding operation. The room is unattractive and remote. It is also used for storage of booksale books.
  
• The library has very inadequate storage facilities for extra shelving, furniture needing repair or waiting for surplussing, etc.
  
• There is an attractive, well-furnished faculty/staff lounge on D-1.
  

6. Is there sufficient space for collections and staff in the branch libraries?

There are no branch libraries.

7. Is the library's signage adequate?

• Signage is good, with a number of large, high quality, standardized signs suspended above service points and other areas. However, the library has made many physical changes in the past couple of years and plans many more, so it is difficult to keep the permanent signs accurate.
  
• There are several small, less expensive signs and notices posted around the library. Some detract from the library's appearance and need to be replaced or removed.
  
• A very nice libra