Compliance Certification Report
| 2.9 | 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. (Learning Resources and Services) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) is in compliance with Principle 2.9 because an adequate blend of centralized resources as well as access to resources beyond the Library is available. These collections and resources are sufficient to support all educational, research, and public service programs at the University. A UAH Library Program Review (which included an independent outside consultant assessment) was conducted in 2004. After an internal assessment and report, an outside evaluator (the long-time Executive Director of the Network of Alabama Academic Libraries) was invited to visit and review the Library. In the final report dated October 4, 2004, the evaluator concluded that the Salmon Library "provides sufficient access to information resources on-Campus." The following table depicts the vast improvements in the UAH Library over the last ten years, particularly in the areas of access/ownership of resources and collections, the enhanced technological access to these resources, and improvements in facilities/access.
In order to support all advanced degree programs offered at the University, the Salmon Library has made a concerted effort over the past five years to provide access to research databases and electronic books and journals. UAH currently subscribes to the following electronic resources:
UAH's access to Elsevier's 1,845 titles, available in a PDF document, essentially the entire Elsevier Online Collection through Science Direct, provides a very unique, almost unprecedented, offering to our users. Elsevier accounts for some 30 percent of all the world's basic science research journals. If these were hardcopy journal titles, the value of the package would be $4-5 million. The Library is implementing a number of new and innovative programs and systems including one particularly important in searching available resources: AGentPortal, a comprehensive search engine that provides searching, authentication, administration, and interlibrary loan functionality. This package will be served/housed in the Library. This federated single-search product will be particularly relevant and important in navigating the enormous array of materials and databases which are available online to users. This product is essentially a highly controlled and academically sound version of Google, allowing a patron to use a pre-structured search to access many electronic resources simultaneously, as well as providing an opportunity for users to devise their own search strategies. AGentPortal itself is actually a finding aid and instructional tool/tutorial. The Library currently maintains an e-journal management system, EBSCO A-Z, which manages over 35,000 premium and free electronic sources. In addition to this system, the Library is introducing EBSCO's LinkSource, an OpenURL Resolver, which will allow seamless linking to articles in multiple databases. A link Resolver is a physical system (hardware and software) that can interpret incoming OpenURLs, understand the user's access rights to content, and present links to the most appropriate associated resources. LinkSource is a link Resolver that can accept incoming OpenURLs from any OpenURL compliant service. This tool ties in with the new federated search product, AGentPortal, allowing the user to search multiple resources and seamlessly link to target content within seconds, thus being very helpful to the end user and also assists in reducing false interlibrary loan (ILL) requests. The Library is also adding the AGentPortal ILL system module, which will be fully integrated with the LinkSource OpenURL Resolver and the AGent federated search engine products. This will allow users the ability to quickly determine availability of needed materials and immediately and rapidly request those materials not available. The Library has special contracts or agreements with a number of very large institutions to provide users with access to both original and copied materials. In addition to the special contract resources below, UAH also has access to the full resources of the Network of Alabama Academic Libraries (NAAL) and to well over 100 other reciprocal ILL agreements. The Library has carefully chosen these special arrangements due to particular strengths. For instance, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has one of the largest research collections in the world and, unlike most collections, its collections include essentially the entire gamut of subject areas in one system. The UAH Library Contracts/Agreements with Academic/Research Libraries listed below provide access to over 21 million books, and over 200,000 serials, via overnight/electronic delivery.
The above contract libraries are supplemental to the Library's collection which spends about $1 million annually on Library content/resources and is listed as follows:
The M. Louis Salmon Library has been improved dramatically over the past ten years regarding facilities, electronic resources, and other services. These improvements were made because of the availability of new electronic resources, emerging technology, and increasing enrollment. The Library's website is updated about once each week to reflect new and changing services/resources available to users. One feature which highlights any new service or resource is the "What's new at the Library" choice. The mission of the Library at UAH is to support the instructional, research, and service requirements of the University, fully incorporating state-of-the-art information technologies, and resources in all formats, both local and beyond, coupled with a well qualified staff experienced in teaching professional selection methodologies on the vast information superhighway. Library goals are in agreement and in support of the institutional goals. The Library's overall evaluation on the LibQUAL+ Survey was very good in comparison to other libraries. LibQUAL + is a suite of services that libraries use to solicit, track, understand, and act upon users' opinions of service quality. Beginning in 2003, the Salmon Library participated in the survey and on the provision of electronic resources, the UAH Library compares favorably. In the most recent LibQUAL+ survey results, on which 9 is the highest-possible score, the Salmon Library received a score of 6.75 on the Library's provision of electronic resources. The collective score received by participating libraries in the Network of Alabama Academic Libraries (NAAL) was 6.70 out of a possible 9. The overall evaluation score for UAH was 6.80 out of 9. In the National Center for Education Statistics from 2002 (the latest comparative data available), comparing UAH's statistics with a southeast group average of 923 institutions and with a national group average, the UAH comparison for the:
To ensure that the Library's services, collections, and resources are sufficient to support all its educational, research, and public service programs, a 24/7 survey is located on the Library's website that allows Library users to evaluate and offer suggestions about the Library. The Library administration uses these responses along with other data to determine the sufficiency of programs and resources. About 90 percent of the evaluations or feedback is positive. Some typical feedback which the Library has received and analyzed includes such issues as heating/air in the building, lighting in the building, Library hours (particularly during exams), parking, etc. Since 2000 when the form was first made available, the Library has received on average 20 submissions per month, ranging from the typical reference question to other suggestions or evaluations. The layout of the form is shown below and includes optional name, email, phone, etc.
As mandated by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Standards, the Library collection is organized following nationally approved standards and conventions. Monograph materials are classified by subject, using the Library of Congress classification system. All materials are cataloged, using the MARC standard for bibliographic records. The ACRL is the source for standards and guidelines on academic libraries. The ACRL promulgates standards and guidelines to help libraries, academic institutions, and accrediting agencies understand the components of an excellent Library. The Library has numerous guides for online resources and other information. Among others, the Library provides guides and pathfinders to the subjects of Business, Nursing, Engineering Science, Government, Social Sciences, and Humanities. The Faculty Guide to Library Services, which is updated annually, was created about six years ago to provide a source for a comprehensive listing of all Library resources and services available to UAH faculty members and graduate student community. The Library and its subject specialists provide a number of programs and incentives to help introduce new faculty members to the Library resources annually. To ensure that the Library provides adequate collections, the Library has in place a Graduate and Undergraduate Curriculum Committee Library Liaison Process. The Undergraduate and Graduate Curriculum Committees have a representative from the Library. This Library representative is the liaison from the Curriculum Committee to the Library and the appropriate Departmental/College Library subject specialist(s) to keep up-to-date and informed on substantive curriculum changes that affect the Library. There exists a "new/revised curriculum undergrad/grad resources fund" from which the subject specialists can request support, as needed, for curriculum changes that warrant it. The University Library Committee is an Advisory Committee to the Dean of the Library. It advises on all Library matters. The charge of the Library Committee is to "review, assess, and make recommendations on matters of general Library policy, procedures and organization; the development of the Library resources and services; and means to best integrate the Library program with the instructional, research, and other service activities of the University." The Committee consists of the Dean of Library, six faculty members (one from each College and School of Graduate Studies) elected by the Faculty Senate and one student elected by the Student Government Association (SGA). Each fall semester, the Library's subject librarians extend invitations to all new University faculty members to participate in various get-acquainted sessions/activities and incentives. The UAH Library's Collection Management Policy is reviewed and updated frequently, as new issues/options/services/offerings mandate. The purpose of the Alabama Virtual Library (AVL) is to provide all students, teachers, and residents of the State of Alabama with online access to essential Library and information resources. It is primarily a group of online databases that have magazine, journal, and newspaper articles for research. Through the AVL, an equitable core of information sources is available to every student and resident in Alabama, raising the level of excellence in schools and communities across the state. The addition of these databases enhances the UAH Library collection and furthers student access to premium databases. The Library serves as home for a growing Archives and Special Collections Department that provides access to a growing collection of primary space research documents from the Huntsville, Alabama area. The Special Collections held at M. Louis Salmon Library at UAH shelter a wealth of information pertaining to the history of the University. This history has many aspects, ranging from the political to the scientific. Within Special Collections, the section known as Archives houses the theses and dissertations produced within the University, the history and operation of the University, the Bob Jones Collection, rare books, and the many valuable research reports produced within the University. The Bob Jones collection reflects the political efforts of former Congressman Bob Jones, who represented North Alabama's fifth Congressional District for thirty years (1947-1976). Special Collections is also home to the world-renowned Space Collection. The history and development of the space program is preserved in a unique collection of documents and books. From the documentation of Saturn V rocket history to the works of Willy Ley, and now with the new Skylab collection, the space effort is both celebrated and preserved for future generations. Beyond the Library, access to various resources is supplemented by other pertinent campus resources. Numerous campus computer labs provide substantial access to and instruction and training in the use of technology. There are over 1,000 student work stations in virtually every University building in which classes are held. In the following section are details about how the colleges provide access and support for learning resources beyond the Library. College of Administrative Science (CAS) The Administrative Science Building (ASB) is one of the newest on campus, with state-of the art computer labs, team rooms, and comfortable study areas and classrooms. Several computer labs and dedicated computer classrooms have all the latest equipment and software including email and internet connections. Also, on the College of Administrative Science website there are links to the computer labs that serve as the center for computer assisted business instruction. The CAS instructional resources webpage provides access to numerous services for faculty members and students, including: account request forms, ASB labs, audio visual resources, calendar software, class schedules, email lists, class rolls, exam scanning services, Faculty Activity Report forms, the UAH Faculty Handbook, faculty instruction policies, and lab hours. The CAS Faculty Web is a "user-friendly" interface for the Student Information System (SIS). Faculty Web provides convenient access to information such as faculty class schedules, class rosters, registration status, telephone numbers, and email addresses of students enrolled in classes taught by the instructor, and a greatly simplified grading process. College of Engineering (COE) The COE website is a gateway for information services and support. Through the links offered at the COE homepage, students, staff, faculty members, alumni, and the community have access 24/7, to the College of Engineering and the University at large. Two buildings house the COE's five departments and faculty - Civil and Environmental; Chemical and Materials; Electrical and Computer; Industrial and Systems Engineering and Engineering Management; and Mechanical and Aerospace. These two buildings - Engineering Building (EB) and Technology Hall (TH), are also home to 13 state-of-the-art computer labs. Lab support is offered through five lab technicians. The COE offers unique opportunities and creative programs for its students, faculty members, and the community. Close proximity to the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), Redstone Arsenal, and much of Alabama's fastest growing technological industry gives the COE a special character that leads to outstanding educational opportunities for its students. UAH engineering students are able to obtain "real world" engineering experience through the Cooperative Education Program or by part-time employment with the many governmental and industrial facilities in the Huntsville area. College of Liberal Arts (CLA) Supporting facilities for the college include an instructional computer lab in the Library (along with designated computers in the Library's Information Arcade), the Writing Center, the Humanities Center, a Women's Studies Resource Center, a Teacher Materials Center, two galleries (an art gallery in the University Center and Union Grove Gallery and Meeting Hall), and a recital hall. The college's main buildings, Morton Hall (MH) and Roberts Hall (RH), have both been renovated recently and provide computer wiring in the classrooms as well as the availability of other media. The CLA homepage offers links to programs and information on the college for both students and faculty members. Each department is provided with a link to its individual home page. The CLA uses technology for information and instruction. Websites for informing the students, current and prospective, about the college and its offerings include the departmental links, as well as links to services offered within the college, such as the Writing Center. Current and useful research materials, as well as information on making use of the material collected by the student (e.g., the Writing Center offers help and advice to students writing proposals and papers; the departmental links offer research material or information on finding it) are available. The link to Learning Resources and Academic Support provides the student with links to Web Course Tools (WebCT), the various labs available to the liberal arts, the Library, the Writing Center, calendars, facilities, and other necessary campus links for students. A page listing the CLA faculty by academic discipline is also on this page. The link for Research and Creative Activities offers students a chance to discover what others in the college are producing and researching in the liberal arts. A link to the college's calendar of events keeps students apprised of activities within the college. CLA faculty members have access to a variety of technology and information to support and supplement their classroom instruction and research. The link to Faculty and Staff Resources provides links to necessary information for faculty members and staff, such as the Humanities Center. A calendar of events dedicated to the CLA is available. Specific sites with information to faculty members for instruction and research include information about the technology and services provided by the Writing Center, the research opportunities supported and augmented by the Humanities Center and the Women's Studies Resource Center, and the pages offered within individual departmental websites, such as English, which provide reference and research links. The CLA link to Research and Creative Activities offers faculty members a chance to discover what others in the college are producing and researching in the liberal arts. Links from this particular site allow online and immediate access to the latest issues of the publications from the college: Quest, the Liberal Arts Research Review, and the UAH Research Review. College of Nursing (CON) The CON has links to resources that support both nursing students and faculty and provide access to online learning resources such as WebCT or class web information, UAH Web Mail, Student Services for registration, and class schedule information. The class web information and email access allow students to communicate with their instructors and one another and to view instructional resources and course materials online. All of these methods of access are strategic to the CON and its distance education programs. Students can read the application forms for admissions online to begin the process to enter the CON. Some of the web-based resources for the CON are in-house including the Learning Resource Center where educational and research materials are housed and where clinical education sessions are held and the UAH Student Nursing Handbook. There are links to the UAH Library and the Schedule for the nursing lab located in the Library. These resources support the educational and research programs of the CON. There is also a link to help in preparing PowerPoint presentations which faculty members use for classroom teaching and which students use as a learning tool to make presentations for class. Links to search engines for further student research, to scholarly organizations, and to sites of interest to nursing professionals are also provided. College of Science (COS) The COS provides a Mathematics Learning Center in the Library which serves as the center for computer-assisted mathematics instruction. The center is staffed by instructors and graduate assistants. The center administers course compass which provides a dynamic, interactive, online teaching and learning tool for students with access to rich online course materials. The Math Tutoring Center in Madison Hall provides help for students taking math courses. A calculus workshop is offered to help students with this subject. The goal of the workshop is to help improve students' understanding of calculus concepts and improve problem-solving skills. The COS webpage provides information from the various websites such as NSF, National Academies, Science News, New Scientist, Science Daily, Nature, Science, and links to the Library online databases such as Science Direct, SCIRUS, PubMed and other government websites such as science.gov and grant.gov. The computer science resources webpage provides information for new computer science lab users, resources policy, computer usage agreement, computer lab hardware, network lab hardware, computer lab software, systems support team, tutorials, etc. The Computer Science Department is served by two wireless access points which provide coverage to the majority of our floor space in Technology Hall (TH). The wireless network is administered by CNS. The COS webpage provides information for mathematics students including societies, resources lists, journals, UAH Salmon Library Electronic Journal Subscriptions, etc. Also, websites with information for physics students including organizations, physics journals, scientific resources, etc. are provided. The website provides access to numerous services for students including: classes, calendars, mathematics learning center, mathematics tutoring center, calculus workshop, physics success center, charger central, student handbook, writing center, wellness center, career services, immigration services, and cooperative education. The COS webpage provides access to various services for faculty members including: college promotion and tenure handbook, college strategic plan, faculty member research interests, community of science, funding opportunities databases, classes, calendars, instructor handbook, faculty handbook, advising handbook, Library faculty handbook, faculty web, CNS account forms, campus site license software programs, human resources forms, accounting and financial reporting (travel, business services forms), provost forms (annual report, course approval and more), institutional research (annual reports and fact books), and office of counsel forms (authorization to release education information - letters of reference and use of human subjects). Continuing Education (CE) Students taking courses, including those using the listener's license and members of the Academy of Lifetime Learning, have access to Salmon Library and the services offered there. All software taught in the CE computer technology courses is provided in the computer lab for the duration of the course. Instructors in CE often provide additional resource information to students via handouts and materials and often use the Library themselves when preparing for a course. Computer and Network Services (CNS) CNS provides access to the Library from every office, classroom, residence hall room, laboratory, and most lounge areas on campus. At present, UAH is in transition from SCT's IA+ administrative system to SCT's Banner ERP product. The Banner product is browser- based and will provide improved interfaces for students, faculty members, and staff as well as the addition of web products for housing, and human recourses. Following a gradual transition in the spring and summer of 2005, the Banner student information system will be fully operational by the start of Fall Semester 2006. The conversion to the Banner will be effective for financial systems by October 1, 2005 and for human resources on January 1, 2006. In addition to these basic systems, the University provides Web for Student and Web for Faculty. |
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