Guide to Library Services for Faculty

Resource Highlights

Key Library  Pages  for Faculty

Most library webpages are useful to faculty.  Here are some highlights to encourage your exploration.

• New materials (books and AV)
• New journal articles
• Keeping current with research
• Document delivery and interlibrary loan   
• Tutorials (Online catalog, Journal articles, Databases, Digital technology)
• Plagiarism prevention
• National Board resources: test writing
• Writing & publishing

 

Selected Useful Websites

Useful Websites is a growing list of free resources on the Internet. Your critiques and suggestions about the categories and links are welcome.

Most links lead to free, recommended resources useful for:

• outreach and patient education resources for clinicians
• research sites related to assignments in specific classes such as HIPAA compliance,  toxicology, and public health
• supplemental study resources, such as imaging image banks and tutorials
• Image banks and resources for teachers in biology and medicine 
• Clinical reference databases

Examples:

• Audiovisual Clips
• Copyright
• Dietary Supplements
• Drugs (Pharmaceutical)
• Neurosciences
• Patient Education

 

Using the Library

Teaching Materials Policy

Borrowing

• Instructors who need materials for classroom presentations can check them out for an entire quarter or a year.
• Long-standing overdues are referred to the instructors’ department chair.
• Some instructional software is restricted to “faculty use only”,  such as image databanks, and instructors’ materials that accompany textbooks.

New Purchases

• Purchases are justified in terms of cost relative to usage.  An expensive item may be worth it.
• Library staff requests previews for any audiovisual materials exceeding price of $100.
• Library staff will arrange trials of software
• Librarians love to assist you in finding the best books, audiovisuals, and software. 

Suggestions for Purchase forms are displayed at the circulation desk. You can print-out the form (PDF, 56Kb).

 

Reserved Materials Policy

Books

Life West bookstore staff informs the librarians each quarter of current required and recommended textbooks.

Except for class note packets, the library puts a maximum of four copies of required texts in the Reserve Collection. Generally, one copy is restricted to onsite use in the library and subsequent copies are available for overnight use. Students are able to reserve specific copies one week in advance.

Audiovisuals

Currently only bone models are in the Reserve Collection. Students are able to reserve these models one week in advance.

Please notify librarians of required and recommended audiovisuals, so that the librarians are alerted to purchase enough copies.  

Upon request, required audiovisuals can be restricted to onsite use, ensuring their availability to the instructor for classroom presentation.

It is very helpful if faculty will include the correct title, author, and call number on the syllabus.

Selected Readings

At an instructor's request, librarians are able to place journal articles and other selected readings on reserve for students' convenience.  Librarians take copyright into consideration, and will document application of fair use or payment of copyright royalties.

 

Who to ask about Services

 

• Circulation Desk
• Computing Help
• Library Research Skills
• Resource Development
• Interlibrary Loan & Photocopying Service
• Audiovisual Production

 

Circulation Desk

Visit the circulation desk to:

• Reserve classroom equipment  for the current quarter (laptops, visual presenters)
• Check the whiteboard for status of AV equipment in the classrooms
• Refer to the binder of instructions for using AV equipment
• Place holds on books and audiovisuals (excepting the reserve collection)
• Request AV support.  Circulation staff will find someone to assist you.

 

Computer Help

Assistance is a cooperative effort of library staff and data services.  Librarians and audiovisual staff are glad to refer to the best person to help you with the following:

• Using the course management system (Moodle)
• Operation of campus desktop or laptop
• Laptop configuration and policy
• Laptop use in the classroom
• Installation of instructional software on laptops and in the computer laboratory
• Use of Microsoft Office programs
• Use and updating of anti-virus software
• Assistance with TurnItIn.com a service for detecting and preventing plagiarism
• Referral and consultation with Data Services staff  

 

Library Research Skills

Visit the Reference Desk for:

• Help with library research, of course!
• Help with accessing print and electronic journals, on or off campus
• Requesting interlibrary loans in person and online
• Help with citation management software 
• Sharing your ideas for library instruction on any topic or technology
• Scheduling instructional sessions for classroom, small group, or individual

Presentations to Faculty:

• Available to individuals and groups upon request.
• If a presentation cannot be scheduled, the librarians will develop a tutorial or handout.
• Quick Class (15 minutes overview) by drop-in or appointment at the Reference Desk

Presentations to the Class:

• Librarians will present a classroom lecture, online demonstration, and /or "hands on" session in the computer laboratory. The presentation will focus students' attention on the resources needed to complete assignments, and address the teacher's goals for the orientation.
• Librarians recognize that students arrive with varying skills, and will develop optional or extra-credit workshops by advance arrangement.
• Librarians rely on mutual cooperation with faculty to incrementally build "information literacy" throughout the curriculum. Short assignments often build skills that are used in a doctor's practice. CCE requirements address these skills.

Support for Assignments:

• Kindly inform librarians about assignments that require library research.
• Ask us to customize resource guides and recommended links for your class.

 

Resource Development

Librarians provide resources in the format that best supports the curriculum and varied learning styles. 
Online resources can enhance the curriculum. 
Librarians can help by:

• Posting resource guides on library webpages
• Listing recommended links for a class.
• Developing tutorials on research skills
• Putting together a team to help faculty develop tutorials
• Introducing the college’s course management system

 

Interlibrary Loan & Photocopying Service

Allow two to five days for receipt of photocopied articles received from another library.

The article becomes your personal property, and is not to be distributed to other people.

Allow about one month for receipt of returnable material such as books or audiovisuals,  A delinquent returnable ILL will result in an overdue notice. If still not returned, a billing notice charging the replacement value of the item and a $10 processing fee will follow in 10 days after the due date.

Varying levels of service are described below for part-time and full-time regular faculty; teaching faculty employed exclusively through the Continuing Education and Postgraduate Department; and Clinical Researchers affiliated with Life West's research department.

When requests exceed the library's allowance, please contact your department chair for additional funds.  We are glad to honor requests unrelated to the curriculum if you pay for documents as described in Fees for Service.

Allowance per fiscal year: July 1 through June 30
Full-time faculty	$200
Part-time faculty	$100
Continuing Education / Postgraduate Faculty	$100
Clinical Researchers	$100

While the library maintains as many free or low cost exchange agreements with other libraries as possible, our cost for a photocopy from a university is $12 per article. Some journal titles are only held by university libraries.  Occasionally the library staff needs to purchase an article only from a publisher, and those prices vary greatly.

Photocopying Service
Library must limit requests for photocopying to 10 articles per week. Many teachers copy journal articles and other materials themselves.

 

Audiovisual Services

Recording Services

• 35 mm photography
• Digital photography
• Audio recording
• Video recording
  • Single-camera, live sessions – little or no editing planned
  • Single-camera, live sessions that incorporate projected images
  • Sessions intended for digital editing – storyboarding

Production Services

• Scientific posters
• Signs and banners
• Overhead transparencies
• PowerPoint special effects
• Instructional aids using PowerPoint
• Instructional aids formatted as secure PDF documents (no printing or editing allowed)
• Graphics design and enhancement, using Flash, Photoshop and other products in Adobe Creative Suite
• Digital video editing
• Advice about “clip art”.  See our clipart library

Duplication Services 

There is no cost to instructors who request copies related to the curriculum and the  college’s mission. Audiovisual staff will need written permission to duplicate copyrighted material.

• Audio Tape Duplication
• Copying digital files to CD
• Document Scanning  (images or text with optical character reading software)
• Conversion of 35 mm slides to CD or DVD
• Conversion VHS to DVD
• Conversion among VHS, NTSC and PAL

 

Classroom Equipment

Standard Classroom Equipment (installed)

• Sound system (less the portable microphone)
• Digital projector (wall-mounted)
• Lectern with controls for screen, audio levels, and inputs for laptop, visual presenters, etc.
• Credenza with VHS playback, and RGBH cable ports
• Wireless Internet access

Many, but not all, classrooms are equipped with

• Desktop computers (Windows XP, Microsoft Office 2003)

Portable Equipment & Accessories

• Classroom-specific accessories: wireless microphone and laptop cable
• Visual presenters (Elmo)
• Visual presenters with X-ray unite (Wolf)
• Digital 35 mm slide projector
• DVD player (for classrooms without a desktop computer)
• Multiple microphones for panel discussions
• PowerPoint remote control
• Laser pointers
• Mac-compatible cables

 

Outreach Materials and Equipment for Interns

• Equipment is available for college-sponsored events only. 
• Health Center faculty:  Please fill out the Audiovisual Equipment Request & Responsibility form. (PDF, 1 p.) for each event.
• The intern must bring the form to the library.  Written approval for each off-campus event is the only way for staff to verify that the event is college-sponsored.
• Suggestions for new purchases are welcome.

Blank copies of the AV equipment responsibility form are also available at the circulation desk.

 

Use of Library Photocopiers

• Faculty should make multiple copies at the copy center whenever possible.
• Part-time instructors are welcome to use library photocopiers for last-minute copying for classroom handouts, but they are advised to get advance help from administrative assistants in the Dean’s office whenever feasible.
•  For the duplication of research materials in the library's collections, faculty can use the library's photocopier at no charge.  Use the small copier in the technical processing area, or request the copy card at the circulation desk.
• Respect for copyright is the teacher's responsibility. Library director can provide further information.

 

Suggestion Box

E-mail library director at aosenga@lifewest.edu. 
Please input a Subject line regarding your suggestion for:  

• improved library service
• purchasing new materials
• requesting coverage of a topic or type of material  
• adding your favorite links to our resource lists (free information only)

Use the Suggestion Box kept on the circulation desk. The library director welcomes anonymous suggestions and complaints, but would prefer to report back to you personally.

Suggestions for Purchase forms are available at the circulation desk, or you can print-out the form (PDF, 56Kb).