2. Libraries advance professional values of intellectual freedom, intellectual property rights and values, user privacy and confidentiality, collaboration, and user-centered service.

2.1 The Library resists all efforts to censor library resources
2.2 The Library protects each library user's right to privacy and confidentiality
2.3 The Library respects intellectual property rights and advocates for balance between the interests of information users and rights
      holders through policy and educational programming
2.4 The Library supports academic integrity and deters plagiarism through policy and education
2.5 The Library commits to a user-centered approach and demonstrates the centrality of users in all aspects of service design and 
      delivery in the physical and virtual environments
2.6 The Library engages in collaborations both on campus and across institutional boundaries

Discussion

The Library is largely satisfied with its performance in the advancement of values that are critical to the library profession, which include intellectual freedom, intellectual property rights and values, user privacy and confidentiality, collaboration, and user-centered service. All Library personnel work consistently to uphold these ideals, and this requires specific knowledge and skills, depending upon the position and role of the personnel member. To date, the Andruss Library has encountered few, if any, challenges that might conflict with these values.  

In efforts to promote the professional values of Librarianship, the Library Director and Library faculty have endeavored to promote knowledge about intellectual freedom and property rights with members of the BU community. They have created an online guide that provides in-depth knowledge about Copyright and Fair Use issues. They have also been speakers at TALE sessions and other professional development events to share information about Fair Use and scholarly communication. However, the Library hopes to further develop its advocacy efforts in this area. As a starting point, the Library can collaborate with subject faculty to see how they can further exercise Fair Use in BOLT, the University’s course management system. The next logical step would be to determine how librarians can help with this, as well as with the integration of Library services into these courses.

The Library has also demonstrated its commitment to a user-centered approach in the services it provides, as well as its physical and virtual environments. This commitment is evident in many significant changes the Library has made throughout the review period to improve services, as well as physical and virtual spaces to meet the needs of students, faculty, staff, and the Bloomsburg community at large. The change from the traditional Reference Desk to the new on-call Research Assistance service simplifies the procedure for students, as now they can request any service, including research assistance, from one service point. The redesigned website provides all members of the BU community with a better organized and more user-friendly access point from which to begin research. Finally, there were many steps taken to provide more study space and improve existing study environments.  Many print journal volumes were converted to electronic versions.  Some print collections were consolidated and moved.  Moveable soft furniture was purchased.  Study carrels, large tables and chairs, soft furniture, and computers were carefully placed to provide a student-centered environment that provides more study space for both individuals and groups.

Furthermore, Library personnel have demonstrated continued commitment to collaboration as a professional value through their work and leadership within consortia such as the Keystone Library Network and professional organizations such as the Pennsylvania Library Association and the American Library Association.

Library personnel have been strong contributors to significant University-wide efforts on assessment, curriculum, strategic planning, University/community relations, and University governance.  In addition Library personnel work with colleagues across campus in improving teaching and learning through initiatives in writing, faculty development, student recruitment, student retention, new student and faculty orientation, student career preparation, and online instruction. Library personnel continue to collaborate through their roles as instructors and liaisons.  However, they also seek opportunities to increase on-campus collaboration, and projects with the Office of Student Affairs and the new Writing in the Disciplines program are promising areas of interest.

2.1 The Library resists all efforts to censor library resources.

ACTIONS

Andruss Library supports the Library Bill of Rights and the Code of Ethics of the American Library Association and has posted links to these documents on the Library website.  Andruss Library is mindful of developing its collections to support research interests of the campus community, and complies with the American Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Principles for Academic Libraries.  

OUTCOMES

All constituencies in the Bloomsburg community, including students, faculty, and community at large, can pursue their personal and professional research and studies in comprehensive and uncensored learning environments.  

2.2 The Library protects each library user’s right to privacy and confidentiality.

ACTIONS

As information professionals, all Library administration, staff, faculty, and student workers honor researchers’ privacy with respect to collection development, personal service, and technology support.  Student workers in Access Services are instructed to keep all researchers’ information, interactions, etc. confidential.   All student workers must sign a University confidentiality statement as a requirement of employment. The library circulation system purges borrower information after a prescribed interval.

OUTCOMES

All constituencies in the Bloomsburg community, including students, faculty, and community at large, can pursue their personal and professional research and studies in comprehensive and uncensored learning environments.

2.3 The Library respects intellectual property rights and advocates for balance between the interests of information users and rights holders through policy and educational programming.

ACTIONS

Andruss Library promotes the understanding of the legal and ethical use of information and does its part to preserve the rights of lawful owners of intellectual property.  Faculty and administrators across campus turn to the Director of Library Services and Library faculty for guidance on copyright and fair use issues. In response to faculty questions, a guide with information on Fair Use of copyrighted materials is available. Furthermore, the Director of Library Services and a Library faculty member led a TALE session on Copyright and Fair Use.

The Library operates within the permissible guidelines for usage of and access to databases’ content and complies with licenses.  The Interlibrary Loan unit observes copyright rules while still meeting the needs of researchers.  Moreover, the Library has posted appropriate signage by photocopiers and scanners, with brief reminders about fair use and copyright.

OUTCOMES

All constituencies in the Bloomsburg community, including students, faculty, and community at large, can pursue their personal and professional research and studies in comprehensive and uncensored learning environments.

Faculty benefit from the expertise on fair use and copyright among the Library personnel.  Faculty often approach the Learning Management System and Instructional Media staff with questions about fair use and copyright, and they are referred to the Director of Library Services for further information and/or further referrals.  

2.4 The Library supports academic integrity and deters plagiarism through policy and education.

ACTIONS

The Library supports and promotes the University’s efforts and expectations of researchers’ academic integrity and fair use of others’ works as expressed in the University’s PRP 3512 Academic Integrity Policy.

Library faculty often respond to individual researcher’s needs, both students and faculty, for proper citation, in terms of both formatting and judging appropriate needs for citation of others’ works. Further, the Library faculty have addressed citation and fair use (ACRL Information Literacy Standard 5) in 47.1% of their Information Literacy Instruction Sessions during this review period, and frequently incorporate this standard into their Course and Subject Research Guides.  

The Library offers numerous print and online resources to aid in students’ citation formats, as well as guidelines on the circumstances in which a researcher is ethically bound to cite.

OUTCOMES

All constituencies in the Bloomsburg community, including students, faculty, and community at large, can pursue their personal and professional creative work making full use of resources while also respecting academic integrity.  

2.5 The Library commits to a user-centered approach and demonstrates the centrality of users in all aspects of service design and delivery in the physical and virtual environments.

 

Actions:  Mission Statement and Strategic Plan

In the course of the review period the Library faculty and staff enacted the Mission Statement and Strategic Plan for the Library.  The Library Advisory Committee, consisting of faculty and students, was consulted at regular intervals for its input. This committee has continued to consistently attract new members through  University Wide elections, drawing a diverse group of faculty and students, both undergraduate and graduate. 

 

Outcomes:  Mission Statement and Strategic Plan

The Library’s Mission Statement and Strategic Plan was shaped by direct feedback from University students and faculty.  University students and faculty, especially through the Library Advisory Committee, engage enthusiastically in conversation regarding outcomes.  There is now a good base of faculty and student government leaders who are better informed and engaged.

 

Actions: Physical Space

Despite disruption from construction to add the police station and telecommunications offices on first and second floors early in the review period, the Library provided study space and access to collections throughout. More tables and chairs were purchased to add additional study space in the corner room on the first floor.  Mobile soft seating (bean bags) was also acquired. In response to LibQual requests, the Library installed a water bottle filling station and a charging station for devices.  The Library continues to provide space to the Writing Center tutors on a long-term basis. 

The Library began allowing patrons to reserve a limited of number of group study rooms on a trial basis. This has been relatively popular, and, in the time of COVID, the Library made all study rooms reservable.   

During the review period, the Library continues to provide a small Popular Reading Collection based on student requests for “fun reading” material.  The collection consists mostly of genre and Young Adult fiction.  It is located on the first floor near the Circulation Desk, which makes for easy browsing of the collection.  Student reception has been positive, with a circulation rate of approximately 84% (up from 60% in 2015). 

 

The Library has made several adjustments to improve computing resources in the building with researchers’ needs in mind.  Card swipe printing was also introduced during this period, which allows students to select specific print jobs and control when and where they print. 

Research guidance remains a visible and important resource to patrons via a referral system through the Circulation Desk staff. With the addition of Circulation Desk staff on the chat system for all the hours that the Library building is open, there are more opportunities for patrons to receive prompt attention. 

In addition, the Library has integrated Zoom into chat so that the librarians can screenshare with patrons.  

The Library maintained expanded hours on Friday evenings and at the end of semester in response to student government request, pre-Covid. 

During the review period the University completed construction to repurpose a portion of the Library and create adjoining space for other University offices. The construction disrupted study space, but all study furniture was retained in the building, noise abatement earplugs were made available, and alternate study space was secured for finals week.  The repurposing of the Library space permanently reduces the work area for Acquisitions and Cataloging staff, but the change ultimately makes possible other construction projects on campus that will expand space for residence halls, classrooms, and faculty offices. 

The Events Working Group hosted de-stress events for students, such as therapy dog days and Blind Date with a Book activities that are aimed at engaging students and providing for their emotional and intellectual needs. 

 

Outcomes: Physical Space

Students and other patrons have multiple study space options throughout the building.  On the first floor, patrons can study individually in carrels, at tables, or in soft seating, including couches with writing surfaces, and beanbag chairs. They can also study with a group at tables or in clusters of soft seating.  On upper floors, patrons can choose from a similar array of study spaces. Students and other patrons have a quieter reading room on the second floor in the Tiffany Windows Alcove.  Students may also check out rolling whiteboards to use in these open study areas.  Students can find computer workstations throughout the building with the greatest concentration being on the second floor. 

Students and other patrons continue to have ready access to a print Reference Collection.  Patrons can easily find the Collection and benefit from good lighting and some lower shelving. 

Education students, local parents, and teachers continue to have easy access to the Juvenile, Young Adult, and Curriculum collections are in a more location on the second floor.  

Students and other patrons have access to 32 group study rooms, the same as in the previous review period, all equipped with a computer as well as most rooms having large wall screens for group viewing. 

As in the previous review, students and other patrons also have access to a large number of computer resources, with nearly 300 computer/study carrels as well as 20 laptops.  In addition, scanners, color printers and specialized and accommodative software are readily available.  Students have additional computer work space at the ‘study bars’ on first and second floors. 

Students and other patrons have ready access to research assistance via a scheduled on-call system from the prominently located Circulation Desk.  Patrons approach the Circulation Desk, and the Library faculty are paged to come to work with the patron in the workspace of the patron’s choice.    

Students wanting advice on their writing have easy access to tutors via the Writing and Literacy Engagement Studio (WALES) satellite office. 

Students and other patrons continue to have access to the library building for early evening hours on Fridays and for additional hours at end of semester. 

Students can balance their serious work with the enjoyment of a “good read” from the Popular Reading Collection or de-stress with a fun activity during finals week. 

Actions: Online Space

The Library has made several changes to the online environment as well, in an effort to improve user experience.  A home page redesign was done in 2018 and is underway in 2020.  The Library continues its investment of funds and human resources to improve virtual ILL and create a document delivery service (a service of online transmission of documents in the Library’s print holdings); during COVID the Library emphasized options for home delivery or quick pickup of retrieved items for patrons unable to come to the Library building. 

Outcomes: Online Space

Patrons have quick access via the homepage to: 

• easy off-campus login and other vital information for off-campus users 

• all-in-one search box for books and articles 

• contact information for expert research guidance via phone, email, SMS, and IM, zoom 

• hours for the Library building and various services 

 

Patrons have quick access via the website to: 

• request and receive quick delivery of materials from other libraries 

• guides for specific audiences, by subject and for special topics, such as graduate school test preparation 

• electronic forms for ILL, Reserves, book purchase request, and Information Literacy Instruction request 

• Library Research Tutorial 

2.6 The Library engages in collaborations both on campus and across institutional boundaries.

ACTIONS 

The Library administration, faculty, and staff consistently contribute to the collaborations on campus.   Librarians make an impact on numerous campus-wide committees and working groups because of their collaborative nature, interdisciplinary backgrounds, and unique perspectives. Notably, a library faculty member has developed campus-wide activities to promote adoption and awareness of Open Education Resources (OER) through the Open Educational Resources Working Group, which she founded in Fall 2019.  This group has been active in educating faculty about low and no-cost course materials and has undertaken such projects as the university’s first Open Education Week celebration, held March 2020.  In addition to the contributions of individual Library faculty to significant University-wide efforts on assessment, curriculum, strategic planning, University/community relations, University governance, and Middle States accreditation, the Library works with colleagues across campus in improving teaching and learning through initiatives in writing, faculty development, student recruitment, student retention, new student and faculty orientation, student career preparation, and online instruction.    

Collaborations with the local public libraries and historical societies continue to be fostered through, for example, the long-time contributions of the University Archivist & Coordinator of Special Collections, and service by the director and a library faculty member on area public library boards. 

The Library faculty liaison to Political Science worked with her faculty counterparts to restart the Model UN program on campus in Fall 2019.  While the activities were curtailed due to COVID-19, the program looks poised to continue when it is safe to do so. 

As a member of the Keystone Library Network (KLN), a consortium of 22 Pennsylvania colleges and universities, including all of the PASSHE universities, Bloomsburg University’s Andruss Library exhibits an organizational commitment to working with peer organizations across the state.  In fact, the Director and Library faculty exhibit leadership through the Chairship of the KLN Council for five years and strong participation in and/or leadership of KLN initiatives.  In addition the Director served on a Collections Advisory Committee for PALCI, a large state-wide library consortium, and on the Steering Committee for Affordable Learning PA, a state-wide and grant-funded effort to foster affordable course materials including Open Educational Resources. 

Library administration, faculty, and staff contribute to the activities of regional, state, national, and international library organizations.  

 

OUTCOMES 

Campus decision-making bodies benefit not only from the knowledge of librarians, but also their collaborative and cross-campus perspective.  This contributes to solidifying librarians’ roles as educators.  The Library faculty and the Director contribute to shared governance, decision making and strategic planning to ensure that the priority of students’ and faculty’s research is represented amongst many University initiatives.  In academic year 2019-20 students benefitted from the approximately $240,000 in savings through faculty adoption of Open Educational Resources.     

The University’s profile is heightened by the roles that Library personnel play in the local community, and the relations between the University and the community are improved. 

Students, faculty, staff, and the community at large benefit from the resources made available through the consortial work of the KLN since they are able to access more and different resources than Bloomsburg University would be able to provide as a single institution.   

The library profession as a whole, as well as members of the Bloomsburg University community, benefit from librarian participation in regional, state, and national  library organizations; not only do their contributions contribute to the advancement of the library profession, but they also lead to improved library practices. 

 

DISCUSSION 

The Library is satisfied with its performance in the advancement of values that are critical to the library profession, which include intellectual freedom, intellectual property rights and values, user privacy and confidentiality, collaboration, and user-centered service. All Library personnel work consistently to uphold these ideals, and this requires specific knowledge and skills, depending upon the position and role of the personnel member.  

In efforts to promote the professional values of librarianship, the Library Director and Library personnel have endeavored to promote knowledge about intellectual freedom and property rights with members of the BU community. They have created an online guide that provides in-depth knowledge about Copyright and Fair Use issues. They have also been speakers at TALE sessions and other professional development events to share information about Fair Use, copyright, and scholarly communication. However, the Library hopes to further develop its advocacy efforts in this area, planning a workshop for fall 2020 that will touch on copyright issues and fair use when using library resources and OER as alternatives to textbooks.  

The Library has demonstrated its commitment to a user-centered approach in its physical and virtual environments. Students can request any assistance, including research guidance, from one access point. Online help is available all hours the building is open and through zoom.  The continually redesigned website provides all members of the BU community with a better organized and more user-friendly access point from which to begin research. Students have access to reliable technology.  Students have access to the kind of study space that works for them, be it individual quiet study or interactive group work.   

The Library provides the collection that is important and necessary to students and faculty.  Therefore the Library continues to invest heavily in online resources, including electronic journals, databases, streaming videos, and ebooks, However, the Library continues to purchase print and physical materials when indicated for user needs. 
 
Furthermore, Library personnel have demonstrated continued commitment to collaboration as a professional value through their work and leadership within consortia such as the Keystone Library Network, Pennsylvania Academic Library Consortium, Inc (PALCI), and professional organizations such as the Pennsylvania Library Association and the American Library Association.  

Library personnel have been strong contributors to significant University-wide efforts on assessment, curriculum, strategic planning, University/community relations, and University governance.  In addition Library personnel work with colleagues across campus in improving teaching and learning through initiatives in writing, faculty development, student recruitment, student retention, new student and faculty orientation, student career preparation, online instruction, and Open Educational Resources and other affordable textbook options. Library personnel continue to collaborate through their roles as instructors and liaisons.  However, they also seek opportunities to increase on-campus collaboration. Projects with the new First Year Experience and Student Success program are promising areas of interest.