Policies

Enjoying the library.

Students, faculty, staff, and Chequamegon Bay community members are welcome to use the resources of the Dexter Library.

Our Procedures

General Use
Circulation Policies
Collection Development

General Use

Children in the Library

Dexter Library staff recognize that from time-to-time patrons may need to bring their young children with them to the library. Children are welcomed in the library, and their parents or caregivers are encouraged to make use of the books in the juvenile collection to occupy the children while they are here. For their safety and comfort, children are expected to be under the supervision of their parent or caregiver at all times, and their behavior is expected to be appropriate to the study environment of an academic library. Children are not allowed to use the library’s public computing stations except high school students who are using Dexter resources not available at the high school.

Posting Notices

The library provides two bulletin boards on which to post public announcements, one available to all and the other a locked cabinet. Announcements and notices may be put up by members of the Northland community to alert community members to upcoming lectures, events, meetings, opportunities, public information, etc. deemed of interest to the general community. Because of limited space, the library cannot accommodate all notices students may want to post. The library does allow the public to post notices that are geared to the interest of the Northland community.

All announcements should include the following information: name of sponsor, phone number of sponsor, date and location of event, any cost associated with attending the event, and a statement that the event is open to the entire Northland community. No individual candidate information for positions other than NCSA positions are allowed. Only general notices announcing up-coming community elections and voting locations are accepted for city or county elections.

In order to maintain a clean and attractive foyer, no postings are allowed on the window, wall, or doors. Any notices so posted will be removed by a member of the library staff.

Exhibit Space

Dexter Library works with the Northland Art Department to provide space for campus art shows. Except in coordination with other campus departments or the President’s Office, the library does not provide public exhibit space.

Cell Phone Use

In consideration others and the public nature of a library, the library staff requests that patrons excuse themselves to the library foyer to take and make their calls. While in the library, patrons should set their phone to vibrate so as not to disturb others.

Circulation

All Northland students, staff, faculty, and courtesy patrons may borrow circulating materials from the Dexter Library. A Northland ID card or library-issued patron card must be presented at the circulation desk each time materials are borrowed.

Because borrowers are financially responsible for all materials checked out with their card, library staff will not check out materials on an ID known to belong to someone else and discourages faculty members from asking students to check out materials on their behalf.

Loan Periods

Books

Students/staff: 30 days
Faculty: 60 days
Community: 30 days

Videos

Students/staff: 7 days
Faculty: 14 days
Community: 7 days*

*Community users have a check-out limit of 2 videos at any one time

Journals, Microforms, Newspapers, Special Collections

Everyone: non-circulating

Reference

Students/staff: non-circulating
Faculty: upon request
Community: non-circulating

Reserves

See reserves FAQ

Headphones

Everyone: 4 hours

Renewals

If materials are needed beyond the original due date, they must be renewed if a hold has not been placed on the item. Patrons may renew books and AV materials once only, with the exception that community users may not renew AV items. Materials can be renewed by calling the Circulation Desk at 682-1279 or be done online by the patron through the online catalog.

Recalls

In order to provide equitable access to high-demand materials, Northland students and faculty may request an item recall for an item that is checked out. This policy is in place to ensure that Dexter Library patrons have timely access to the materials they need. Cooperation with a title recall is appreciated. If the book is verified as checked out and has been checked out for at least two weeks, a library staff member will initiate an item recall.

Missing Items

If an item is not checked out and cannot be located on the shelf, please report it to a desk clerk or library staff member. A missing item reported to the staff initiates a systematic search for the item by a member of the staff. If the item is found, the requesting patron will be notified. If the item is not found, its status in the catalog will be changed to “missing” and a decision to replace the missing item will be made by the library director. Since it is impossible to do an inventory of the collection on a regular basis, the report of a missing item is an important method for helping library staff identify missing materials.

Overdue Notices

Library patrons are expected to return borrowed materials on time and in good condition. Library materials become overdue if not returned by the due date. An overdue notice is sent as a courtesy reminder to patrons; it is the patrons’ responsibility to return borrowed materials on time whether or not a notice has been received. Northland students and employees receive their notices via campus mail—students are expected to check their mailboxes in a timely manner. Community patrons will have their notices sent through the mail to the address provided in their application form.

Fine and Fees

Dexter Library does not charge fines for overdue materials; however, it does charge full replacement cost plus $10 for materials that are “lost”. The library’s automated system generates two overdue notices a week apart; if the overdue item(s) has not been returned at that point, the system generates a Fine and Fee Notice for the “lost” items. At that time, replacement cost as well as a Business Office processing charge ($5.00) will be sent to the patron.

For students, a week’s grace period follows for the materials to be returned. If the “lost” materials are returned, no charges are due. If they are not returned in that time period, the charges will be sent on to the Business Office and applied to the student’s account.

Community patrons will be charged immediately for the replacement of the items and their library privileges suspended until the materials are either paid for or returned. Fees accrue during all hours the library is open, including break periods when students may be off campus. It is the students’ responsibility to make sure that all library materials are returned to the library before they leave campus.

Damaged Items

Patrons will be charged replacement cost plus $10 for damaged materials that the library director deems to be too damaged to salvage and in need of being replaced. Patrons may choose to replace the item themselves rather than have the library do so; in that case, the replacement must be an exact match or, if the item is older and no longer available in the original edition, as close a match as possible is required. The library director reserves the right not to accept a replacement copy not deemed acceptable.

Suspension of Library Privileges

Community patrons who fail to return their Dexter Library materials in a timely fashion or replace lost or damaged items will have their library privileges revoked. Students and faculty may have their ability to borrow materials from the library temporarily suspended by the library director to clear up a library or interlibrary loan issue.

Managing One’s Own Patron Record

Patrons can check their own patron records online through the library catalog to find out what is charged against their record, renew items that can be renewed, see if they have any fines or fees, and other basic functions.

Collection Development

This policy provides a framework for the development and maintenance of print, electronic, and media content acquired (owned) by or accessed (leased) through Dexter Library. Collection development and management includes the selection of new materials as well as the ongoing review and deselection of its existing collections and resources.

The immense amount of available materials coupled with increased book prices necessitates we have a written collection development plan that stresses wise materials selection and provides documentation if a selection decision is challenged. This policy is reviewed by the Library Advisory Committee on a regular basis and is open to revision.

Philosophy

Dexter Library exists to serve the Northland College community; the library directly serves College students, faculty, and staff in support of their education, research, and work at the College. As members of this academic institution, they require access to a professionally maintained library collection. The collection development policy provides guidelines for the selector and, as such, will be regularly reviewed and revised as necessary. Dexter Library supports the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights and the Freedom to Read Statement. (See Appendix A.)

Goals and Objectives

Goals

To develop a collection that supports and reflects the college’s curriculum and present needs and interests of its patrons and to anticipate those of the future. Library resources should serve both research and general needs of its primary users: undergraduates, faculty, and, staff.
To acquire and make available library materials for general information in subject areas not covered in the curriculum.
To provide for cost-effective acquisitions and retrieval of resources.

Objectives

To anticipate and fulfill the information and library acquisitions requirements of each of the library’s primary user groups by actively seeking out and maintaining communications with these groups.
To be aware of resources in all formats in the various academic subject areas and to acquire these materials as economically as possible.
To develop and maintain bibliographical resources in collection development.

Responsibility

Authority for materials selection rests with the library director and those to whom such authority is delegated. Selection is the shared responsibility of the library’s professional staff and the College’s faculty. The College budgets money to the library as a line item to be spent specifically on the acquisition of library materials (print or non-print). This money is then re-allocated to the various academic programs and to the library general account. Faculty are urged to encumber their allocations in regular intervals throughout the year rather than wait until the deadline to get orders in in order to guarantee that the funds will be disbursed within the fiscal year. No orders for the current year are accepted after the annual expenditure deadline is set. Faculty will be notified of the spring deadline each fall term.

Criteria for Selecting

Materials selection is primarily made using reviews in library publications, standard bibliographies, interlibrary loan requests, and faculty requests. The selection of library materials is based on important factors that determine the materials’ value to the collection. In no particular order, selection criteria are:

appropriateness to the undergraduate curriculum of Northland College
high standards of quality in content, format, and/or literary merit
availability of other materials on the subject
weakness of the collection in a particular subject area
language of publication
authoritativeness of information
critical acclaim
current demand or popularity
format
regional availability of the item via the Northern Waters Library Service member libraries and availability to borrow via interlibrary loan (ILL) from another LVIS (Libraries Very Interested in Sharing) library
price
timeliness or permanence of the material

Additional Guidelines

Multiple Copies

In order to provide the broadest possible range of materials for the support of the curriculum, the library will not normally purchase multiple copies of books, serials, or audio-visual materials. Requests for multiple copies will be considered individually, according to present needs and the value of the resource as a part of the library’s permanent collection. When a decision is made to purchase multiple copies, the additional copies will be acquired in the most economical format available.

Textbooks

Dexter Library recognizes that most textbooks, workbooks, and accompanying materials are generally introductory in nature and tend to become quickly outdated. For that reason and in order to extend limited funds, the library does not acquire such materials; exceptions include the acquisition of textbooks that are considered to be classics of their field.

Binding

In general, when there is an option between paper or cloth, the library will acquire the paper edition, covering the book with a laminate if the cover is not a sturdy paper. In some areas of the collection (GEs for example) or with some authors, cloth editions will be purchased even when paper is available.

Lost or Missing Items

Librarians review the lost or missing item list on a regular basis, making a decision to replace or withdraw the title based on the title, the book’s importance to the collection, and its availability, among other factors.

Currency

The library primarily acquires current materials. Used and out-of-print (OP) are ordered only where there is a demonstrated need, no other copy is available, and there are sufficient funds.

Location

All materials purchased with funds from the library will be housed in the library. Faculty or programs wanting to have a copy available in a location other than the library are required to use their own funds to purchase titles.

Criteria for Deselecting

Deselecting, or weeding, is the thoughtful deacquisition of library material. The criteria used for selection are applied to materials already in the collection to determine whether they have outlived their usefulness and should be removed from the collection. The process involves both classroom faculty and librarians, but most often will be initiated by a librarian. Faculty are consulted when a significant and systematic review of a subject area is undertaken. Faculty are encouraged at all times to review parts of the collection for which they have selection responsibilities, identifying for removal any titles they think are no longer relevant or appropriate to the collection. Specific parts of the collection are targeted annually for weeding, usually during the summer months when there is more time.

While weeding should be an ongoing activity, there will be times when either special attention is being given to the collection by individual faculty or a department, or space constraints become an impetus for reducing the size of the collection.

For weeding, the following criteria are to be used in combination and no one characteristic has complete dominance over the others.

volume has not circulated in past ten years (three for media)
volume is in poor physical condition (after considering whether it should be rebound or replaced)
the library has a newer edition(s)
information is outdated, inaccurate
collection has number of more recent books on the same subject
author is not recognized as a significant individual in the field
material is no longer relevant to the curriculum, not likely to be used for course research

Note: Materials will not be removed simply because the language or perspective is no longer considered to be politically correct.

Formats and Types of Materials

The Library acquires and preserves materials in various formats: print, microform, videocassettes, DVD, electronic resources, and web-accessible materials. Acquisition of materials is not denied on basis of format alone.

The Library acquires non-print formats:

1. When non-print formats are the only formats available.

2. When non-print materials may be added in lieu of the printed form

at the request of faculty,
to save space,
to save costs, or
to expand remote access.

Selection and Scope

The library seeks to provide seamless and easy access to information, whatever the format. Value-added elements of electronic resources, such as immediate access or the capability to reach a wider constituency, are considered in the acquisition of materials.

Types of materials acquired

Nonfiction Dexter Library’s goal is to develop a collection adequate in depth and scope to support the College’s curriculum and respond quickly to changes in the academic program. Nonfiction for general reading is also acquired.

Fiction Dexter Library acquires fiction titles to support the general and leisure reading needs of its patrons.

Foreign Language Materials Dexter Library acquires a minimal number of materials in languages other than English. Selection of foreign language titles is the responsibility of the faculty.

Juvenile Works Dexter Library collects a limited number of juvenile materials, primarily to support the College’s Teacher Education Program. Critically acclaimed juvenile titles are acquired, including winners and honor titles of the following book awards: Randolph Caldecott Medal, John Newberry Medal, Michael J. Printz Award.

Serials Dexter Library acquires serials (periodicals, annuals, standing orders, databases, monographic series) to support and strengthen all subject areas, with particular emphasis in programs with a high student enrollment, in direct support of the college’s environmental mission, and in areas not covered by the print collection (maps, for example). Specific guidelines for serials collection development are the responsibility of the Library’s professional staff.

Newspapers Dexter Library acquires a minimal number of local newspapers (Duluth News Tribune, The County Journal, and Ashland’s Daily Press) and two national papers: the Wall Street Journal, and The Christian Science Monitor. Many newspapers are now available online or through one of our online database providers.

Leisure Reading Dexter Library maintains a small collection for leisure reading. Selected titles cover a variety of subjects, which include popular novels, mysteries, and historical fiction.

Reference Materials Dexter Library maintains a separate collection of reference materials, such as encyclopedias and bibliographies, to provide ready information and to identify sources of additional information.

Appendices

Appendix A

American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights and Freedom to Read Statement

Dexter Library supports the tenets expressed in the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights and its Freedom to Read Statement. The library also complies with Wisconsin statute 43.30, which sets forth state law in regard to the confidentiality of library records. (See also the library’s Statement on confidentiality of library records.)

Appendix B

Relationship of Dexter Library with other area libraries
Dexter Library is a member of WiLS (Wisconsin Library Services), OCLC (Online Computer Library Center), and WAICU (Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities). Although no formal relationship exists between Dexter Library and Northern Waters Library Service and its member libraries, cooperation between them is encouraged to facilitate meeting the needs of both patron groups. Dexter Library welcomes and encourages the use of the library by residents of the Chequamegon Bay region. (See also Dexter Library general use policies.)

Gift materials

Gifts of books and other materials are accepted by the Library and are administered according to guidelines set forth in the Dexter’s Gift Book Policy. Upon acceptance of a donation, it is understood that there are no commitments as to the final disposition of the materials and that they are not necessarily added to the Library’s collection. The same criteria used for the selection of all other materials will be used in evaluating gift publications.
Federal law prohibits Dexter Library staff from making an evaluation of any gift to the College for income tax purposes. This is the responsibility of the donor. Please see IRS Tax Topics publication 506, which describes the procedures for deductions to charitable contributions, the forms that need to be filed, and the need for qualified appraisal. See also the IRS publication, “Determining the Value of Donated Property.” Book collections are discussed under “Collections.”
The Library has the right to decide whether or not a gift should be added to its collection. In general, gifts should be limited to what the Library can use. The following types of materials are generally be excluded: materials not meeting collection development policy criteria, out-of-date publications, duplicate copies, materials in poor physical condition (poor binding, dog-eared pages, written in or highlighted), and textbooks.
Dexter Library welcomes gifts from individuals, but no specific collection will be established or set aside for such gifts.

Appendix D

Copyright
Dexter Library complies with the provisions in the US Copyright Law and its amendments. The library supports the Fair Use section of the Copyright Law, which permits and protects individuals’ rights to reproduce and make other use of copyrighted works for the purposes of teaching, scholarship, and research. (See also Dexter Library Interlibrary Loan Policy.)