Library Policies
Access Services Policy
Library Mission: To provide quality customer service and access to information resources as well as to help students develop information literacy.
Checkout Periods:
Periodicals – 3 days
DVDs – 3 days
Reserves/Career Services Resources/ Brethren Archives materials – 2 hours in the library
Other materials – 3 weeks
There is no maximum number of items patrons can check out.
Overdue Policies:
Miller Library does not charge fines for overdue materials. If items are not returned, there is a charge for the replacement cost plus a processing fee ($10) for each item. Items are long overdue after 6 weeks and will be considered lost.
Overdue notices are sent out via email 14 days after the items are overdue. Notices are then sent out at 14-day intervals. After four weeks, patrons will be billed for the replacement cost and processing fee.
For ILLs, there is a fine of $1.00 per day for late returns.
Overdue notices for Reserve materials are generated immediately after an item is due. After 7 days, patrons are billed for the replacement of the overdue item plus the processing fee.
Patrons with more than 3 overdue items must receive librarian permission before checking out more materials.
Renewals:
Patrons may renew items a maximum of 3 times. You may request renewals in person, by phone, chat, text, or by e-mail.
For ILL renewals, an email must be sent to [email protected] at least 4 days prior to the due date.
Patron Accounts:
All patrons are entered in Miller Library’s circulation system with their ID cards. Faculty may use their ID card or an older library card. New community users are entered by name and are not given an ID card. Community users must complete a Miller Community User Application before checking out items. High school and younger students must have materials checked out to their parents.
Students who have withdrawn or graduated will be removed from the circulation system biannually at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters.
Withdrawing Items:
Items will be marked as withdrawn in the circulation system and inside the item itself. Withdrawn items are donated to Union Rescue Mission who sells the items to raise funds for assisting the homeless population in Wichita.
Bibliographic Records:
SCKLS, ILL, and Reserve bibliographic records will be deleted when appropriate.
Confidentiality:
Patron registration and circulation records are exempt from the Open Records Law (K.S.A. 45-221 (23)). Records will only be released when McPherson College is given a valid court order or subpoena authorized under federal, state, or local law.
Collection Management Policy
Purpose
The primary purpose of Miller Library’s collections is to support the curriculum of the college. At a small liberal arts college such as McPherson, we work to balance the need for student meeting/study space with storage needs. With this in mind, we work with the faculty to make sure our collection is as relevant as possible, and weed any materials on subjects not currently taught here. The library director will make decisions regarding purchases and withdrawals, with faculty input sought when necessary. We strive to have our collection be composed of materials that are relevant and useful for our entire campus community.
Selection Policy
The resources acquired for Miller Library are selected to meet the teaching, research, and service missions of the College. Appearance of any resource does not mean that the library advocates or endorses the ideas found in that resource. Miller Library adheres to the principles of intellectual freedom as outlined in the Library Bill of Rights of the American Library Association. It is the responsibility of the library to ensure that different points of view are represented in the collection.
The Library Bill of Rights of the American Library Association states “Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation” (Article 1); and “Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval” (Article 2). Miller Library also endorses the Freedom to Read Statement, provided by the American Library Association.
Acquisitions
Acquisitions fall into two categories: purchases and donations.
Purchases
The Library reserves the right to use appropriate vendors to purchase items and to choose appropriate formats.
The Library does not purchase items for Reserve – individual professors or departments are responsible for providing items they wish to be on Reserve (if these items are not a part of any Library collection).
Students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to make purchase requests via the library’s website.
The Library does not purchase textbooks, but will consider any textbook donations.
Donations
Donated items are gratefully and willingly accepted, as long as no restrictions are placed on their use and disposition. Donations are evaluated under the following conditions:
- Must support the curricula of the College, or
- Provide value for the archives and/or special collections
- Must be relevant and current
- Should be in good to like-new condition
- The relationship of the donor to the College will be considered when evaluating donations (i.e. alumni, current staff/faculty/students, etc.).
The Library reserves the right to dispose of donations as we see fit.
Reserves
The Library holds specific resources on Reserve for patrons to use for a limited time in the library. The most common checkout allowance is for two hours.
Faculty should be mindful that the library has finite space for storing Reserve items. Faculty will be encouraged to update their Reserve items each semester in order to accommodate space restrictions.
As mentioned under Purchases, the Library does not purchase items for Reserve.
Deaccessions
Deaccession, or “weeding,” is the removal of materials from a library collection in a systematic and deliberate way. It is an ongoing process that helps ensure library materials are current and relevant.
Library staff will follow the CREW Method for evaluating and weeding the collection on an ongoing basis.
Deaccession Procedures
An item marked for deaccession goes through a specific procedure. All property stamps tying the item to the Library are crossed out and obscured with a permanent marker. The item is then stamped “Discarded.” A deaccessioned monograph or periodical is placed on the “Free Shelf” for a period of time, before being disposed of.
Disposition of items may include donation to support Union Rescue Mission or recycling.
Automobile Restoration (AR) Special Collection Management Policy
Purpose
The purpose of the Automobile Restoration Special Collection is to provide a comprehensive collection of materials about and relating to automobiles and motorcycles, their restoration and maintenance, significant persons in the automobile industry, and automobile institutions’ histories and current events.
This collection should support the curriculum of the AR department, especially the senior research projects. However, this collection is composed primarily of donated materials currently, and subsequently may have gaps in the subject matter.
Selection Policy
The resources acquired for Miller Library are selected to meet the teaching, research, and service missions of the College. Appearance of any resource does not mean that the library advocates or endorses the ideas found in that resource. Miller Library adheres to the principles of intellectual freedom as outlined in the Library Bill of Rights of the American Library Association. It is the responsibility of the library to ensure that different points of view are represented in the collection.
The Library Bill of Rights of the American Library Association states “Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation” (Article 1); and “Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval” (Article 2). Miller Library also endorses the Freedom to Read Statement, provided by the American Library Association.
Customers
The collection is open to all McPherson college faculty, staff, and students, as well as community members. However, due to the valuable nature of the materials, particularly the older, rarer items, access to portions of the collection is limited to when Miller Library is open, and any user must be accompanied by a library employee. However, items in the Open Collection located on the 2nd floor outside of the Closed Collection room may be checked out to patrons.
Acquisitions
Purchases
The Library reserves the right to use appropriate vendors to purchase items and to choose appropriate formats.
Students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to make purchase requests via the library’s website.
Donations
As stated above, the collection is primarily composed of donated materials at this point. Our policy on donations is as follows:
Donated items are gratefully and willingly accepted, as long as no restrictions are placed on their use and disposition. Donations are evaluated for their potential to improve the collection by supporting the collection’s purpose in both relevance and condition. Our collection is periodically reviewed by the library staff, as well as the AR department chair and/or other faculty.
Miller Library reserves the right to dispose of donations as we see fit (see Duplicates sections).
Duplicate Materials
In general, the rule on duplicates for this collection is to keep two. Any copies after that will be made available to interested parties.
Priorities
Priorities in regards to particular materials include:
- Materials that support historic research information-gathering
- Blueprints
- Manuals (service, mark/make)
- Literature/autobiographies, biographies, corporate histories
- Historically significant individuals or events
Manuals
Priority to keep and digitize:
- Motor’s
- Dyke’s
- Mitchell (at least up to 1970)
According to the current AR department leadership, Chilton often are too generalized to offer much subject-specific information, and subsequently are less of a priority.
Periodicals
Periodicals, including magazines and journals, will be purchased as needed. Due to a backlog of donations, two copies will be kept for the collection. Remaining copies will be made available for free to interested parties.
Brochures and Club publications
Because brochures and Club publications are a “snapshot” of a particular time and provenance matters for special collections, they will be kept until they are digitized. After that, the print format will be discarded due to spatial and organizational concerns.
Deaccession
Deaccession, or “weeding,” is the removal of materials from a library collection in a systematic and deliberate way. It is an ongoing process that helps ensure library materials are current and relevant.
Library staff will follow the CREW Method for evaluating and weeding the collection on an ongoing basis.
Deaccession Procedures
An item marked for deaccession goes through a specific procedure. All property stamps tying the item to the Library are crossed out and obscured with a permanent marker. The item is then stamped “Discarded.” A deaccessioned monograph or periodical is placed on the “Free Shelf” for a period of time, before being disposed of.
Disposition of items may include donation to support Union Rescue Mission or recycling.
Challenged Materials Policy
The American Library Association (ALA) defines a challenge to literature as an attempt by a person or group of people to have materials, such as books, removed from a library or school curriculum, or otherwise restricted.
Selection Policy
The resources acquired for Miller Library are selected to meet the teaching, research, and service missions of the College. Appearance of any resource does not mean that the library advocates or endorses the ideas found in that resource. Miller Library adheres to the principles of intellectual freedom as outlined in the Library Bill of Rights of the American Library Association. It is the responsibility of the library to ensure that different points of view are represented in the collection.
The Library Bill of Rights of the American Library Association states “Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation” (Article 1); and “Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval” (Article 2). Miller Library also endorses the Freedom to Read Statement, provided by the American Library Association.
Challenged Resources
Resources in Miller Library may be challenged by students, faculty and staff of McPherson College. A challenge to a resource in Miller Library must be based on the failure of that resource to fall within the Library’s selection and collection development policies, including the commitment to intellectual freedom. When challenging an item, the patron may request the library take one of two actions; (1) removal of an item because it is inappropriate, or (2) the addition of a source to balance the collection by providing alternative views. The Library may agree to take either action or no action at all. Challenged items will remain on the shelf and available to Library Users during the duration of the challenge.
Procedure
Those persons wishing to challenge a resource in Miller Library will be asked to complete a Request for Reconsideration of Library Resources form. The completed form will be submitted to the Director of Library Services; the Director will acknowledge receipt of the form via letter. The Request will then be considered by a committee made up of library staff, the Provost, the V.P.A.A., and two faculty representatives. The final decision will be made by the Director. The person making the challenge will be notified in writing by the Director of Library Services of that decision and any action to be taken.