The following principles establish priorities: 

1. University Mission Statement
2. LSUA Library Services Mission Statement
3. Comparisons with peer institutions and contemporary literature in library and information science
4. Review of literature, information from conferences, and listserv archives to determine best practices
5. Annual surveys
6. Feedback from students and faculty
7. Directives of the Chancellor and/or Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.
8. Mandates of accreditation bodies

The Director of Library Services develops goals and objectives with the library faculty and/or staff. Goals and objectives are assessed annually. The Director, with advice from library faculty and/or feedback from faculty, students, or administrators, initiates changes in priorities and establishes policies and procedures to implement them.

• An OaKard is required to check out books.
• 30-day circulation period for LSUA students and non-LSUA borrowers
• 15-book limit for LSUA students, staff, and LALINC borrowers
• 3-book limit for non-LSUA borrowers
• 25-book limit for LSUA faculty
  • loans from the circulating collection are due the last day of classes each semester.
  • loans from the non-circulating collection are due the next day or the due date determined by the library for an item.
• Circulating books are renewed unless placed on hold or overdue. Renewals may be granted by telephone or email request if materials are not overdue.
• A “hold” may be placed on any book already checked out.
• If instructors recall a book to place it on Reserve, the book is due immediately.
• The library charges no fines; this works as long as users cooperate.
• Reference materials, bound journals, and microfilm do not circulate.
• Library materials in history (call no. 900-999) are not available for checkout to non-LSUA users.
• Faculty and staff are required to return materials at the end of each semester.
  • Permanent faculty and staff may renew materials once by telephone or email. 
  • After the first renewal, the permanent faculty or staff member must bring items to the Library for renewal. 

Reserve Materials are checked out for the time period specified by the instructor placing the item on reserve. “In library use only” items are used within the library for 2 hours. “Overnight use” items are checked out at any time but are due the next day. 

LSUA students, faculty, and staff must present a current OaKard to check out materials. Non-LSUA borrowers must present a valid government-issued photo-ID, current address, place of employment, email address, as well as home and work telephone numbers. Persons who abuse library privileges will lose library privileges. Local residents may find that their library needs are met better by using a local public library.

• Local residents over the age of 17 living in the parishes contiguous to Rapides Parish: Allen, Avoyelles, Evangeline, Grant, Natchitoches, and Vernon may borrow materials. Privileges are granted for a maximum of two years and may be renewed.
• LSUA faculty/staff dependents may borrow materials. Parents/guardians are responsible for their dependent children.
• LALINC borrowers must present a LALINC card, their institutional ID, and a valid government-issued photo-ID to borrow materials. The expiration date on the LALINC card will be the expiration date of their LSUA privileges; however, in no case will privileges extend beyond 1 year from date of issue.
• Northwestern State University and Louisiana College students and faculty must present a current NSU or LC photo-ID to borrow materials.

Overdue Notices are sent to borrowers with overdue items. When an item is overdue, a 
notation is made in the borrower’s record. A student must return overdue library materials or pay fees as listed below. Users are blocked from further borrowing until the materials are returned or fees have been paid. 

Lost / Damaged Materials are paid for by the borrower who checked them out. LSUA library materials belong to the State of Louisiana. Lost / destroyed book charges include the cost of replacement as recorded in the current edition of The Bowker Annual (minimum $54), and a service charge of $25 for each lost, destroyed, or mutilated book. Library materials lost through theft, accident, or calamity require restitution. Homeowner’s, automobile, and renter’s insurance often cover such losses. To maintain library privileges before payment, a police report or insurance claim is required. 

• The library lends books from the circulating collection.
• Non-circulating and non-book materials are usually not loaned; exceptions may be made depending on current needs of LSUA faculty and students for the materials requested.
• The loan period for items loaned from LSUA is 1 month.
• No costs are charged to libraries that have reciprocal agreements with LSUA. This includes most academic libraries in Louisiana.
• Libraries that have no reciprocal agreement and that charge for their loans will be contacted to determine if they wish to reciprocate in not charging costs.
• Non-reciprocating libraries will be charged a minimum of $20 per transaction, plus postage and photocopying charges. 

Desktop computers are for the use of LSUA students, faculty, and staff.

1. Campus visitors may use the computers if LSUA users are not waiting.
2. All users are bound by the  LSUA Acceptable Use Policy.
3. The computers are for individual use, not for class instruction sessions.
4. Library Services does not assist in document preparation or other  production/presentation formats. Assistance is available in the Writing Center.
5. Files can be saved to a LSUA network drive or a user-provided external storage device. No user-created files are permanently stored on the computers, and the library is not responsible for lost files.

Laptop computers with wireless access to the campus network are available for LSUA students 
to use on campus (excluding the Oaks) for 2 hours. 
1. Non-LSUA users may not check out laptops. 
2. First time users must complete a Laptop Loan Agreement. 
3. Borrowers are responsible for laptops and should not leave them unattended or give them to others to use. 
4. Laptops and power cords are to be returned to a library staff member, not left on the desk or in the book return slot, for inspection in the presence of the borrower. 
5. If damage or abuse is detected upon return, the borrower is liable for repair costs (as 
determined by the Educational Technology Department) up to the replacement cost of the 
computer.

Library faculty provides instruction in use of the library resources and other available 
information resources as well as strategic approaches to research. Instruction is provided as group sessions on general library topics or course-related assignments as well as point-of-use instruction to individuals. Instructors should schedule group instruction with the Coordinator of Reference Services and allow sufficient time for preparation. Instructors need to be present for group instruction to answer course-related questions, give individual assistance to students, reinforce that the session is integral to the course, and to keep abreast of what their students are learning.

Distance Learners have access to all online library resources. A distance learner is a registered student whose courses do not require coming to campus and for whom distance makes a trip to the Library a hardship. Department Chairs should inform instructors that library services are available to their students. Upon request, the Coordinator of Reference Services advises 
instructors on what is available so that they can communicate the availability of library services to their students.

Collection Development Policy 

 

The LSUA Library Services Collection Development Policy supports the mission of Louisiana State University of Alexandria and the mission of LSUA Library Services:

LSUA Mission Statement:   As the only state-supported undergraduate university in Louisiana, LSUA’s mission is to provide a broad spectrum of affordable undergraduate degrees in a robust academic environment that challenges students to excel and creates proactive and reciprocal relationships that meet the needs of the diverse student body and community that it serves.

 

LSUA Library Services Mission Statement:  Library Services is an academic unit which provides instruction, resources, and other services in order to enhance academic programs, to stimulate teaching and research, and to foster student, faculty, and community growth.  Library Services provides opportunities to its users to achieve the information literacy necessary to pursue their educational, research, and professional goals, while laying the foundation for lifelong learning.  Library Services seeks collaboration with LSUA's faculty in its selection of resources and provision of service.

 

Objectives of Collection Development

• To meet the information needs at LSUA through the acquisition and maintenance of resources
• To provide information in formats that includes print monographs, serials, audiovisual materials, and online materials with priority assigned to online materials
• To continuously improve the collection 

Responsibility for Collection Development

Library faculty, library staff, and teaching faculty are jointly responsible for collection development.  The Director of Library Services, with the help of the Assistant to the Library Director, manages the expenditure of funds, ensures adherence to the collection development policy, and supervises an orderly procurement system. 

While teaching faculty should inform their department’s subject bibliographer of appropriate library acquisitions, the library faculty and staff have a duty to anticipate and provide resources with potential for long-lasting use and with relevance to disciplines taught at LSUA.  Student and staff requests are also welcome and reviewed by the same criteria as faculty requests.  

Fund Allocations for Materials

After the LSUA library materials budget is finalized for the fiscal year, the Director of Library Services encumbers sufficient money for general materials, reference materials, annual subscriptions, renewals, and binding.  Remaining funds are divided by the Director, with these factors affecting the formula: 

• The base budget for each discipline is based on a formula dividing the number of Student Credit Hours (SCHs) in all courses in a particular discipline with the total number of SCHs produced in the previous academic year.(For example, if 1000 SCHs were in History courses in a given academic year and the total number of SCHs produced at LSUA in that academic year was 10,000, then 10% of the base allotment would be used to buy materials in History.)
• The budget may be adjusted to reflect the fact that some disciplines (e.g. math) do not publish many titles suitable for undergraduates and the average cost of a new title varies by subject.  Average costs are reported in The Bowker Annual.

Selection Procedure

In early fall, the Director informs each department’s chair and subject bibliographer of the department’s allocation/s and asks department chairs and subject bibliographers to submit titles for their discipline/s by a specified deadline.  In early spring, the Director informs each department’s chair and subject bibliographer of the department’s balance/s and reiterates the deadline to submit requests.   

Subject bibliographers maintain regular contact with their respective department chair/s or delegate/s by 1) forwarding relevant information from publisher publications and review sources such as Choice, and 2) answering questions related to the collection and the collection development process.  

Criteria for Selection of Materials

Priority is assigned to

• materials relevant to undergraduate disciplines taught at LSUA,
• materials that support new curricula or courses,
• interdisciplinary materials of general academic interest,
• materials relevant to the history of LSUA and Central Louisiana,
• general reading materials of interest to undergraduate students,
• materials in the English language unless they are 1) needed for non-English language or literature instruction, or 2) recognized classics that are not available in translation.
• current materials,
• materials recommended by standard sources of reviews, and
• materials frequently requested through interlibrary loan.

Additional criteria:

• reputation of author, issuing body, or publisher;
• special features including indexing, bibliographies, footnotes, or graphics;
• strength of current library holdings in the discipline;
• strength of current library holdings by same author or issuing body;
• demand (as indicated by circulation statistics, interlibrary loan statistics, or reference transactions);
• cost; and 
• recommendation by standard source of reviews

Low priority is assigned to out-of-print materials and individual research materials that are unlikely to be of use to other current or future users. 

Preference of format:

• Online materials that are easily accessible on-campus and off-campus are preferred over print materials.
• Hardbound materials are preferred over paperback materials if 1) the difference in price is minimal, 2) the title will be frequently used, or 3) the title will be of lasting value. 

The library materials budget is not used to buy

• materials for laboratories, departmental collections, curriculum collections, etc.; 
• materials to be housed outside the library;
• microforms;
• duplicate copies;
• flat maps;
• fiction that is not likely to be of long-term interest;
• theses or dissertations;
• computer software;
• VHS tapes;
• slides; or
• textbooks.

Additional Criteria for Selection of Journals and Databases

The library may subscribe to a print journal that supports the curriculum at the request of a faculty member or librarian if 1) money is available, 2) it is likely that current issues of the journal will be browsed, and 3) the journal is not available online. 

The library may subscribe to an online journal or database that supports the curriculum at the request of a faculty member or librarian if money is available and the subscription fills a gap in current resources.  

Weeding

• Library staff may weed duplicates that have a low history of circulation, beginning with items that are most worn and have the least useful life remaining. 
• Librarians may also weed materials that are no longer useful. 
• Worn or damaged library materials are repaired, rebound, discarded, or replaced.  If the title is not in print, another title with similar or better information may be purchased. 
• Withdrawn materials are de-accessioned by covering LSUA ownership marks and 
  suppressing reference to the item in the catalog and WorldCat.  Withdrawn books may be donated to another library, sold at a public book sale, or discarded.
• The Reference Librarian weeds materials no longer needed in the reference collection.
• The Library Director collaborates with the Nursing Department’s Learning Resources Committee each spring to review the nursing collection.  At that time, out-of-date nursing resources are removed from the collection.
• Materials related to each academic department except Nursing are reviewed for weeding every seven years on a rotating basis.       

Reference Collection

The Reference Librarian annually reviews the reference collection and reads reviews to remain familiar with new reference titles relevant to the needs of LSUA students and faculty.  The   Reference Librarian notes yearbooks/serials to be updated and recommends new reference titles for purchase.

Conservation, Preservation, and Restoration

Damaged materials are repaired, rebound, replaced, or discarded as demand indicates and funds permit.  Lost materials are replaced as demand indicates and funds permit.     

Current journals are displayed from 6 months to 3 years.  At the end of this time period, journals of transient value are discarded.   

Journals with enduring value and relevance to the curriculum are stored in Technical Processing.  These journals are bound if they are not available online.  Embargoed journals are stored until available online.  

Gifts and Donations

The library may refuse any gift that does not contribute to the mission of the library.  Gifts of library materials are accepted if they meet selection criteria and if the donor places no restrictions upon their acceptance.  The library may discard, sell, or donate gift materials that cannot be added to the collection.  The library does not make appraisals for tax or other fiduciary purposes; the donor is responsible for such appraisals.  If requested, the Director will document the number and format/s of the accepted materials.         

Rare Books

1.    All materials in the following categories are processed for the Rare Books Room. (This includes some types of publications to be safeguarded although not strictly “rare.”)

A.    Publications published before and including 1860.

B.    U. S. Publications published before and including the dates listed below by state: 

C.  At least 1 copy (preferably 2) of University Publications.

2.   Materials such as the following should be considered for the Rare Books collection:

A.    Autographed books of exceptional interest.

B.    Unusual limited editions.

C.    Extraordinary first editions.

D.    Portfolios containing original etchings, expensive plates, etc.

F.    Local history and Louisiana publications. (Normally a copy will be placed in the circulating stacks, unless other considerations in this policy dictate otherwise.)

G.    Scarce or expensive periodicals

H.    Works justifying special attention on account of physical makeup:  sumptuous binding; fine typography or illustrations; fore-edge painting; elaborate decorations; size or shape not adaptable to ordinary shelving; printing or vellum; silk, wood, or other unusual material.

 

Unit Mission Statement 
The mission of LSU Alexandria’s Archives and Special Collections is to document and preserve the history and activities of LSUA and Central Louisiana in order to make these records accessible to university administration, faculty, staff, students, alumni and researchers of all types with an interest in Central Louisiana. The unit collaborates with university faculty to facilitate undergraduate research and service learning. 

University Archives 
The University Archives includes the records, publications, and other primary historical documents of LSU Alexandria, including the records of current events as they happen on campus and as reported by outside media; the activities of faculty, staff, and students of LSUA; the conduct of business by administration, Faculty Senate, Staff Senate, faculty committees, staff committees, student organizations, student committees, student publications, and academic departments on the LSUA 
campus; and the academic and professional endeavors of faculty and students. (Specifically excluded from collection are the records of the Louisiana Board of Regents and the Board of Supervisors of the LSU System as well as other governing bodies which maintain their own archives.) Records will be routinely added to the University Archives as part of the Records Management process. 

Central Louisiana Collections 
Secondarily, primary sources that document the history of Central Louisiana (or Cenla, a geographic area centering on the cities of Alexandria/Pineville in Rapides Parish and including adjacent parishes) will be solicited, accepted, collected, processed, preserved and made accessible. Primary sources include manuscripts, other original paper records, scrapbooks, newspapers, and photographs of local businesses, persons and families both prominent and ordinary, plantation papers, or organizations. Oral histories will occasionally be collected, transcribed, preserved, and made accessible. Ordinarily 
published books, artifacts, and other realia will not be collected unless they are important to understand the manuscript and photographic record; published books will always be cataloged, and normally be added to the circulating collection or the Rare Books collection according to those policies. 

University Archives Acquisition Policies 
The University Archives includes all records designated by the records management process as permanent. These records include any document or record generated by an office on campus. Additionally, the University Archives may accept the scholarly, professional, and personal papers of administrators and faculty members, as well as any document or publication generated by a student group or organization affiliated with LSUA.

Central Louisiana Collections Acquisition Policies 
In accordance with the Mission Statement, Archives and Special Collections will accept document and photograph collections of people, organizations, and businesses associated with the history of Central Louisiana. 

Archives and Special Collections accepts collections or parts of collections that meet the guidelines for collection and documentation set forth in the Mission Statement. 
All materials donated to or acquired by the Archives become property of LSUA. Donors sign a legally binding document outlining all terms of donation. LSUA strongly discourages limitations placed by donors on donations. 

LSUA retains the right to accept particular collections or parts of collections, and to decline to accept them. The professional staff of Archives and Special Collections will direct donors to a more appropriate repository when the contents of a collection are better suited to another institution.