Library Newsletter - August/September, 2006 (rev.)
Vol. 11, No. 1
- A Word from the Director
- Introducing Shannon Sturm, New University Archivist!
- Announcing the Library's Newest Services -- E-Reserves!
- Reference Services -- Just the Facts!
- Government Documents & Maps -- Everything's on the Internet, Isn't It?
- Access Services (Circulation, Course Reserves, & Media Services)
- Acquisitions
- Dr. Ralph R. Chase West Texas Collection
- University Archive
- Cataloging
- Friends of the Porter Henderson Library and West Texas Collection
- "Constitution Day"– September 17, 2006
- Porter Henderson Library Calendar, 2006-2007
- Schedule of Hours - Fall/Spring
A Word from the Director
Dr. Maurice G. Fortin (942-2222, ext. 222)
Welcome to the eleventh year of the Library Newsletter. The first issue of each year is the annual guide to services offered by and operations in the Library and a means to bring you up to date with some of the changes made during the previous academic year. If you have any comments or suggestions, please send them to me (Maurice.Fortin@angelo.edu) or stop by the Library for a chat and a free cup of coffee.
Improvements and Other Developments During FY 06 and Planning for FY 07
The Library's online services received record usage throughout FY 06. ASU students continued to prefer the online access to serial, web, and monographic resources. The convenience of 24/7 and literally anywhere access contributed to the popularity of this format for information. To meet the growing demand for online access, the Library added two new database services: the Westlaw Campus Research service and JSTOR's Arts and Sciences III. With the addition of these two new services and restoration of some of the TexShare resources, the ASU community has access to over 23,000 online periodical, serial, and reference resources and nearly 30,000 E-books. This fall, the Library plans to offer training sessions on the new Westlaw service.
To meet a growing demand for quick and late night access to application software, the Library worked with Information Technology to extend the application software package to all of the PCs in the Reference Desk area of the First Floor. Students and other campus users will be able to access basic application software (word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, etc.) within the Library.
Beginning with the 2006 Fall Semester, the Library now offers an E-Reserve service. This follows a successful test operation during the summer terms. Information on how faculty members can get started using the new E-reserve service for their classes can be found on page 3 of this Newsletter.
Throughout FY 06, the West Texas Collection continued its remarkable growth. Staff members in the Collection accepted and processed literally hundreds of linear feet of new materials and thousands of donated books. The campus community and visitors enjoyed viewing and interacting with two displays, one on early aviation in West Texas and one on the sheep and wool industry, with a special emphasis on sheep shearers and their families. A generous donation from Mrs. Eva Camuñez Tucker to the Friends of the Library made the sheep industry exhibit possible. Part of her donation also funded the development of a traveling exhibit, debuted at the annual meeting of the Texas Sheep and Goat Raisers Association in Kerrville in July. The West Texas Collection also co-sponsored an exhibit in Del Rio of photographs on the Mexican Revolution.
During the 2006 Spring Semester, the Library replaced outdated furniture in the quiet study space on Second Floor with more comfortable chairs, ottomans, and couches. Information Technology, Facilities Management, and the Library have begun the process to plan for an Information Commons on the First Floor and a new study space for graduate students on the Library's Second Floor. Future issues of the Newsletter will provide more information on these two topics.
The support of the Student Senate for a Library Fee (formerly called LIFE Fee) in 2001 greatly benefited the ASU community's access to information and Library services. Coupled with the Student Senate's support for the Library Fee, the University's administration did not use the Library Fee to replace existing Library funding. In other words, the Library Fee truly has been enhancement money. This has not been the case on many campuses in Texas.
Each biennium, the Library Director works with a subcommittee of the Student Senate and with the University Library Committee to allocate the Library Fee. Over the last four years, these funds helped the Library to extend hours to 104 hours per week in the long semesters, to add three FTE positions, to cover increasing M&O costs, to supplement the Library's Materials Budget, and to purchase the necessary hardware and software for an E-reserves service.
In the 2006 Fall Semester, the Library Fee will increase to $3.00 per semester credit hour. With the approval of the Student Senate's subcommittee, the Library Director plans to recommend to the University Library Committee in September that the majority of the new monies (approximately $160,000) from the Library Fee in FY 07 and FY 08 be devoted to the Library's Materials Budget.
Two significant milestones will be reached in FY 07. The Library's overall budget will surpass $2,000,000 and the Materials Budget will exceed $1,000,000. There probably is not another school in Texas the size of ASU that will have a library materials budget as large as this.
Because of these new funds from the Library Fee and the continued support of the University's administration to maintain regular funding for the Library, the Library Director plans to recommend the following items to the University Library Committee for the FY 07 Materials Budget.
- The Library will fund all online/electronic database subscriptions formally paid for from academic departmental allocations.
- The "Graduate Enhancement" allocation will double to approximately $4,615. (This enhancement allocation goes to each department with graduate programs.)
- The Library will add, or has added, the following new database services for FY 07: Emerald Fulltext, JSTOR Arts and Sciences III, and Westlaw Campus Research.
- The recommendations for departmental allocations will reflect only five departments needing assistance to cover the cost of their serial and standing order publications. The Library will help to cover these costs so no additional cuts will be needed to serial publications.
Ten academic departments will benefit from the Library Fee funding of all online/electronic database services. The Library Director hopes these departments will use these savings to explore options for new services previously unavailable on the campus. In addition these departments may wish to fund new print publications unavailable through existing or new online database services.
The remaining sections in the Newsletter provide more details on other significant improvements and new services. Again let me welcome you back to another great year at Angelo State University.
Introducing Shannon Sturm, New University Archivist
In July, Shannon Sturm became the new University Archivist. Ms. Sturm graduated from Angelo State University in December with a BA in history and is currently pursuing her master's degree in history. Shannon worked as a student assistant in the West Texas Collection for three years, where she twice received the Joe Bill Lee Scholarship given by the Friends of the Library. She also received the Susan Miles Scholarship, given to a deserving history major. Shannon has presented historical papers at meetings of the West Texas Historical Association and the Tom Green County Historical Society.
You are invited to stop by the West Texas Collection on the second floor of the University Center and welcome Shannon to her new position.
Announcing the Library's Newest Service – E-Reserves!
What are E-Reserves?
The Angelo State University Library now offers E-Reserve services (E-Res). This new service gives any ASU faculty member the option of placing articles, personal items, and chapters from books and reference materials on reserve in electronic format rather than in paper format. The Library requests that you choose either electronic or paper format for each item on reserve. The same item cannot be placed on reserve in both formats. If the item placed on E-Reserves is copyrighted, the Library will work with the faculty member to assign a password for use by members of the class. In order to view materials placed on E-Reserve, students must go to the E-Reserves web site (http://ereserve.angelo.edu/eres), select the specific document they wish to access, and enter the E-Reserves password for that item.
What are the Advantages?
- E-Reserves are available to students 24/7 from anywhere on- or off-campus.
- ASU faculty members will be able to place materials on E-Reserves without leaving their offices or homes.
- ASU faculty members can more easily comply with copyright law by restricting access to reserve materials only to students in their courses.
- Regardless of the size of the class, only one electronic copy is needed to allow all students in the class to access the item.
- The ASU Library E-Reserves service is fully compatible with Blackboard.
How Do ASU Faculty Members Get Started?
- All Course Reserve requests (including E-Res) will be processed in the order received.
- Course Reserve requests (including E-Res) should be submitted to the Circulation Department at least one working week prior to the date when items will be needed in order to permit adequate time for necessary processing.
- Go to http://ereserve.angelo.edu/eres/. From this page, you may select from either of two kinds of forms – choose the one that best meets your needs:
Microsoft Word document: simply download the file to your own computer, complete it off-line and save it for your records. When ready, you can print the form and bring/send the printout along with a clean, single-sided, unstapled copy of the item listed to the Library Circulation desk, for scanning; or email the form as an attachment to Angela Skaggs. If you assign many of the same readings from year to year, you can keep your Word file to send again in the future, saving yourself retyping your bibliography.
Adobe PDF file: fill out the form online and click the "Submit" button to have the information emailed directly to the Library Circulation staff member in charge of E-Reserves, or print it and bring/send the printout along with a clean, single-sided, unstapled copy of the item listed to the Library Circulation desk, for scanning. [Acrobat Reader 6.0 or higher is required to view and fill out this form; Acrobat Standard or Professional is required to save the data, once the form has been filled out.]
If you have any questions regarding e-reserves policies and procedures, please contact Angela Skaggs (942-2051, ext. 224 / Angela.Skaggs@angelo.edu) or Antonella Ward (942-2051, ext. 240 / Antonella.Ward@angelo.edu).
Reference Services -- Just the Facts!
Mark Allan, Head Reference Librarian
Functions
Fact: RamPort is the primary access point to the Library for students, faculty, and staff.
The Reference Unit at ASU's Porter Henderson Library is responsible for a variety of functions including:
- educating University students, faculty, and staff in the use of information resources,
- facilitating the University population's access to information resources,
- providing assistance to Library users – in particular, the University population – with regard to the use of these resources, and
- helping to identify information resources relevant to the University's curriculum and population.
In addition, the Reference Unit encompasses Government Documents and Interlibrary Loan. Janetta Paschal, the Government Documents Librarian, addresses Government Documents on the next page of the Newsletter.
Education – Information Literacy
Fact: Most students THINK they are more competent at doing research than they actually are.
The Reference Unit encourages faculty whose students are going to be performing research to schedule library instruction sessions. These sessions afford students the opportunity to learn about general or topic-specific resources available in the Library, research techniques applicable to these resources, as well as the evaluation and utilization of information. To schedule either a general lower-division session or a more specific, advanced session for upper-division or graduate students, please contact Mark Allan at 942-2511 or Mark.Allan@angelo.edu.
Alternatively, the Library is increasingly making use of online tutorials in order to more flexibly meet the needs of ASU faculty, as well as both on and off-campus ASU students. Online library tutorials meeting the needs of several large populations of ASU students have been developed for subjects including English 1302, Biology 1480, and Nursing (Undergraduate and Graduate), as well as Biology 1480. If your Department has a large student population that you feel may be benefited by a general or specialized online tutorial, please contact the Library Director, Maurice Fortin, at 942-2222, ext. 222, or Maurice.Fortin@angelo.edu.
Student and Faculty Assistance - Reference Desk
Fact: The Reference Desk is staffed 69 hours per week.
Students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to make use of the Reference Desk when "ready reference" services are needed. The Librarians who provide reference assistance consider the development of information literacy skills a priority for our students. To help inculcate these skills, the Librarians staffing the Desk are happy to instruct and assist patrons in the use of the Library's wide range of electronic and print services, as well as in the searching techniques required to utilize these resources effectively. Patrons are encouraged to ask for assistance at the Reference Desk, by calling the Desk at 942-2222, ext. 234, or by sending e-mail to Reference@angelo.edu.
Interlibrary Loan/Document Delivery
Fact: Most Interlibrary Loan article requests are fulfilled electronically, with the pertinent articles being made available to the requestor in a digital format from an online ASU computer.
Interlibrary Loan (ILL) services are available to Angelo State University students, faculty and staff for books, articles, and other resources that are not owned by the Library. These items can often be obtained from another library, subject to copyright restrictions. Usually there is no charge for ILL; a fee will only be passed on if the lending institution charges one.
All books requested through ILL must be checked out at the Circulation Desk. Alternatively, faculty can designate a proxy to pick up their items. Complete the Faculty Checkout Request Form and present it to the Circulation Desk staff, AS WELL AS the proxy's activated ASU OneCard AND the Faculty member's activated OneCard. Every one of these elements is required in order to protect against fraud and preserve the privacy and integrity of the Faculty member's Library account. All patrons (including faculty) with overdue ILL books will be assessed a one dollar per day overdue fee.
Most Interlibrary Loan article requests are fulfilled electronically, with the pertinent articles being made available to the requestor in a digital format from an online ASU computer. The requestor is e-mailed a web link and a PIN number, and the requestor can then access the digitized item online, to be printed or saved.
ILL requests can be submitted three ways:
- ILL requests made through the various online bibliographic databases;
- Through the Library's online catalog, RamCat;
- Web forms on the Library's web site.
For more information contact Sharon Weber at 942-2154, ext. 251, or Sharon.Weber@angelo.edu.
Collection Development
Fact: The Reference Department assists with the collection development in both the Library's Reference and Circulating collections.
The Library is now purchasing "graphic novels" (as opposed to "graphic" novels), primarily for the Juvenile Collection, in part to promote an interest in reading. The topic of graphic novels will be highlighted in a future Newsletter issue.
Government Documents & Maps -- Everything's on the Internet, Isn't It?
Janetta Paschal, Government Documents/Reference Librarian
Government Documents
While state and federal agencies are publishing more and more documents in electronic format than ever before, and fewer publications are distributed in tangible formats, contrary to what
"they" may tell you, not everything is on the Internet – at least not yet.
The Government Printing Office (GPO) is making great strides as it tries to fulfill the mandate they received from Congress over ten years ago to transition the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) to an all-electronic program. For example, GPO makes more than 300,000 United States electronic publications available via GPO Access (http://www.gpoaccess.gov/index.html). GPO staff also assigns persistent uniform resource locations (PURLs) to those items located on other governmental web sites.
The state of Texas, however, is not nearly as organized as is GPO concerning the electronic publications produced by state departments and agencies. Bibliographic control of electronic-only Texas state publications is almost a hit-or-miss situation. This may change, however, as a result of the major revisions to the state depository law (V.T.C.A., Government Code § 441.101 through § 441.106) enacted during the 79th Texas Legislature in 2005. Among other things, the law redefines the scope of the Texas State Publications Clearinghouse program and allows other alternative formats to be used in lieu of paper. (Prior to the change in this long-outdated law, only microform was allowed as an alternative format. Digital formats, of any kind, could not be used for
"distribution" to depository libraries in the event there were insufficient copies of paper publications.) State depository librarians, including the librarian at ASU, are looking forward to seeing how the approved changes are implemented in the future.
Since government publications are useful for all types of research and personal information needs, how do you locate these items, no matter what format, in the Library's collections? All current physical government publications received by the Library are fully cataloged and appear in RamCat. If an online version of such a document is also available, there is a link included in the bibliographic information section in RamCat, as well as in the holdings display information. You can access the titles via these links, 24/7, from anywhere on- or off-campus. Records for electronic-only documents are being added to RamCat as well. Even though the Library will not have physical copies of these titles, the records in RamCat will show a location of either "Texas Document Online Resource" or "U.S. Document Online Resource." The majority of these electronic documents are in HTML, ASCII text, or PDF formats. Links to these digital government publications can also be used in bibliographies of course readings in Blackboard.
Older publications from both the state and federal collections are being added to RamCat as time and resources permit. Congressional hearings in paper from the mid-1970s, older Smithsonian Institution publications (for instance, on painters, sculptors, and other artists), and various series in the Texas Documents collection are now appearing in RamCat. Access to information on the majority of the older, non-cataloged materials is available through various printed and online indexes. A series of printed indexes cover the years 1789-1995.
There are several online indexes available to help locate government publications. WorldCat in FirstSeach includes government publications since depository libraries and GPO use this service for cataloging purposes. GPO Monthly Catalog, also in FirstSearch, covers 1976 to the present. GPO recently completed the implementation of their new integrated library system (an "online catalog"). This retains the title Catalog of U.S. Government Publications, the name of the older online index it replaces, and covers 1976 to the present. The Catalog, containing over 500,000 historical and current bibliographic records from July 1976, can be accessed directly at http://catalog.gpo.gov/F, from the main "Government Documents & Maps" web page at http://www.angelo.edu/services/library/govdocs/index.html, and through a link in GPO Access. Links to electronic documents appear in all of these online indexes.
Unfortunately, there are no comparable online indexes or catalogs for Texas publications. Information on state publications received by the Library over the last ten years can be located in RamCat. Texas publications also appear in WorldCat and some can be located via TRAIL (Texas Records and Information Locator); you can access TRAIL at http://www2.tsl.state.tx.us/trail/. The link can be found on the main "Government Documents & Maps" web page and the three "Texas Government Information" web pages. Increasingly state agencies are including copies of their publications on their web sites.
Please contact the Government Documents Librarian for assistance if you need help locating state or federal publications, whether or not they are located in our collections.
Maps
The majority of the Porter Henderson Library's map collection in the Reference Room consists of 4,800 maps of the USGS 7.5 minute and 15 minute series Texas topographic maps.
The forty topographic maps covering Tom Green County and many of the maps for the surrounding counties have been cataloged. Search RamCat for the subject "Texas--Maps, Topographic" to retrieve a list of those quadrangles that have been cataloged at this time. Finding lists for both the 7.5 minute series and the 15 minute series are available online via the "Topographic Maps and Resources" page at http://www.angelo.edu/services/library/govdocs/mapstopo.html.
Maps published by both governments can also be found elsewhere in the Reference Room. Users can find the Geologic Atlas of Texas sheets and the Geologic Quadrangle maps of Texas in the Texas Documents Collection. Soil survey maps of Texas counties are located with the Soil survey in the United States Documents collection under the general call number of A 57.38; these surveys are then filed alphabetically by county name.
Just as other types of publications are appearing on the Internet, many maps are now available online as well. The "Maps, Aerial Photographs, and Satellite Images" web page (http://www.angelo.edu/services/library/govdocs/maps.html), organized by subject, includes links to a wealth of online information on maps, aerial photographs, and satellite images.
Government Documents - Check Them Out
Government documents housed in the United States and Texas Documents Collections can be checked out. The borrowing periods and privileges differ from those for circulating items elsewhere in the Library. For more detailed information please see "Policy & Procedure Memorandum #4: Circulation" on the Library's web site at http://www.angelo.edu/services/library/policies/ppm4.html.
Borrowing Periods and Privileges
Regular circulating documents (Texas & United States) borrowed from the Porter Henderson Library have the following loan periods:
- Undergraduate and Graduate Students, and ASU Staff: 21-day loan period, 2 renewals, no limit on the number of items.
- ASU Faculty: 21-day loan period, 5 renewals, and no limit on number of items. For the term of their appointments, graduate students serving as Teaching Assistants will have the same borrowing privileges as ASU faculty.
Maps and CD-ROMs from the government documents collections may also be checked out for use at home or in offices on campus. These items have the following loan periods:
- Undergraduate and Graduate Students and ASU Staff: 3 days, 1 renewal;
- ASU Faculty: 1 week, 2 renewals;
Government documents, in many instances, are paperback in nature, and easily damaged when returned in the book drops. Therefore, users must return government documents to the Circulation Desk. The borrower will be responsible for any damage to said items.
If you have any questions about government information, government documents, or maps and how they can provide additional resources for your classes and/or research, contact Janetta Paschal, Government Documents Librarian, at Janetta.Paschal@angelo.edu or 942-2300 ext. 230, or Mark Allan, Head of Reference, at Mark.Allan@angelo.edu or 942-2511.
Access Services (Circulation, Course Reserves, & Media Services)
Angela Skaggs, Circulation Librarian
Some important points
- On August 28, the first day of class, the Library will resume opening at 7:30 a.m., Monday through Friday, and the Library will remain open until 2:00 a.m.! Normal operating hours during the Fall and Spring semesters will be Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 a.m., Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Sunday from 1:00 p.m. until midnight.
- Your activated ASU OneCard is your library card.
- When you check material out, the Library will give you a printed receipt that indicates when the item is due. If you lose your receipt, just log onto RamCat (click on the red "Login" box at the top of the screen and follow the directions) and check online to see what you have checked out and when it is due. From the same screen, you can even do online renewals of materials that are eligible for renewal.
- Please note: So that staff may conduct closing procedures, the Circulation Desk closes 15 minutes before the doors of the Library are locked. You will need to conclude your Circulation business prior to this time. Bells are sounded approximately 30 minutes and 15 minutes prior to closing to alert users that closing time is approaching.
Borrowing Periods and Privileges
Regular circulating books borrowed from the Porter Henderson Library have the following loan periods:
- Undergraduate Students: 21-day loan period, 3 renewals, no limit on number of items; maximum of 5 overdue items before blocking;
- Graduate Students: 42-day loan period, 1 renewal, no limit on number of items; maximum of 5 overdue items before blocking;
- ASU Faculty: semester loan period, 5 renewals, no limit on number of items; maximum of 5 overdue items before blocking;
- ASU Staff: 42-day loan period, 1 renewal, no limit on number of items; maximum of 5 overdue items before blocking;
- Family Members of ASU Faculty/Staff: 21-day loan period, 1 renewal, limited to 10 items; maximum of 5 overdue items before blocking;
- ASU Faculty/Staff Retirees and Their Spouses: 21-day loan period, 1 renewal, limited to 10 items; maximum of 5 overdue items before blocking.
Juvenile books circulate for a 7-day loan period to all borrowers except ASU faculty, who receive a semester loan period, subject to recall after the initial 21 days.
Audio-visual materials from the Media Collection circulate for a 7-day loan period to ASU faculty. Other borrowers are limited to a 3-day loan.
A Word of Caution: You are responsible for all library materials checked out on your OneCard. ASU Faculty/Staff and Retirees are also responsible for all items checked out to their dependents. Changes in family status should be reported to the Circulation Desk so that the database files can be kept current. Treat your ASU OneCard as you would a credit card. If your card is lost or stolen, report it immediately to the Circulation Desk so that your old card can be blocked. A new OneCard can be obtained at the ASU OneCard Office (Room 209, Hardeman Bldg.).
Remember to let the Library's Circulation Desk know about changes in your current address and telephone number. This will enable the Library to send you:
- courtesy reminders about overdue books;
- notices concerning the availability of items on which you may have placed "holds" or "recalls;"
- recall notices alerting you that an item you have checked out has been recalled and now has a new due date;
- notices that an item you wanted which was "in processing" is now ready and waiting for you.
TexShare Library Card Program
TexShare is a state-wide cooperative program designed to improve library service to all Texans. The TexShare Library Card Program allows registered users of participating TexShare institutions to have direct, personal access to library materials that are not available at the home institution. Many Texas public and academic libraries participate in the Card Program. For ASU students, faculty, and staff to participate, a person must:
- Obtain a TexShare Card at the Porter Henderson Library's Circulation Desk,
- Present identification as required,
- Observe the policies of the lending library,
- Return the materials in person or by first-class mail to the lending library,
- Pay assessed charges for lost materials, or materials returned late or damaged,
- Surrender the TexShare card if requested by TexShare library staff.
Policies of TexShare libraries can be found under "TexShare Library Information" on the TexShare web site at http://www.texshare.edu/generalinfo/about/programs.html.
Circulation Desk personnel issue TexShare Library Cards. Library staff can also assist you in identifying participating libraries.
Course Reserves
Faculty should make requests for placing materials on reserve at least ONE working week prior to the date on which the materials are needed. The time required to process reserve requests varies with the workload of the Circulation/Reserves unit, the availability of materials, and the accuracy of the information supplied with the request. All requests are processed in the order received.
Course Reserve materials circulate for one of the following loan periods, as designated by the requesting faculty member:
- Closed Reserve must be used in-house, must be returned within 2 hours, and cannot be renewed.
- 24-Hour Reserve can be checked out whenever the Circulation Desk is open, and must be returned before the library closes the next day.
- Three-Day Reserve can be checked out whenever the Circulation Desk is open, and must be returned any time prior to closing three days later.
To facilitate maximum access to these materials for all students, no renewals are permitted for the items placed on Course Reserve, and students are asked to limit themselves to only 2 Reserve items at a time.
The Library now offers a new Electronic Reserve (E-Res) service. Details on how to use E-Res are available earlier in this Newsletter, on page 3.
Media Services
Staff
Currently two people staff the Media Collection: Antonella Ward, Multimedia Support Librarian, and Irma Haney, Library Assistant. Should you have any questions or requests concerning the Media Collection, please contact Antonella at 942-2051, ext. 240, or Irma at 942-2313.
Note: Although the Media Collection is not staffed during all Library hours, the Collection can be accessed at all times by asking at the Circulation Desk for assistance. Media Collection staff members also provide assistance to users of the Library's microform collections.
Collection
The Media Collection contains the Library's non-print materials – VHS tapes, laserdiscs (LDs), DVDs, CDs, audiocassettes, LPs, and slides. Viewing and listening equipment is available for everyone's in-library use. Faculty and staff can check out some of the equipment for classroom use.
Major Services
- The regular checkout period for faculty is one week; students and other library users have a 3-day checkout period.
- Faculty may place 1-day or 2-hours "In Room Use" reserves on Media materials. Additionally, you may bring in personal materials for student use. All personal materials are limited to "In Room Use."
- The Media Collection also has a small Viewing Room that can accommodate approximately 20 people. Please call ahead for reservations if you would like to use the Viewing Room for a class.
Other Services
- For a small fee, overhead transparencies and laminations (less than 50 pages) can be made for ASU students, faculty, and staff.
- Three coin-operated microform reader/printers are located outside of the Media Collection for patron use. We also provide custom printing service upon request.
- For information about requesting a video purchase, please contact Antonella Ward at 942-2051, ext. 240.
Note: Information Technology's Multimedia Production provides access to satellite teleconferences and channels such as the PBS Adult Learning Satellite Service. Contact Purnell Curtis, Multimedia Support Specialist, or Elaine Beach, Customer Support Manager, (942-2911) for more information.
Acquisitions
Javad Maher, Acquisitions Librarian
The primary responsibilities of the Acquisitions Department are to coordinate collection development activities, purchase library materials, and license access to electronic information resources. Members of the faculty have been assisting the Library in the selection of materials to satisfy their and their students' research needs and to build the collection for future scholars. Funds covering the purchase of library materials and access charges are allocated annually to each department of instruction based on a formula devised by the University Library Committee.
Ordering Library Materials
Faculty requests to purchase materials for the Library are generally made through the head of each academic department. Orders must be approved by the head of the department or by an appointed representative/liaison before materials can be ordered. Library materials may be ordered through the Acquisitions on-line order form at http://www.angelo.edu/forms/cgi/acquisitions.html or by using printed order request cards or other methods (i.e., marking trade catalogs, bibliographies, Choice cards, etc.). Order request cards are available from this Department and at the Circulation or Reference Desks.
Rush orders may be submitted via e-mail to Acquisitions@angelo.edu, by filling out the on-line order form, or by faxing to the Library (942-2198). Rush orders must be clearly marked "RUSH" to be processed as such.
All order requests need to be submitted before April 15th of each year so that the Library is able to meet its deadline for the commitment of its budget. After April 15th, any remaining funds in academic accounts will be placed in the "Excellence Fund." Each academic department may submit requests for expensive library materials that normal allocations cannot cover. A subcommittee from the University Library Committee will then approve expenditures from the Excellence Fund.
Every other month, reports of the academic departments' library budget status are sent to heads of departments and library liaison officers. Academics deans receive a monthly report.
The latest departmental library fund balances are also available in RamPort on the Library tab. This announcement is only available for viewing by faculty members. Look for
"Library Materials Budget for Academic Departments" in the Library Announcements section below Online Resources. (See the example to the left.)
Please do not hesitate to inquire about your budgetary situation at any time. Members of the faculty or requesting departments are notified by the Library of any canceled orders and the reason for the cancellation. Turnaround time varies according to the format of the materials ordered, and ranges from two to twelve weeks. The arrival time can also vary due to the date of publication/production. Last year the average turnaround time was 15.2 days.
Acquisition Units
The Monographs Unit is responsible for ordering and processing monographs. As orders are placed, a record is entered into Voyager (RamCat) so that patrons will be aware that the item is "on order." Upon receipt, the status will change to "received" as the material is sent to Cataloging for processing for the collection.
The Serials Unit is responsible for ordering, receiving, claiming and preserving print serial titles and on-line databases. There are presently 1,567 current print subscriptions, 603 standing order titles, and 21,469 online full-text journals, available to the ASU community.
The Financial Unit is responsible for accounting and record keeping of the Materials Budget. This Unit also handles standing orders/continuations.
General questions and specific inquiries about the status of orders should be directed to the main department number (942-2312). For additional information and many useful links to the publishing world please visit Acquisitions' web page at http://www.angelo.edu/services/library/acq/index.html on the Library's web site.
If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Javad Maher, Acquisitions Librarian (Javad.Maher@angelo.edu or 942-2312).
Dr. Ralph R. Chase West Texas Collection
Suzanne Campbell, Head of the West Texas Collection
The Dr. Ralph R. Chase West Texas Collection (WTC), located on the second floor of the Houston Harte University Center, collects, stores, preserves, and makes accessible for scholarly research selected historical and genealogical manuscripts, records, books, pictorial, and other related materials. The WTC also serves as the primary depository for documents and records related to the history, development, and operations of Angelo State University.
Subjects covered by materials in the Collection include genealogy, Texas history, folklore, and farming and ranching. Manuscript holdings include personal and family papers, courthouse records, and records of organizations.
The Collection houses photographs and negatives in various collections, including a large number of photographs from the San Angelo Standard-Times which detail the evolution of San Angelo and the surrounding areas. The microform holdings include census records (complete for Texas), tax rolls, death indexes, and many area newspapers.
In addition, the WTC hosts displays pertaining to collections, interests, and events. Currently, a display featuring the sheep and wool industry in West Texas is on exhibit. The first of September a new display recognizing the 50th anniversary of the book, Old Yeller, will be readied for viewing. The display features the life and writings of Fred Gipson and Tommie Gipson North.
University Archive
Shannon Sturm, University Archivist
The University Archive (UA) is located in the West Texas Collection on the second floor of the Houston Harte University Center. Materials within the archives cover a wide range of topics and sources relating to the history of Angelo State University. Some documents date back to 1928 and the founding of San Angelo Junior College. Included among the holdings are yearbooks, student newspapers, catalogs, course schedules, photographs, reports, and administrative files. These resources are stored in a temperature and humidity controlled environment.
The staff welcomes the addition of new materials to the archives. In particular the UA aims to collect copies of all faculty publications: copies or bibliographic information can be sent via departmental mail (attention Shannon Sturm) or email (Shannon Sturm@angelo.edu). A guide is available upon request to help departments decide if their files are suitable for transfer. The University Archive is available to students, faculty, staff, and the general public. Patrons can view documents in the reading room of the Dr. Ralph R. Chase West Texas Collection. For further information please contact Suzanne Campbell or Shannon Sturm at 942-2164.
Cataloging
Shirley Richardson, Cataloger
The Cataloging Department receives new materials from the Acquisitions Department and prepares them for use by the Library's patrons. The materials, which may include books, serials, media, or computer software, are cataloged using the Library of Congress classification system and national standards for descriptive and subject cataloging. Most of the cataloging records are obtained from an international cooperative network of libraries, OCLC. They are downloaded from the OCLC database into Voyager (RamCat) and revised as necessary. Some materials for which no cataloging record exists require original cataloging by our staff. These original records are added to the OCLC database for other libraries around the world to use. After cataloging, the materials are processed and sent to the shelves for patron use.
Friends of the Porter Henderson Library and West Texas Collection
Suzanne Campbell, Head of the West Texas Collection
The Friends organization helps promote the Library and the West Texas Collection in the community. Since their organization in 1998, the Friends have purchased furniture and equipment, furnished coffee for the students during finals, helped with displays, conducted an annual book sale, sponsored workshops, and established the Joe Bill Lee Scholarship for a student assistant in either the Library or WTC. During the 2005-2006 academic year, they established another scholarship, the Dr. Henry Ricci Memorial Scholarship, in the Nursing Department. This award honors the life and work of the late Friends Board Member and ASU supporter, Dr. Henry Ricci.
Faculty and staff are encouraged to support this worthwhile organization. Contact Suzanne Campbell at 942-2164 or Suzanne.Campbell@angelo.edu if you are interested in becoming a Friend.
“Constitution Day” – September 17, 2006
In observation of "Constitution Day" on Sunday, September 17, the Library will distribute a pocket-sized copy of the Constitution of the United States to the first 100 people who check out an item at the Circulation Desk.
"The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government – lest it come to dominate our lives and interests.” – Patrick Henry.
“From Watergate we learned what generations before us have known; our Constitution works. And during Watergate years it was interpreted again so as to reaffirm that no one – absolutely no one – is above the law.” – Leon Jaworski.
“If the First Amendment means anything, it means that a state has no business telling a man, sitting alone in his own house, what books he may read or what films he may watch.” – Thurgood Marshall in Stanley v. Georgia (1969).
“If there is any principle of the Constitution that more imperatively calls for attachment than any other it is the principle of free thought, not free thought for those who agree with us but freedom for the thought that we hate.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes.
Porter Henderson Library Calendar, 2006-2007* |
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| August 28-September 2 | Regular Fall Schedule |
| September 3-4 | CLOSED (Labor Day) |
| September 5-November 21 | Regular Fall Schedule |
| November 22 | 7:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. |
| November 23-25 | CLOSED (Thanksgiving Holidays) |
| November 26-December 13 | Regular Fall Schedule |
| December 14 | 7:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. |
| December 15 | Regular Fall Schedule |
| December 16-17 | CLOSED |
| December 18-21 | 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. |
| (The West Texas Collection will be CLOSED December 18-January 5) | |
| December 22-January 1 | CLOSED (Christmas Holidays) |
| January 2-5 | 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. |
| January 6-7 | CLOSED |
| January 8-12 | 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. |
| January 13-15 | CLOSED (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day) |
| January 16-March 9 | Regular Spring Schedule |
| March 10-11 | CLOSED |
| March 12-16 | 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. (Spring Break) |
| March 17 | CLOSED |
| March 18-April 4 | Regular Spring Schedule |
| April 5 | 7:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. |
| April 6-8 | CLOSED (Spring Holiday) |
| April 9-May 9 | Regular Spring Schedule |
| May 10 | 7:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. |
| May 11 | Regular Spring Schedule |
| May 12-13 | CLOSED |
| May 14-15 | 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. |
| May 16 | CLOSED (Staff training) |
| May 17-18 | 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. |
| May 19-20 | CLOSED |
| May 21-25 | 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. |
| (The West Texas Collection will be CLOSED May 21-28) | |
| May 26-28 | CLOSED (Memorial Day) |
| May 29 - July 2 | Regular Summer Schedule |
| July 3 | 7:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. |
| July 4 | CLOSED July 4 (Independence Day) |
| July 5 | 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. |
| July 6-August 10 | Regular Summer Schedule |
| August 11-12 | CLOSED |
| August 13-17 | 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. |
| August 18-19 | CLOSED |
| August 20-24 | 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. |
| August 25-26 | CLOSED |
| August 27 | 2007-2008 Schedule begins |
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Holiday and Special Hours will be posted
at the entrance of the Library and on the Library's
Web Page. *NOTE: Calendar subject to changes due to weather, construction, or other unforeseen circumstances. |
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