3.8.1

The institution provides facilities and learning/information resources that are appropriate to support its teaching, research, and service mission. (Learning/information resources)

Compliance Judgment

X      In compliance     Partially compliant     Non-compliant

Narrative

Francis Marion University provides access to several learning/information resources to its students and staff on campus through on-site locations and digital databases. The main provider of these resources is the James A. Rogers Library.  On-site students, students taking online courses, and students at the Carter Center in downtown Florence have access to resources by visiting the Rogers Library in person or by using its multiple online databases.

Rogers Library

Rogers Library, the university’s 77,000 square foot physical library facility is located on the main campus of Francis Marion and provides more than 400,000 physical volumes, including books in the African-American Collection [1], 20 individual and group study rooms, more than 60 computers for patron use, 21 laptops [2] for student checkout, wireless internet access throughout the building, seating for 475 individuals, and qualified staff and librarians (see Comprehensive Standard 3.8.3).

Both on and off-campus students are supported through virtual library services [3] consisting of chat/email/phone reference services [4], over 140 online databases [5], and over 340,000 e-books [6].

Library assistance is provided to faculty and students in person at the circulation and reference desks, and online via a chat feature on the library’s web page. During the semester, the library building is open 85.5 hours a week and 24 hours a day during exams [7]. The services available for students and faculty include reference services, circulation services, instruction services [8], library resource guides [9], and interlibrary loan borrowing services for materials not owned by Francis Marion or other libraries in South Carolina [10].

To inform decision making for the library’s leadership regarding facilities, services, and collections, library usage statistics [11] are compiled annually and each semester (see 3.8.2). Surveys of faculty and students are conducted biennially, and focus groups are conducted throughout the semester to provide qualitative data on and assess the adequacy of library services and resources. The library’s expanded exam hours, vending area, and Mac Lab were all improvements first identified via the library’s assessment process. The Library Liaison program [12] facilitates collaboration and communication between the library and the academic departments of the University and assists in the identification of appropriate learning resources to purchase for student use. Appropriate learning resources are also identified by using standard resources such as Books for College Libraries, Resources for College Libraries, and CHOICE Online. Library Liaisons consult with faculty regarding purchasing resources to support new programs and curricula. Faculty and students may make item/resource purchase requests via the library’s website [13].

The library’s annual reports provide detailed statistics on library services, excerpts of which are included below for 2015-2016 [14].

Service Statistics 2015-2016

  • Received over 130,000 in-person visits to the library
  • Responded to 4,769 reference desk contacts, 25 individual office contacts, and 54 roving contacts
  • Taught 59 library instruction classes, servicing 1,048 students
  • Conducted three library tours hosting 93 participants
  • Provided Hewn Timber Cabins tours to 429 students and visitors
  • Made 652 laptop checkouts
  • Circulated 11,970 resources
  • Was a net interlibrary loan transaction lender of 612 resources
  • Loaned 633 items and borrowed 426 through Partnership Among South Carolina Academic Libraries (PASCAL) Delivers services.

Resource Statistics 2015-2016

  • Provided online access for more than 1,760,316 electronic database searches
  • Maintained a collection of 398,954 equivalent volumes of bibliographic holdings
  • Provided 552 current periodical subscriptions
  • Maintained the bound periodicals collection of 45,958 volumes
  • Purchased 2,093 new books
  • Invested $780,392 in print, electronic and other resources
  • Dedicated $8,932 to preservation of resources
  • Increased university archives holdings to 962.36 cubic feet
  • Maintained federal documents collection of 45,478 items
  • Maintained a collection of 4,095 South Carolina Depository documents.

Detailed information about additional learning and resource facilities can be seen in Core Requirement 2.9.

Documentation

  1. James A. Rogers Library, African American Collection
  2. James A. Rogers Library, Computers
  3. James A. Rogers Library, Off Campus Access
  4. James A. Rogers Library, Ask a Librarian
  5. James A. Rogers Library, Databases
  6. James A. Rogers Library, Library Catalog
  7. James A. Rogers Library, Hours
  8. James A. Rogers Library, Library Instruction
  9. James A. Rogers Library, Subject Guides
  10. James A. Rogers Library, Interlibrary Loan
  11. Annual Report of the James A. Rogers Library, Surveys, p. 44-48
  12. James A. Rogers Library, Liaison Program
  13. James A. Rogers Library, Book Order
  14. Annual Report of the James A. Rogers Library, Statistics, p. 2-3