3.8.3  

The institution provides a sufficient number of qualified staff—with appropriate education or experiences in library and/or other learning/information resources—to accomplish the mission of the institution.

  

X

Compliance

 

Conditional Compliance

 

Non-Compliance

  

RATIONALE FOR COMPLIANCE JUDGMENT

 

The Kisber Library’s goal is to observe the staffing guidelines set forth in the standards for Libraries in Higher Education, approved by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Board of Directors in June 2004 [1].

 

The library employs staff capable of supporting and delivering information in all available formats, including electronic resources. All library staff members are trained to assist students in finding books in the catalog and on the shelves. All staff can help students look up articles on the databases. Most support staff can also show students how to do the basics in Word and PowerPoint. Staff members can also help students log into their online courses.

Budgetary support provides ongoing training of all staff. Nashville State Technical Community College (NSCC) is committed to ensuring that its staff members receive the necessary training in order to support its mission. For the years 2006 and 2007, NSCC has sent one staff member to the national SIRSI Users group to ensure that the library is updated in its technical services. In 2006, a librarian attended the Tennessee Library Association conference. Two librarians and the dean attended a conference sponsored by the Regents Online Degree Program on library resources for distance education in the summer of 2006. Staff members have also taken web classes to update their skills in cataloging and processing interlibrary loans.

The Kisber Library has a staff of seven to serve a campus with FTE of 4000:

  • Charles May has been a librarian with NSCC for thirty-two years. He earned the Masters of Library Science from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University in 1976. He is in charge of the library collection. He serves as an instructor for research orientations in the evenings. He also serves as the library coordinator to the dean.

  • Sally Robertson earned the Masters of Library Science from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University in 1979. She has been employed by NSCC as a librarian since 1997. She serves as cataloger, serials librarian, and instructional librarian.

  • Faye Vaughn serves as the lab technician for the Kisber Library. She has an A.A.S. degree in Computer Technology from NSCC. She has received specialized training in the SIRSI system and regularly attends the SIRSI/Dynix Users Conference.

  • Deborah Finney Webb is responsible for interlibrary loans and reserve materials. She earned a Certificate of Computer Operations and an A.A.S. degree in Business Data Processing from Nashville State. She has recently completed training in Interlibrary Loan services through SOLINET: WorldCat Resources Sharing Basics and ILL: The Basics and Beyond.

  • Sandra O’Donnell is responsible for managing student workers and assists in processing books.

  • Andrew Mason is responsible for the circulation desk and checking in magazines. He earned a B.S. in Psychology from Middle Tennessee State University. He has taken courses in Microsoft Word and Excel through the NSCC Workforce Training Center.

  • Pamela Gadd is responsible for the circulation Desk and maintaining that the website is accurate. She is earning an A.A. degree from NSCC. 

     

  • The Dean of Learning Resources also provides instruction in the Library. Margaret Faye Jones has a Ph.D. in English from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She has two Masters Degrees: English (Tennessee State University) and Reading Education (The University of Alabama). As a reading, composition, and literature instructor at NSCC for more than fifteen years, she has relevant experience in teaching research skills. Therefore, she teaches orientation sessions in information literacy and research for both students and faculty. Since becoming dean, she has taken the following ACRL online seminars: "Current Copyright Issues Facing Academic Librarians"  and "All Users are Local: Bring the Library Next Door to the Campus Worldwide." 

 

 

 

DOCUMENTATION

SOURCE LOCATION

[1] Standards for Libraries in Higher Education

http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlstandards/standardslibraries.htm.

 

The relevant passage reads as follows: The staff should be sufficient in size and quality to meet the programmatic and service needs of its primary users. Librarians should have a graduate degree from an ALA-accredited program. In addition, there may be other professional staff who will have appropriate combinations of training, experience, and/or degrees. All library professionals should be responsible for and participate in professional activities. The support staff and student assistants should be assigned responsibilities appropriate to their qualifications, training, experience, and capabilities. The further development of professional and support staff should be promoted through an on-going commitment to continuing education, including training on security, emergencies, and the preservation of materials.