UWSP Albertson Center for Learning Resources

University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point (UWSP) Albertson Center for Learning Resources (also known as the UWSP LRC) is a public academic library located on the UWSP campus in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. It services UWSP students, faculty, and citizens of the city.

University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point Albertson Center for Learning Resources
TypeState university library
Established1970
DirectorKathy Davis
Students8,700
Location
Stevens Point
,
Wisconsin
,
US
CampusSmall town, 400 acres (1.6 km²)
Websitehttp://library.uwsp.edu

Background

The UWSP LRC was built in 1970, and an addition to the building was built in 1986, which increased the usable square feet from 60,000 to 133,000.[1] The library's lobby was remodeled in 2002 and there have been multiple changes throughout the library since that time.[1]

In 2002 the last renovation was completed to the library, in which the Museum of Natural History was expanded, the reference room was remodeled, a staircase was built between the first and second floor, and a new classroom was added. In 2006 the Food for Thought Café was added to the after hours area on the first floor.[2] The UWSP LRC provides many services to students and public patrons, including: Tutoring and Learning Center, Center for Academic Excellence and Student Engagement, Assistive Technology, Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education (WCEE), Peace Institute, Food for Thought Café, Natural History Museum and selected IT (Information Technology) services.[2]

The LRC has a diverse collection, which includes, but is not limited to: books, journals, archives, special collections, government documents, reference materials, media, manuscripts, realia, microfilm/fiche, scores, and maps. The library currently houses a collection of 2,014,546 titles and volumes. This collection can be found among the six above ground floors.[2]

The library houses 33 library faculty/staff and 89 student workers. Service points include: first floor (Main Circulation, Reserve, ILL, Main Reference Desk), second floor (Periodicals), third floor (IMC), fifth floor (Archives), sixth floor (Government Documents). Circulation takes place at all of these points except the Main Reference Desk. Reference services are offered on floors 1(Main Reference), 5 (Archives), and 6 (Government Documents).[2]

The library is open 104 hours a week during the fall and spring semesters, and has extensive library hours for the summer. The library is also a depository for government documents, both state and national.[1]

For a virtual tour of the library, visit the following webpage: UWSP LRC Virtual Tour

City

The UWSP LRC is located in the city of Stevens Point. Stevens Point is located in central Wisconsin, in Portage County, midway between Milwaukee and Minneapolis; on the Wisconsin River. This city has a population of 25,000, with a surrounding area population of 62,000. The city covers 16.8 square miles.[3]

Stevens Point is frequently ranked in “The Top 100 Places to Live” by Relocate America.[4]

University

The University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is a four-year public university that is part of the UW system. UWSP was founded in 1894 as a Teacher's College and now has over 48 majors and 78 minors for undergraduates. UWSP has 12 graduate programs and one doctorate program, in cooperation with The University of Wisconsin, Madison. UWSP employs over 400 faculty and teaching academic and staff. The student to faculty ratio is 22:1.[3]

Governance

The UWSP LRC's Mission ties into the mission and governance of its university and the state university system.

The University of Wisconsin System Mission is as follows:

The mission of this system is to develop human resources, to discover and disseminate knowledge, to extend knowledge and its application beyond the boundaries of its campuses, and to serve and stimulate society by developing in students heightened intellectual, cultural, and humane sensitivities; scientific, professional, and technological expertise; and a sense of purpose. Inherent in this broad mission are methods of instruction, research, extended education, and public service designed to educate people and improve the human condition. Basic to every purpose of the system is the search for truth.[5]

The following values are listed as being core to UWSP's mission:

  • Student-centered environment
  • Critical thinking, creativity, and lifelong learning
  • Professional preparation
  • Community involvement and outreach
  • Ecological stewardship[5]

The LRC's Mission ties into these mission statements:

The mission of the UWSP LRC is to provide users with information and access to information in support of scholarly activity and research, teaching excellence, and curricular development. In response to this mission, the library searches for and identifies, acquires, prepares bibliographic records, processes, and makes accessible information in all available formats. The staff of the UWSP LRC also provides consultation and advisory services to groups and individuals, participates in classroom instruction, teaches formal classes in the nature and use of information materials, and participates in professional activities that will enhance the mission of the University at the regional, national and international levels.[5]

This mission statement was written in 1987 and is still used today. UWSP's mission and the mission of the UW System is all about providing a liberal education and preparing students for a changing world through education and research. The library's mission statement is to "enhance" these two missions with the help of the library's resources and faculty. The three mission statements merge, each with their own goals, but each enhancing the other. Their common goal is always the student.

Staff organizational structure

This organizational chart shows all librarians as having equal status and equal power. The organization chart has a "flat structure" and all librarians who are not classified or academic staff have faculty status. Faculty librarians in the LRC have to have both an MLS master's degree and a subject area master's degree to be considered for tenure.

Despite the flat structure of the organization chart, it does show certain classes of librarians. At the top of the chart is the director and underneath is the faculty. Beneath the faculty are the academic staff followed by the classified staff and then the limited term employees. Academic staff, however, have no status over classified staff. Classified staff and academic staff are all supervised by the faculty in one form or another.

Strategic planning

Strategic planning is important to not only evaluate the current state of the library and find its strengths and weaknesses, but to build on what the library has and develop new goals for the future. More information can be gathered through here: UWSP LRC Strategic Planning

Kathy Davis (current library director), is the head of strategic planning for the UWSP LRC. However, many librarians from various departments are also listed on the strategic planning documents as aiding in the planning and being a part of the strategic planning committee.

The areas that the strategic planning focuses on are:

  • Technology
  • Collections
  • Outreach/Collaboration
  • Facilities
  • Services
  • Assessment
  • Library Leadership/Organization:[6]

The first item on the library's time line is the Environmental Scan.

The purpose of the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point University Library environmental scan is to support and inform the strategic planning process. A comprehensive environmental scan surveys key developments within and outside the library profession, the university community, and larger social, technological, economic, and political trends.[6]

The environmental scan focuses on all of the areas the strategic plan focuses on. The environmental scan will evaluate and survey these areas and give those who are creating the strategic plan a place to start. The environmental scan can find areas that the library is lacking in or areas that should be focused on in the strategic planning.

Self studies also function in this manner, but are more detailed and provide an outside look into the library.

In the past two years, the LRC did a self study to find the library's strengths and weaknesses so that information could be applied to the strategic planning. An outside group of library directors came in and contributed their expert evaluations of the study done by the librarians and library staff. Their comments and recommendations were used to help shape the strategic planning.

Early in the process, the Library recognized the potential of this self-evaluation. In digging deeper than any recent study, the study offered an opportunity to not only identify strengths and weaknesses but identify areas needing or undergoing change, inform staffing decisions, and provide a basis for future action. This self-study will encourage further planning, support the development of a needed strategic plan, inform the revision of the Library mission statement, and help focus ongoing assessment.[7]

The goals of the strategic planning are as follows:[6]

  • Develop, advance and support innovative collection development initiatives and strategies.
  • Create a dynamic service culture responsive to the changing needs of our users.
  • Improve access to information resources through the creative use of technology.
  • Encourage and facilitate lifelong learning through the development of instructional programs and services that emphasize problem solving, critical thinking, and investigative skills.
  • Foster engagement and collaboration with partners from the campus, the UW System, the local community and beyond.
  • Create a forward thinking, dynamic organization that is responsive and flexible.
  • Enhance the library space, based upon users’ needs, to be the hub of learning and scholarship on campus.
  • Improve the library's effectiveness through systematic, ongoing outcome-based assessment.

Fiscal planning and budget

The total university budget equals $119,389,089, with $2,471,900 going to the LRC's budget:[8]

A portion of the library materials budget is allocated to programs and departments based on a formula combining a base allocation and the elements of number of faculty, SCHs, majors, minors, graduate students, and cost of U.S. imprints in the field as cited in the Bowker Annual of Library and Book Trade Information.

Diversity

The LRC receives diversity training through the university's Equity and Affirmative Action Office (EAA).

The Equity and Affirmative Action office has a goal of ensuring that all members of the UW-Stevens Point community are able to engage in academic pursuits, obtain and maintain employment, and utilize university services without experiencing discrimination based upon race, religion, creed, color, sex, gender identity/expression, ancestry, national origin, age, marital status, relationship to other employees, sexual orientation, disability, veteran's status, membership in the National Guard, state defense force or any other reserve component of the military forces of the United States or this state, arrest or conviction record, political affiliation, or other protected status. We also collaborate with the university community to create and maintain an environment that is equitable and comfortable for all.[9]

Currently, Mai Vang, Assistant to the chancellor, runs this office.

EOA

The LRC is an equal opportunity employer.

The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer. Women, minorities, Vietnam era veterans, disabled veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.[10]

Collection development

Every year, each academic department on campus has assigned funds for purchasing books. A faculty librarian is a liaison between the departments and the library. Each faculty librarian assists the department in picking out and purchasing books for the year. The librarians will usually work with a department they're familiar with or a subject they studied (grad or undergrad) in college.[11]

There are some general guidelines for the development of the LRC's collection:[12]

  • Appropriateness for the undergraduate and/or graduate programs at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point as stated in the missions statement. Materials that go beyond the academic curricula but meet the cultural, career, recreational and information needs of the campus community are also given consideration.
  • Possibility of use for one or more courses.
  • Building on identified strength of the existing collection in a particular subject area.
  • Filling identified gaps or weaknesses in the existing collection.
  • Permanence of the material.
  • Currency and timeliness of the material.
  • Expected usage: for occasional needs, interlibrary loan may be used as a viable alternative to ownership.
  • Appropriateness of chosen format (printed, digital, audio, visual) for the subject matter.
  • Cost of the material.
  • Critical reviews of the material.

With purchasing new books also comes weeding out books from the collection to make room for the new. Evaluation for possible removal from the collection includes the following criteria:[13]

  • Age of titles in relation to subject matter.
  • Duplication (multiple copies which are no longer needed).
  • Physical condition.
  • Use (past circulation record).
  • Authoritativeness.
  • Curricular value.
  • Superseded editing
  • Title is not 'last copy' in University of Wisconsin System library collections.

Special collections

The LRC houses some unique collections and most of them can be found on the 6th floor of the building in the government documents area.

The special collections are groups of research materials which are set aside physically because of their uniqueness, age, or research value. Materials do not circulate and are open to patrons who have legitimate research interests. The library is committed to the preservation of historical materials and welcomes suggestions regarding donations of new collections.[14]

Native American (NA) Collection: This collection features many one-of-a-kind documents and books related to Native American tribes in Wisconsin. This collection is housed on the 6th floor and maintained by the government documents staff.[15]

Assassination Collection: This collection was created by David Wrone, in cooperation with the library staff. Dr. Wrone is an emeritus History professor at UWSP. This collection focuses on the Kennedy assassination documents, and it is unique in its organization.[16]

The emphasis of this collection is the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. This collection already has a unique comprehensive bibliography on file for the JFK assassination, compiled specifically for this Archive and covering the years 1964 to 1977. The Archive was created by a member of the UWSP History Department, Professor David R. Wrone, with major contributions from Harold Weisberg and James and Jennifer White. Some materials are restricted; you must make prior arrangements to use this collection. These materials do not circulate.[16]

Rare Books: This collection is housed on the 6th floor and maintained by the government documents staff and assisted by professors in the History department.

These materials have been set aside in this special collection for a variety of reasons: e.g. early date of publication, name of publisher, previous ownership, physical condition, and local importance. They are listed in the library's online catalog with the location note, "Rare Books," and are housed in a separate room on the sixth floor. These materials do not circulate and must be used in this department.[17]

Associated departments

WCEE: The Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education (WCEE) is a department in the library that houses books on K-12 environmental education. It assists in the development, dissemination, implementation and evaluation of teacher and student K-12 Environmental Education programs.[18] UWSP is recognized throughout the state for having these resources. The WCEE is unique, with its own interlibrary Loan department and system of checking out books. The Center is housed on the 3rd floor and has its own staff. You can find more information on the WCEE here: The Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education

WIPCS: The Wisconsin Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies (WIPCS) on the second floor of the library is the headquarters of the institute, which “is a unique and vital consortium of private and public colleges and universities dedicated to enriching academic and public discourse on issues of peace and conflict.[19]” The LRC hosts the WIPCS office headquarters, its website, and entire collection.

Information Literacy and Bibliographic Instruction

The LRC, like many libraries, has an actual library resource course taught by faculty librarians. At UWSP this course is called Library Resources 101, and it is specifically for students on campus.[20]

Information Literacy

The course is designed to instruct students on how to use and benefit from the library's resources. There are numerous sections, which are offered each academic semester, and occasionally during the summer terms. This is a one credit elective course. It can be taken online or in person at the library.[20]

Bibliographic Instruction (BI)

Throughout the fall, spring, and summer semesters, informal BI sessions are taught in the LRC. They are taught by faculty librarians on an "on demand basis."[21]

Public services

Community patrons

Community patrons are allowed to use the LRC, but are restricted to certain areas and are instructed to follow specific rules.

  • If you live in Portage County, you can access our collection through the Portage County Public Library's catalog.
  • You will need to obtain a Portage County Public Library card (if you do not already have one) to borrow materials from the University Library. The PCPL card can also be used to request University Library items to be delivered to one of the PCPL locations.[22] Non-university borrowers may check out stack's books for four weeks. They are allowed one renewal of the book for an additional four weeks.

Visitors to the area
  • If you are visiting the University Library and are neither a resident of Portage County nor a UW-System card holder, you will need to get a Guest Card if you wish to check out resources. Guest Cards are available at the Main Circulation desk located on the Library's first floor. You must be eighteen years of age and present a valid driver's license or state identification card.[22]

Student and faculty services

Loan periods

Undergraduates may check out stacks books for four weeks. They are allowed one renewal of the book for an additional four weeks. Graduate students may also check out books for four weeks, however, they are allowed unlimited renewals if there is no hold on the material they wish to renew.[23]

Faculty

Faculty are allowed to check out books for an entire term and are allowed renewals after that time period.[23]

References
  1. "UWSP University Library Background". library.uwsp.edu. Retrieved 2010-04-17.
  2. "Facilities Committee Self-Study" (PDF). library.uwsp.edu. Retrieved 2010-04-17.
  3. "About Us". library.uwsp.edu. Retrieved 2010-04-17.
  4. "Stevens Point, Wisconsin Relocation Guide". relocateamerica.com. Retrieved 2010-04-17.
  5. "Self Study: Library Mission Statement" (PDF). library.uwsp.edu. Retrieved 2010-04-17.
  6. "Strategic Planning: Environmental Scan" (PDF). library.uwsp.edu. Retrieved 2010-04-17.
  7. "Purpose of the Library Self-Study" (PDF). library.uwsp.edu. Retrieved 2010-04-17.
  8. "Library Budget" (PDF). library.uwsp.edu. Retrieved 2010-04-17.
  9. "UWSP's EAA Mission Statement". uwsp.edu/equity. Retrieved 2010-04-17.
  10. "UWSP's EAA EOA Statement". uwsp.edu/equity. Retrieved 2010-04-17.
  11. "Liaisons". uwsp.edu. Retrieved 2010-04-17.
  12. "Collection Development General Criteria". library.uwsp.edu. Retrieved 2010-04-17.
  13. "Collection Development Removal Criteria". library.uwsp.edu. Retrieved 2010-04-17.
  14. "UWSP's Special Collections". library.uwsp.edu. Retrieved 2010-04-17.
  15. "UWSP's Native American Collection". library.uwsp.edu. Retrieved 2010-04-17.
  16. "UWSP's Assassination Archive". library.uwsp.edu. Retrieved 2010-04-17.
  17. "UWSP's Rare Books". library.uwsp.edu. Retrieved 2010-04-17.
  18. "The Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education". uwsp.edu/wcee. Retrieved 2010-04-17.
  19. "The Wisconsin Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies". uwsp.edu/history/wipcs. Retrieved 2010-04-17.
  20. "Library Resources 101". library.uwsp.edu. Retrieved 2010-04-17.
  21. "Group Instruction". library.uwsp.edu. Retrieved 2010-04-17.
  22. "Library Visitors". library.uwsp.edu. Retrieved 2010-04-17.
  23. "Loan Periods". uwsp.edu. Retrieved 2010-04-17.
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