Program Review Update –LIBRARY

2010-11

Program/Service Description (source: Faculty/Dir/Coord/Dean- from AUR)
Include Description/Mission Statement/Number of Years at COD/Benefits/Contact)
Description: College of the Desert Library
Mission Statement: The mission of the College of the Desert Library is to provide informational support to students, faculty, staff and community associates of the College of the Desert and to promote student success by providing instructional support to all students. The COD Library recognizes and appreciates the diverse community which we serve and we strive to assist our users to achieve all of their academic, career-oriented and personal goals.
Number of Years at COD: Since the college’s opening in 1962 (48 years)
Participants in the program/service receive the following benefits:
  • Open, no cost access to the COD Library 57 hours per week
  • Access to a 54,000+ volume collection and 75 periodical titles on site
  • Online access to 5,000+ full-text magazines, journals and newspapers
  • Online access to 26,000+ full-text electronic books
  • Reference service and help for students conducting research
  • Library/Information Competency instruction classes for all disciplines
  • 54 computer workstations for student use
  • Course textbooks in the Reserve collection
  • Access to 12 online databases from off campus
  • Three group study rooms
  • Quiet and safe study areas
Contact Person/Title:
Carl Phillips/
Dean, Library and Learning Resources Phone: 760-568-7517
Population Served (source: Faculty/Dir/Coord/Dean - from AUR) Include Number/Eligibility
Number of Students Served: Head Count FY 2008-09 49,501
Head Count FY 2009-10 84,408
Head Count FY 2010-11 109,518
Circulation of Books FY 2008-09 9,012
Circulation of Books FY 2009-10 24,433
Circulation of Books FY 2010-11 8,237
Reference/Directional Questions FY 2008-09 13,751
Reference/Directional Questions FY 2009-10 27,142
Reference/Directional Questions FY 2010-11 11,229
Reserve textbook usage FY 2008-09 10,213
Reserve textbook usage FY 2009-10 13,947
Reserve textbook usage FY 2010-11 18,826
Student Eligibility: Enrolled credit and non-credit students, general public.
Number of Student Instructional Sessions: FY 2008-09 53
FY 2009-10 84
FY 2010-11 71
Number of of credit courses : : FY 2008-09 0
FY 2009-10 0
FY 2010-11 4
Students Enrolled in Library Courses: FY 2008-09 0
FY 2009-10 0
FY 2010-11 60
FTES Generated: FY 2008-09 0
FY 2009-10 0
FY 2010-11 17.6
Program Requirements from outside agencies (source Faculty/Dir/Coord- from AUR)
The College of the Desert Library is required by the California Code of Regulations (Title 5, Education) and by the California Education Codes Sections 78100 -78103.
§78100. The governing board of each community college district shall provide library services for the students and faculty of the district by establishing and maintaining community college libraries or by contractual arrangements with another public agency.
Program/Service Outcomes (source: Faculty/Dir/Coord/Dean from AUR & Curric. Sp.)
  1. Library Service:
Students accessing this Program/Service will be able to:
  • Use the library materials and facilities 57 hours per week.
  • Borrow course textbooks from the Reserve collection for two-hour loan periods.
  • Use 42 computer workstations for research and writing.
  • Obtain research and/or reference assistance from a librarian.
  • Obtain writing assistance through the English Writing Clinic.
  1. Instruction – individual (I.e., reference instruction):
Students accessing this Program/Service will be able to:
  • Use the library’s print materials collection.
  • Use the library’s electronic databases effectively.
  • Use the library’s catalog and other finding aids effectively.
  • Find information relevant to their research needs.
  1. Instruction (course-related)
Students accessing this Program/Service will be able to:
  • Find relevant library materials related to their course.
  • Use the library’s electronic databases effectively.
  • Access and evaluate information downloaded from the Web.
  • Provide correct answers to a worksheet used to reinforce the material learned in session.
  1. Instruction – credit course (LIS-001):
Students accessing this Program/Service will be able to:
  • Determine the nature and extent of their informational needs.
  • Locate relevant information in a variety of library materials including print and electronic.
  • Evaluate the information retrieved for currency, accuracy, balance and quality.
  • Properly use a variety of prescribed citation formats to document information sources.
  • Demonstrate the ethical and legal implications of information retrieval and usage.

RESOURCES

Staffing for programs/service:
Include Funding Budget Level/Current Staffing Level
Funding Budget Level: $530,693
Categorical/Restricted:
Block Grant $ 51,107
Library Friends Group $28,003
Total $79,110
General Fund:
Student Assistants $9,518
Librarians $211,389
Adjunct Librarians $58,425
Classified Staff $124,835
Operations (not utilities/not facilities) $ 47,416
Staffing Level: 1 administrative assistant, 2 full-time librarians, 5 adjunct librarians, 2 full-time library technicians, 2 part-time library technicians.
Position / FTE / % Credit Matric Funded / % Non Credit Matric Funded / % College Funded
2 full-time librarians / 2 / 100%
5 adjunct librarians / 1 / 100%
2 full-time library techs. / 2 / 100%
2 part-time library techs. / 0.5 / 100%
1 full-time administrative assistant / 1 / 100%
Facilities (source: Library Faculty & Dean)
1) List of all facilities (Please indicate if any of these were added last year):
The COD Library shares a building with the Palm Desert Public Library immediately outside the Alumni Ring Road, on the Southwest corner of campus. There are five offices located in the Administrative Wing occupied by . There is a large Technical Services Area where books and other materials are received, cataloged and processed for the library collection. Adjunct librarians, two full time library assistants, two part time library assistants and several student assistantuse this area for their work. There is a small break room within the Technical Services area used by all library personnel.
The public area of the library has seating for 119 library users, including large tables and carrels. In addition, there are 56 computer workstations, 50 for unlimited use, 2 dedicated to those needing to use the library catalog, and two equipped for disabled students. There are two microfilm reader/printers, three group study rooms accommodating from 2-6 people, and a medium sized quiet study room which can accommodate 12 students.
2) Assessment of adequacy of current facilities:
The library area is mostly adequate to accommodate the number of students and other library users. Increasingly, there are times around midterms and finals when there are few if any places to study. There is a shortage of group study rooms, again particularly around heavy exam times. Students would benefit from having a greater number of these spaces where they could collaborate with their colleagues.
A new library and learning resources facility is in the planning stages. The facility would bring together library, academic skills, tutoring services, and potentially other academic services for students (e.g. computing) and faculty (e.g. course design, faculty development).
Equipment and Supplies (source: Library FacultyDean)
9 PCs being used by library staff, one in each of the three library offices, one for each classified staff member,
1 for use by the adjunct librarians and two on the Reference Desk.
1 high-volume printer behind the Reference Desk for student print jobs and for the use of the library staff
seated at the Reference Desk.
1 color printer in Technical Services Office and 1 color printer in the Administrative Wing.
3 desktop multifunction machines (Dean;Administrative Assistant; Tech Services)
1 laser printer in Jon Fernald’s office
19 PCs in the public service area of the library.
23 PCs in the Alumni Computer Lab.
2 coin/currency/card operated photocopiers for student use.
1 large B/W photocopier in Administrative wing for staff use.
2 coin-operated microfilm reader/printers with variety of lenses.
2 full-equipped adaptive workstations for DSPS students.
Summary- Narrative Interpretation (source: Faculty/Dir/Coord/Dean)
Staffing for Program/Service: The Library has lost to resignation 1 FTE classified and 1 adjunct (12 hours per week). The Library has added student assistant workers to more appropriately staff the library service desk and free up professional librarians for project and liaison type work.
Funding/Budget: Nearly 75% of the Library’s operational budget is funded by soft money (donations from the Friends of the COD Library and block grant money).

COURSE INFORMATION (Complete only if Applicable)

Course Level Assessment Completed (source: Faculty & OAC Coordinator)
Complete if applicable
CYCLE I
ASSESSMENT / ANALYZE, REPORT & DISCUSS / COORDINATE and IMPLEMENT CHANGES / COMMENTS
Changes Implemented as a Result of the Assessments (source: Faculty/Dir/Coord/Dean
Explore the possibility of developing an additional LIS (information competency course).
Student Success Data for Academic Courses (source: Office of Institutional Research)
Retention: 81.43% / Success: 54.29%
3.6Staffing for courses (source: Office of Institutional Research)
Summary - Narrative Interpretation (source: Faculty/Dir/Coord/Dean)
Jon Fernald began teaching for the first time a new course (LIS-001 Introduction to Basic Research Skills).

PROGRAM/SERVICE ACHIEVEMENTS

Program/Discipline/Service Accomplishments (source: Faculty/Dir/Coord - from AUR)
  1. Offered five sections of the new information competency course (LIS-001) approved by the Curriculum Committee and Board of Trustees
  2. Began offering textbooks (for 2 hour check-out) at Eastern Valley Center (Indio and Mecca/Thermal)
  3. Experimented with servicing the Alumni Computer Lab from personnel at the library service desk
  4. Developed proposal and identified funding for installation of librarians office at the library service desk
  5. Sent out to the campus community “new books lists”.
  6. Identified consultant and developed a “pre architectural test fit” for an integrated library and learning resources facility

Student Success Data -Program/Service (source: Office of Institutional Research)
Summary - Narrative Interpretation (source: Faculty/Dir./Coordinator/Dean)
The new Dean (School of Library, Learning Resources, and Distance Education)began working with the various divisions within the School including the College Library. There has been a good deal of discussion and consensus building with Library personnel; several adjustments in general approach and in day to day operations of the Library have been made.
The new LIS-001 course, Introduction to Basic Research Skills, was offered for the first time in Fall Semester 2010. 60 students completed the course during the Fall and Spring semesters. Enrollment was about half as expected in the Fall semester, but picked up in the Spring semester.
The Library began offering textbooks (for 2 hour check-out) at Eastern Valley Center (Indio). The process of charging out textbooks from the collection on Reserve within the computer lab environment at Indio was automated to match the process started the previous year at the Palm Desert campus.
In spite of the Information Technology Department’s decision to pull their support personnel away from the Alumni Computer Lab, students came to the Library in increased numbers. This was due primarily to the closure of the general computer lab in the Hilb Building but also due to the Library expanding the hours of the Alumni Computer Lab to match the hours that that Library is open. As a result of not having essential support available to lab as in the past, the Library experimented with servicing the Alumni Computer Lab from personnel at the library service desk. Library personnel have been successful in providing a general level of computer support that appears to serve students well. The Library has not received an increase number of complaints as a result of this new way of servicing the Alumni Computer Lab. The Library will continue to monitor the situation. This is obviously a net savings to the College’s overall operating budget.
A plan was developed for better utilizing the time of professional librarians to serve students. It became very clear that professional librarians were not able to fully utilize their expertise when stationed at the Library Service Desk. They spent the vast majority of their time circulating text books and handing out computer pass codes. The situation was a waste of time, money, and our ability to better serve students. The solution to the problem was to replace librarians at the Service Desk with student assistants and install a modular office that would allow librarians to focus their work time on projects and consult in a more private and indepth fashion with students and their advanced reference questions. An office furnitutre company was consulted. Funding was identified and the modular office was ordered and installed at the end of the academic year. The new Service Desk operation will begin next year.
Librarians experimented with a “new books lists” project that was designed to notify the campus community of new items added to the Library’s collection. Many in the community responded positively to the alerts and mentioned that it reminded them that we have a Library.
With the current State of California budget shortfalls the Bond Office, Director of Facilities, Vice Presidents for both Academic Affairs and Business Affairs discussed with the Dean, School of Library and Learning Resources the need to rethink the Facilities Master Plan. In particular discussion focused revisiting the plan to raze the Hilb Building and rather renovate instead. The Dean identified a library building consultant and developed a “pre architectural test fit” for an integrated library and learning resources facility. The resulting report indicated sufficient reason to believe that all functions of the School could be integrated within the Hilb Building and the first floor of a planned rebuild of a building on the site of the Liberal Arts building.

CHALLENGES/OBJECTIVES/GOALS

Program/Service Challenges: (source: Faculty/Dir/Coord/Dean - from EOY)
Leadership. After six years of temporary interim Directors, a new Dean was hired. Getting to know campus operations as well as the operations ofthe various programs of the School (Library, Academic Skills, Distance Education, Education Centers, etc.) has been a steep learning curve. Several issues compounded the situation: 1)no administrative assistant was assigned to the new Dean for several months; 2) the programs had very little to no history of operating together. Nevertheless, the challenge is being met and the Dean is involved.
Budget. The lack of a “hard” budget is an ongoing and serious problem. The Library continues to rely on the College Controller’s Office for funds from “Block Grant” and perhaps other revenue sources. With the drastic down turn in General Funds from the State of California. The Library’s budget issue has been tabled and will be revisited with planning to address the overall campus budget.
Personnel. The Library experienced two resignations this year (An Adjust Librarian and a full time Library Technical Services Specialist). Given the College budget short falls, the Library decided to adjust operations and find a way to work without replacing the positions. This approach has been mostly successful. However, scheduling librarians for public service duty has been very difficult if not impossible at times; and the backlog of new books received, book binding, deselection and other projects have slowed quite a bit.
Library Service Desk. Librarians are increasingly unable to answer indepth reference/research queries not teach library users while on duty. Course textbooks, computer workstations, group study rooms and print jobs sent to the collective printer are all handled by the two staff members at the Reference Desk. One is a certificated Librarian, the other is a Library Technician which is a classified staff member. The Librarian is by default in a position of having to assist constantly with simple charge out/discharge transactions. There has to be two staff members at the Reference Desk at all times so that the Library Technician may step away from the Desk occasionally to deal with computer or photocopier malfunctions. Using a professional, certificated librarian to handle mostly clerical transactions is not a cost effective way of using the librarians.
Equipment/Facilites. The amount of students entering and using the Library has increased dramatically in the past year. Most of the the group study rooms are now in constant use. There are several times during the year, notably during midterm and final exams, when a number of students are turned away from the Reference Desk without being able to assign them a study room. An increased number of group study rooms would be an extremely useful addition to the Library.
The Riverside County Library System will be closing their side of the MAL Library for a very significant remodel. The County will also be transitioning to a new integrated library system which we share with them. While both will be challenging, the biggest challenge will be retagging our entire book collection and the staff time that will need to be allocated to profiling the new system for the College Library.
Program/Service Objectives/Goals for next year (source: Faculty/Dir/Coord/Dean - from EOY)
  1. Establish improvements in public service operations
  2. Develop and deploy a proactive liaison program to all academic departments
  3. Continue to monitor LIS-001 and consider the need for additional courses in Information Competency.
  4. Get a “hard” budget passed for the Library.
  5. Participate in Think Tanks and budget planning process
  6. Begin planning for integration of library services into the broader School of Library and Learning Resources
  7. Begin retagging all books in the collection to accommodate the new Riverside County integrated library system.

Completed by: Carl Phillips