ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 9 8 / C&RL News G uid elines for Extended Academ ic Lib rary Services: A draft ACRL G uidelines Attend the hearing in D.C., Monday, February 17, 10:00–11:00 a.m. L ibrary resources and services in institutions o f higher education must meet the needs o f all the faculty, students, and academic sup­ port staff, wherever these individuals are lo­ cated, whether on main campuses, o ff cam ­ pus, in distance education or extended campus programs, or in the absence o f a campus at all, in courses taken for credit or noncredit, in con­ tinuing education programs, in courses attended in person or by means o f electronic transmis­ sion, or any other means o f distance educa­ tion. The Guidelines delineate the elements necessary to achieve these ends. The audience for the Guidelines includes library staff planning for and managing these extended academic services, other library staff working with extended program staff, faculty, administrators at all levels within the educa­ tional institution, and sponsors o f academ ic programs, as well as accrediting and licensure agencies. The decision to revise the 1990 Guidelines was made first by the ECLSS Guidelines Com­ mittee, then the official mandate cam e from the ECLSS Executive Board at its final 1996 Mid­ winter Meeting. The 1990 Guidelines resulted from the first revision o f the original 1981 Guide­ lines. As in that initial revision, the current de­ cision to revise was based on the following identical, though increasingly critical, factors: nontraditional study becoming a more common­ place elem ent in higher education; an increase in diversity o f educational opportunities; an increase in the number o f unique environments w here educational opportunities are offered; an increased recognition o f the need for library resources and services at locations other than main campuses; an increased concern and de­ mand for equitable services for all students in higher education, no matter where the “class- room ” may be; a greater demand for library resources and services by faculty and staff at extended academic sites; and an increase in technological innovations in the transmittal of information and the delivery o f courses. To these may be added the appearance and rapid developm ent o f the virtual or all-electronic university, having no physical campus o f its own. Definitions E x te n d e d a c a d e m i c lib r a r y serv ices refers to those services in support o f college or univer­ sity courses and programs offered away from the main campus, or in the absence o f a tradi­ tional campus. These courses may be taught in traditional or nontraditional formats or media, and may or may not involve live interaction of teachers and students. This definition includes all programs designated as off-campus or dis­ tance learning. Also included are services to individuals w ho are involved in extended aca­ demic programs, regardless o f where credit is given. E x te n d e d a c a d e m i c co m m u n ity covers all those individuals and agencies directly involved with academic programs or extension services offered away from the traditional academic cam­ pus, or in the absence o f a traditional academic campus, including students, faculty, research­ ers, administrators, sponsors, and staff. P a r e n t in stitu tion refers to the entity, or overall organization, responsible for the offer­ ing or marketing o f extended academic courses and programs— the credit-granting body. L ibrary denotes the library operation directly associated with the parent institution. Philosophy The Guidelines assume the following precepts: the parent institution is responsible for funding and appropriately m eeting the inform ation needs o f its extended academic programs in support o f their teaching and learning, and w hen applicable, research. This support should Febru ary 1 997 / 9 9 Racing the winds of change: Revision of the 1990 ACRL Guidelines for ECLSS W hat’s in a nam e? O ne o f the greatest challenges in revising the Guidelines has been to meet the dual needs o f defining excellen ce for the nature and structure o f existing programs, and for developments in the very near future and beyond. This challenge is most dramatically reflected in the actual terminology chosen for the document, starting with the title it­ self. While the terms “off-cam pus” and “e x ­ tended campus” have been used somewhat interchangeably, extended campus has been generally understood to be broader in appli­ cation. This was no doubt a motivating fac­ tor in naming the Extended Campus Libraiy Services Section (ECLSS). It is further agreed among the current leadership o f the section that “extended campus” is intended to apply to all aspects o f providing postsecondary in­ struction away from the traditional college or university campus. This scope, therefore, includes programs labeled “distance learn­ ing” or “distance education,” in spite o f the existence, both inside and outside ALA, of separate groups and organizations which deal exclusively with such library services. As with ECLSS, the Guidelines are intended to apply to the total spectrum o f such extended in­ struction. A rose b y a n y other name The challenge upon which we are now fo­ cused, then, is deciding what terminology best reflects the scope and purpose o f the Guide­ lines, starting with the title. The major prob­ lem with “extended campus” is that it assumes the existence somewhere in every extended education program of a traditional campus with classrooms and all the other support facilities. Today, with the appearance and rapid de­ velopment o f institutions that originate elec­ tronically and have no campuses with class­ rooms and/or physical plants at all, except for administrative offices and telecommuni­ cations facilities, that assumption is rapidly becoming obsolete. Simultaneously with these developments, the phrase “distance learning” is now being used to apply as broadly as “extended cam­ pus.” It has likewise been suggested as an a lte r n a tiv e to c o m p e n s a te fo r th e s e “campusless” institutions and their programs. One o f the problems with using the phrase “distance learning” is that it has earlier been used with much narrower applications. Another problem with that phrase is that, in its literal meaning and narrowest applica­ tion, it is something that students only ac­ complish, and does not encompass the teach­ ing and research activities o f the faculty who must be present in some capacity— although not always live— in order for the “learning” to take place. Therefore, in preparation of this draft revision, the phrase “extended aca­ dem ic” has been chosen as the most univer­ sally applicable. “Extended academ ic” carries with it no baggage o f past applications and is not in­ hibited by referral to the traditional campus. Further, “extended academic” has the advan­ tage o f application not only within all aspects o f current and future efforts in postsecondary education, but also potentially to all levels of education, as telecom m unications options spread downward as well as outward in the educational arena. Thus, we have the new title, “ACRL Guide­ lines for Extended Academic Library Services,” and a resultant “global change” in phrasing for the entire document. The phrase “ex ­ tended acad em ic library se r v ic e s ,” then, abounds throughout the text o f the Guide­ lines and supplies their backbone. As the re­ vised Guidelines unfold, one becom es keenly aware o f the new breadth and power o f their applicability due to this change o f vocabu­ lary and its implications. Much o f the concern that has been ex­ pressed for libraries and librarians “doing some­ thing” about the provision of library services to the students o f the electronic universities, present and future, is now addressed by the Guidelines via this shift in vocabulary. O f course, many more specific revisions and ad­ ditions can be found throughout the draft docu­ ment which reflect and reinforce this change.— H arvey Gover, W ashington State University 100 / C&RL News provide ready and equitable library service and learning resources to all its students regardless o f location. The parent institution recognizes the need for service, management, and technical linkages betw een the library and other complementary resource bases such as computing facilities, in­ structional media, and telecommunication cen ­ ters. The parent institution is responsible for as­ suring that its extended academic library pro­ grams meet or exceed national and regional ac­ c r e d it a tio n s ta n d a r d s an d p r o f e s s io n a l association standards and guidelines. The parent institution is responsible for in­ volving the library in the detailed analysis of planning, developing, adding, or changing the extended academic program from the earliest stages onward. The library has primary responsibility for identifying, developing, coordinating, and pro­ viding library resources and services which meet both the standard and the unique information needs o f the extended academic community. A librarian-coordinator, either centrally located or at an appropriate site, should be responsible for ensuring that all requirements are met. Effective and appropriate services for ex ­ tended academic communities may differ from those services offered on the traditional cam ­ pus. The requirements o f academic programs should guide the library’s responses to defined needs. Innovative approaches to the design of special procedures or systems to meet these needs are encouraged. W hen resources and services o f unaffiliated local libraries are to be used to support infor­ mation needs o f the extended academic com ­ munity, the library or, when appropriate, the parent institution, is responsible for the devel­ opment and periodic review of formal, docu­ mented, written agreements with those local li­ braries. Such resources are not to be used simply as substitutes for supplying adequate materials by the parent institution. The extended academic library program shall have goals and objectives that support the pro­ vision of resources and services consistent with the broader institutional mission. M a n a g e m e n t It is the responsibility o f the library manage­ ment to fund, staff, and supervise library ser­ vices and resources in support o f extended aca­ demic programs. The librarian-coordinator, who may or may not have an extended site assign­ ment, should: 1) assess, on an ongoing basis, the needs o f the extended academ ic community for li­ brary resources, both electronic and traditional, and services, including instruction, and facili­ ties; 2) prepare a written profile o f the extended community’s information needs; 3) develop a written statement o f immedi­ ate and long-range goals and objectives which addresses the needs and outline the methods by which progress can be measured; 4) involve extended academic community representatives, including administrators, faculty, and students, in the formation of the objectives and the regular evaluation of their achievement; 5) using the written profile o f needs, assess the existing library support, its availability and appropriateness; 6) participate with administrators and teach­ ing faculty in the curriculum development pro­ cess and in course planning to ensure that ap- D evelo p in g th e G uid elines This d ra ft revision o f the 19 90 ACRL G uidelines fo r Extended Campus Library Services was p re ­ pared by Harvey G over, c h a ir o f the G uidelines Committee o f the ACRL Extended Campus Library Services Section (ECLSS). The d ra ft is based upon input from members o f the G uidelines Com m it­ tee, members o f the ECLSS Executive Board, the general membership o f ECLSS, and other lib r a r ­ ians and adm inistrators involved in extended a ca ­ dem ic p ro g ra m s from across the n a tio n and around the w o rld . In response to requests for suggestions for revi­ sion which appeared in w idely read national aca­ demic and lib ra ry publications, distance education listservs, and through ECLSS W e b site publications, numerous other individuals, consortia, and repre­ sentatives o f professional and accrediting associa­ tions provided information on their own efforts to ensure excellence o f lib ra ry services fo r extended academic programs. Am ong the groups respond­ ing were: the Interinstitutional Library Council o f the O regon State System o f Higher Education; College Librarians and M edia Specialists; the Consortium for Educational Technology for University Systems; Li­ braries and the W estern Governors University Con­ ference; the Commission on Colleges o f the N o rth ­ west A ssociatio n o f Schools and C olleges; the Southern Association o f Colleges and Schools, and the Western Cooperative for Educational Telecom­ munications o f the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. February 1 9 9 7 / 101 propriate library resources and services are avail­ able; 7) prom ote library support services to the extended academic community; 8 ) pursue, implement, and maintain all the preceding. Additional areas o f management responsi­ bility are covered in sections on Finances, Per­ sonnel, Facilities, Resources, and Services. Finances The parent institution should provide continu­ ing, optimum financial support for addressing the library needs o f the extended academ ic community. This financing should be: 1) related to the formally defined needs and demands o f the extended academic program; 2) allocated on a schedule matching the par­ ent institution’s budgeting cycle; 3) identified within the parent institution’s budget and expenditure reporting statements; 4 ) accom m odated to arrangements involv­ ing external agencies, including affiliated but independently supported libraries; 5) sufficient to allow for initiating innova­ tive new approaches to meeting needs. Personnel Personnel involved in the m anagem ent and coordination o f extended academic library ser­ vices may include institutional and library ad­ ministration, the librarian-coordinator manag­ ing the services, additional professional staff in the institution, support staff from a variety of d e p a r tm e n ts , a n d th e a d m in is tr a t o r ( s ) , librarian(s), and staff from the extended site(s). The library should provide professional and support personnel with clearly defined respon­ sibilities at the appropriate location(s) and in the num ber and quality necessary to attain the goals and objectives for library services to the extended academic program including: 1) a librarian-coordinator to plan, implement, coordinate, and evaluate library resources and services addressing the information needs of the extended academic community; 2) additional professional and/or parapro fessional staff to interact directly with library users with the capacity and skills to identify information needs and respond to them com ­ petently and appropriately; 3) classification, status, and salary scales for extended academic library staff that are equiva­ lent to those provided for other com parable library em ployees and reflecting the com pen- sation levels and cost o f living for those resid ing at extended sites; 4) opportunities for continuing growth and developm ent for extend ed academ ic library staff. Facilities The library should provide facilities, equipment, and com m unication links sufficient in size, number, and scope, and current enough to at­ tain the objectives o f the extended academic programs. Arrangements may vary and should b e appropriate to programs offered. Examples o f suitable arrangements include but are not limited to: 1) access to facilities through agreements with a nonaffiliated library; 2) designated space for consultations, ready reference collections, reserve collections, elec­ tronic transmission o f information, computer­ ized database searching, and interlibrary loan services; 3) a branch or satellite library. Resources The parent institution is responsible for pro­ viding or securing direct physical or electronic access to library materials in sufficient quality, depth, number, scope, currentness, and formats to: 1) support the students’ needs in fulfilling course assignments (e.g., required and supple­ mental readings and research papers) and en ­ rich the academ ic programs; 2) support teaching and research needs; 3) accom m odate other information needs of the extended academ ic community as appro­ priate. Programs granting associate degrees should provide access to collections which meet the ACRL “Standards for Community, Junior, and Technical Learning Resources Programs.” P ro­ grams granting b a cca la u rea te or m aster’s d e­ g rees should provide a cc e ss to co llectio n s w h ich m eet the standards d efin ed by the ACRL “Standards for College Libraries.” Pro­ grams offering doctoral degrees should provide access to collections which meet the standards defined by the ACRL “Standards for University Libraries.” Services The library services offered the extended aca demic community should be designed to meet effectively a wide range o f information, biblio- 102 / C&RL News graphic, and user needs. The exact combina­ tion o f central and site staffing will differ from institution to institution. Examples that may help meet these needs include: 1) reference assistance; 2) computer-based bibliographic and infor­ mation services; 3) reliable, secure access to institutional and other networks including the Internet; 4) consultation services; 5) a program o f library user instruction de­ signed to instill independent and effective in­ formation literacy skills while specifically meet­ ing the learner-support needs of the extended academic community; 6) assistance with nonprint media and equip­ ment; 7) reciprocal borrowing, contractual borrow­ ing, and interlibrary loan services in broadest application of fair use o f copyrighted materials; 8) prompt document delivery such as a cou­ rier system or electronic transmission; 9) access to reserve materials; 10) adequate service hours for optimum ac­ cess by users; 11) promotion of library services to the ex­ tended academic community, including docu­ mented and updated policies, regulations, and pro ced u res for system atic d ev elo p m en t and m anagem ent o f inform ation resources. Docum entation T he library should m ake available current c o p ­ ies o f the follow ing: 1) printed guides; 2) statem ents o f m ission and purpose, poli­ cies, regulations, and procedures; 3) statistics on library use; 4) statistics o n collections; 5) facilities assessm ent m easures; 6 ) collection s assessm ent m easures; 7 ) data o n staff and w ork assignm ents; 8 ) institu tional and internal o rgan ization charts; 9 ) com prehen sive budget(s); 10) professional staff vitae; 11) formal, written agreem ents; 12) autom ation statistics; 13) guides to com puting services; 14) library evaluation studies or docum ents. Library education S c h o o ls o f library and in fo rm atio n s c ie n c e should include in their curricula cou rses and cou rse units in exten d ed acad em ic library ser­ vices. ■