ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


281

Draft: Guidelines for Branch 
Libraries in Colleges 

and Universities
The ACRL Board of Directors, at the 1972 

Midwinter Meeting, referred to the ACRL 
Committee on Standards and Accreditation a 
request for support of a resolution from the 
Idaho Library Association calling on accredit­
ing bodies to “ refrain from suggesting the es­
tablishment of branch libraries …  until and 
unless it has been established whether or not 
the size and resources of the institutions dictate 
this.… ”  Concluding that merely to endorse 
the resolution would do little to attack a very 
real problem, the committee undertook the task 
of developing a set of guidelines that will pro­
vide constructive criteria for all institutions of 
higher education regarding the establishment 
and maintenance of branch libraries. The dif­
ficulty in developing such a statement lies in 
the fact that the needs and problems of differ­
ent schools vary considerably. Many have bene- 
fitted. In fact, without branch or decentralized 
library service, some schools would be unable 
to provide adequate library service. Yet, others 
have suffered. Any guidelines must recognize 
these differences. They must neither favor nor 
discourage branch libraries, but state the facts 
that should be considered in reaching decisions 
as to whether to establish or continue branch 
or decentralized service.

The following preliminary draft was pre­
pared by the Committee on Standards and Ac­
creditation and approved for publication for the 
purpose of soliciting comment from members 
in order to improve it before it is submitted to 
the ACRL Board for approval as policy. In ad­
dition, hearings on the “ Guidelines”  are sched­
uled during the Midwinter Meeting, on Mon­
day, January 20, 1975, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

ACRL members are invited to send their 
comments on the “ Guidelines”  to Jasper G. 
Schad, Chairman, ACRL Committee on Stan­
dards and Accreditation, Box 68, Wichita 
State University, Wichita, KS 67208. Members 
of the committee are: Norman D. Alexander, 
director of the library, Southern Oregon Col­
lege, Ashland, Oregon; Hugh C. Atkinson, di­
rector of libraries, Ohio State University, Co­
lumbus, Ohio; William Brace, associate profes­
sor, Graduate School of Library Science, Ro­
sary College, River Forest, Illinois; Glenn R. 
Dallman, director of library services, St. Peters­
burg Junior College, Clearwater, Florida; Vern 
M. Pings, director of libraries, Wayne State 
University, Detroit, Michigan; Patricia Ann

Sacks, director of the library, Muhlenburg Col­
lege and Cedar Crest College, Allentown, Penn­
sylvania; and Sarah K. Thomson, librarian, Ber­
gen Community College, Paramus, New Jersey.

I n t r o d u c t i o n

One of the most persistent and difficult or­
ganizational issues for academic libraries is the 
centralization or decentralization of library ser­
vices. When should a branch library be creat­
ed? Are established ones effective? The follow­
ing Guidelines were developed by the Associa­
tion of College and Research Libraries in re­
sponse to requests from academic librarians and 
administrators for criteria to assist them in re­
viewing the need for branch libraries at their 
institutions. Their objective is to provide a 
framework appropriate to the consideration of 
branch library questions, and direction for the 
development of effective branch libraries.

In this document, the term branch has been 
used generically to define a library unit which 
is usually physically removed from the main li­
brary and provides collections and services for 
an identified group of users. It encompasses a 
variety of references, including:

Department and professional libraries with 
collections and services organized to meet 
the needs of one or two academic disci­
plines.

Divisional libraries with collections and ser­
vices organized to meet the needs of sev­
eral related subject fields, including inter­
disciplinary studies.

Undergraduate libraries with collections and 
services organized to meet particular in­
struction needs of the institution.

T h e  G u i d e l i n e s

Branch libraries under a variety of designa­
tions have been established to extend the ser­
vices of the main library at many academic in­
stitutions. Factors governing their development 
include the mission of the institution, campus 
geography, enrollment patterns, financial con­
ditions, space requirements, instructional tech­
niques, user expectations and demands, and ex­
ternal pressures. These guidelines identify the 
primary factors influencing the development 
and maintenance of branch library collections 
and services. A review of these factors as they 
relate to local circumstances should assist li­
brarians and their institutions in evaluating the



282

need for branch libraries and enable them to 
make sound decisions related to establishing 
and operating branch libraries. The reviewing 
process is described in the following two sec­
tions: Need Analysis, and Operating Policies.

N e e d  A n a l y s i s

The needs of modern scholarship must be 
served by access to a broad spectrum of re­
sources, including the literature of a special 
field and all subjects of related interest. The 
basic objectives of the academic library are to 
acquire, organize, store and disseminate re­
corded information, and to provide services by 
which to obtain it locally, or to guide and as­
sist the user to appropriate external sources. 
The library user’s major concern is for the to­
tality of the resources available to him. All re­
corded resources commonly used to enrich or 
support the learning process, and which are 
owned by or on loan to the academic institution, 
are information resources. These resources 
should be included as part of the inventory ad­
ministered by the library so that standards of 
collection development and service can be 
maintained at reasonable cost.

An analysis of need for branch libraries 
should account for the requirements o f a 
branch library’s primary clientele as well as 
those of the entire academic community. The 
analysis should include supporting data cover­
ing the following points:

1. The educational philosophy and objectives 
of the institution, and the role o f library 
services within this context.

2. A description of proposed branch services 
including—
a. Its primary clientele (students, faculty, 

academic departments) and their in­
formation needs.

b. Geographical location related to pri­
mary clientele and to the total com ­
munity of users.

c. Collection development and organiza­
tion plans, including projections of 
maximum size.

d. User services, including hours of ac­
cess and on-site staffing requirements.

e. Access to union catalogs, delivery ser­
vices, and specialized information sys­
tems.

f. Space and equipment requirements, 
including growth projections to meet 
changing needs.

g. Total development and operating costs, 
including long-range projections to 
meet growth needs.

3. A description of existing library services, 
including—
a. Information needs of the total commu­

nity defining both general and special 
requirements.

b. Geographical location of present facil­

ities related to users’ locations.
c. Collection development policies and 

physical organization of the collection, 
including cross-disciplinary needs of 
the academic community and collec­
tion growth projections.

d. User services, including hours of access 
and on-site staffing requirements.

e. Union catalogs, delivery systems and 
specialized information systems.

f. Space and equipment requirements, in­
cluding growth projections to meet 
changing needs.

g. Financial support requirements, includ­
ing long-range prójections to meet 
growth needs.

4. A comparative analysis of branch services 
and existing library services, using each 
of the factors identified in points 1, 2 and
3. Note should be made of the following:
a. Restrictions on user access to collec­

tions and services, such as geography, 
transportation facilities, collection ar­
rangements, delivery services for li­
brary materials, service hours, staffing 
assistance, and special use privileges 
for defined group of clientele.

b. Collection development and arrange­
ment requirements, including the cost 
of duplicating library resources, and 
developing new subject collections.

c. Space and equipment requirements, in­
cluding the cost of establishing and 
maintaining new facilities.

d. Financial support requirements, in­
cluding long-range projections to meet 
growth needs. This should include a 
review o f the institution’s long-range 
projections for financial support of its 
library programs.
Implicit with the creation of a branch 
is a commitment to funding its devel­
opment, on-going services, and growth 
while maintaining adequate support 
levels for library services required by 
the total academic community.

O p e r a t i n g  P o l i c i e s

The decision to establish or continue a 
branch library should be accompanied by ad­
ministrative policy statements clearly defining 
the responsibilities of the library system, includ­
ing its branches. Library policy statements sup­
porting objectives and operating procedures of 
branches should cover the following: the pur­
pose o f the branch; administrative structure; 
collections development; services; staffing; and 
facilities. To fit into the larger framework of 
the institution’s objectives and programs, these 
policy statements should be approved by the 
library director and appropriate administrative 
officers, and supported by committees repre­
senting a variety of interest groups.



283

The following general principles should be 
considered in drafting policies for managing 
branch libraries:

Organization
The responsibility for the management of 
all libraries, both main and branch, should 
rest with the library administration. Li­
brary services are most effective when all 
the institution’s library resources are con­
sidered part of one system with consistent 
policies for access, accounting, analysis 
and the like. Centralized planning and di­
rection are necessary to achieve the best 
use of the financial resources an institu­
tion can allocate for library services.
The branch library staff should report to 
the main library administration. This rela­
tionship should be defined in job descrip­
tions and outlined on organization charts. 
Written statements defining goals and ob­
jectives of a branch library should be de­
termined carefully, described clearly, up­
dated regularly, and stated in measurable 
terms. The review and evaluation of 
branch operations should be conducted 
with the assistance of the library’s advis­
ory committees representing the interests 
of the total academic community.
A manual of operating policies and proce­
dures is recommended for all branch li­
braries.

Collections Development
The materials selection policy for each 
branch should be coordinated with the 
main library’s selection policies. The policy 
should emphasize the branch’s goals and 
objectives as the foundation for acquisi­
tions, and the framework within which 
the branch collection is to be evaluated. 
The collection should be restricted, as far 
as possible, to the subjects the branch 
serves, and should include all forms of ma­
terial necessary to support those fields. An 
explicit policy covering the provision of 
duplicate materials, whether in the main 
library, or in a branch, is essential. Dis­
carding policies should be included in se­
lection policy statements.

Collection Organization
Whenever centralization can produce sig­
nificant economies in processing and ac­
quisitions, it should be effected. However, 
an analysis should be made in each case 
since no absolute rule or guideline can be 
established. In most cases, centralized pro­
cessing and acquisitions will prove most 
economical.
All holdings of a library system, including 
those of branch libraries, should be listed

in union catalogs and other access points 
to the collections, and be open to the li­
brary’s general community. Branch users 
should have access to the files of the 
branch’s holdings, union lists and other 
similar records produced by the library 
system in the branch.

Services
Branch libraries should maintain the same 
standards of service as the main library 
with respect to hours of service, staffing, 
assistance to users and adequacy of phys­
ical facilities. To this end—

Branch collections should be open to the 
total academic community at hours con­
venient to the users. Delivery and pho­
tocopy services are encouraged to pro­
vide maximum accessibility to and utili­
zation of the materials.
Competent staffing should be provided 
to insure the proper development and 
use of the library’s collection. The staff 
is a primary link between the commu­
nity’s needs and the library’s collections. 
The quality of branch services depends 
on its responsiveness to its user’s needs. 
It is essential that the intended users of 
the branch be consulted periodically to 
advise the branch on developing and 
evaluating its services.