ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


281

Guidelines for Branch Libraries 
in Colleges and Universities

Approved as policy by the Board of Direc­
tors of the Association of College and Research 
Libraries, on July 3, 1975.

Introduction

One of the most persistent and difficult or­
ganizational issues for academic libraries is the 
physical centralization or decentralization of li­
brary services. When should a branch library 
be created? Are established ones effective? The 
following Guidelines were developed by the As­
sociation of College and Research Libraries in 
response to requests from academic librarians 
and administrators for criteria to assist them in 
reviewing the need for branch libraries at their 
institutions. Their objective is to provide a 
framework for assessing the need for branch li­
braries and for developing policies for adminis­
tering effective branch services.

In this document, the term “branch” has 
been used generally to define a library service 
unit, with collections, which is usually physical­
ly removed from the main library. It encom­
passes a variety of references, including:

Department and professional libraries with 
collections and services organized primari­
ly to serve the needs of one or two aca­
demic disciplines.

Divisional libraries with collections and ser­
vices organized to serve 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.

The Guidelines

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 
need for branch libraries and enable them to 
make sound decisions related to establishing or 
continuing branch libraries. The reviewing pro­
cess is described in the following two sections:

Need Analysis and Evaluation, and Operating 
Policies.

Need Analysis and E valuation
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 record­
ed information, and to provide services by 
which to obtain it locally, or to guide and assist 
the user to appropriate external sources. The 
library user’s major concern is for the totality 
of the resources available to him. All recorded 
resources commonly used to enrich or support 
the learning process, and which are owned by 
or on loan to the academic institution, are in­
formation resources. These resources should be 
included as part of the inventory administered 
by the library so that standards of collection de­
velopment and service can be maintained at 
reasonable cost.

An analysis of need for branch libraries 
should account for the requirements of 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 of library 
services within this context.

2. A description of projected 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 commu­
nity 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, in­
cluding growth projections to meet 
changing needs.

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

3. A description of present library services, 
including—



282

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 projections to meet 
growth needs.

4. A comparative analysis of projected 
branch services and existing library ser­
vices, 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 of 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 de­
velopment, on-going services, and 
growth while maintaining adequate 
support levels for library services re­
quired by the total academic commu­
nity.

Administrative Principles

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 of the branch; administrative structure;

collections development; services; staffing; and 
facilities. To fit into the larger framework of the 
institution’s objectives and programs, these pol­
icy statements should be approved by the li­
brary director and appropriate administrative 
officers, and supported by committees repre­
senting a variety of interest groups.

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 w ith 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 institution 
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. 
W ritten 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 
w ith the assistance of the library’s advisory 
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 w ith 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 material 
necessary to support those fields. An ex­
plicit policy covering the provision of du­
plicate materials, whether in the main li­
brary, or in a branch, is essential. Discard­
ing policies should be included in selec­
tion policy statements.

Collection Organization
Whenever centralization can produce sig­
nificant economies in processing and ac­
quisitions, it should be effected. However,



283

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.
The holdings of a library system, includ­
ing those of branch libraries, should be 
listed in union catalogs and other access 
points to the collections, and be open to 
the library’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, but not necessarily 
the same services, as the main library with 
respect to access, staffing, assistance to 
users and adequacy of physical facilities. 
To this end—

Branch services, including circulation 
privileges, should be available to the to­
tal 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 communi­
ty’s needs and the library’s collections. 
The quality of branch services depends 
on its responsiveness to its user’s needs. 
I t is essential that the intended users of 
the branch be consulted periodically to 
advise the branch on developing and 
evaluating its services.

Reprints of this article are available, upon re­
quest, from the A C R L  Office, 50 E. Huron St., 
Chicago, IL  60611. ■■

Committee Appointed to Write Quantitative 
Standards for “Guidelines for Two-Year

College Learning Resources Programs”

The Association of College and Research Li­
braries announces the appointment of a com­
mittee to develop quantitative standards to sup­
plement the “Guidelines for Two-Year College 
Learning Resources Programs.”

William J. Hoffman, dean of educational re­
sources and library services at Mt. San Antonio 
College, Walnut, California, will chair the com­
mittee. Other members of the committee are: 
Imogene I. Book, director of the library at Rend 
Lake College, Ina, Illinois; Glenn R. Dallman, 
director of library services at St. Petersburg 
Junior College, Clearwater, Florida; Harriett 
Genung, Upland, California; Leah K. Nekritz, 
director of learning resources at Prince George’s 
Community College, Largo, Maryland; Robert 
F. Schremser, head librarian at Alexander City 
State Junior College, Alexander City, Alabama; 
and Fleming A. Thomas, chairman of the Divi­
sion of Learning Resources at Burlington Coun­
ty College, Pemberton, New Jersey. Dr. Sarah 
K. Thomson, chairman of the Library and 
Learning Resources D epartm ent at Bergen 
Community College, Paramus, New Jersey, will 
serve as consultant to the committee.

The “Guidelines for Two-Year College 
Learning Resources Programs” were approved 
as ACRL policy in June 1972. They supersede 
and replace the “Standards for Junior College

Libraries” adopted by the association in May 
1960. The “Guidelines” were prepared by a 
joint committee of members from the American 
Association of Community and Junior Colleges, 
the Association for Educational Communica­
tions and Technology, and the Association of 
College and Research Libraries.

The “Guidelines for Two-Year College 
Learning Resources Programs” are diagnostic 
and descriptive in nature. They offer an institu­
tion criteria for self-study and planning. The 
quantitative supplement now being prepared 
will provide a means for assessing the adequacy 
of the learning resources program. W hen the 
supplement is completed, the standards for 
two-year programs will contain both qualitative 
and quantitative elements.

The committee will meet during th e Amer­
ican Library Association’s Midwinter Meeting, 
January 18-24, 1975, in Chicago. Prior to the 
meeting, it will examine all of the existing 
quantitative statements relating to two-year col­
leges and learning resources centers. The com­
mittee requests that education agencies and 
state, regional, and national professional asso­
ciations which have prepared quantitative stan­
dards send a single copy of their standards to 
the Association of College and Research Librar­
ies, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611. ■■