How are the institution's services (or access to them) structured to meet the needs specific to the institution's programs, wherever they are located? (How Learning Resources meet institutional needs)
The San Antonio College Library provides a full range of library services and resources that promote student success and life- long learning, including the following:
The San Antonio College Library is open to the community and SAC students, faculty and staff throughout the year. Fall and Spring semester hours are as follows:
· Monday - Thursday: 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
· Fridays: 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
· Saturdays: 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Maymester hours are as follows:
Summer hours are as follows:
Additionally, all of the Library’s online guides electronic databases, and electronic books are available 24 hours per day, every day. Online library resources are available from the Library’s homepage: http://www.alamo.edu/sac/library/. Databases and electronic books can be accessed by anyone on campus. Remote access is available to SAC students, faculty and staff through a login process which requires users to provide their ACES User Name and their Banner ID.
San Antonio College librarians develop and maintain a current and balanced collection of print, audiovisual and electronic resources that support San Antonio College curricula. The SAC Library owns 173,000+ print volumes, subscribes to 47 electronic databases, and provides access to approximately 45,000 electronic books .
The Federal Depository Library Program was established by Congress in 1813 to assure public access to government information. San Antonio College was established as a partial depository in 1972, one of 1,250 depository libraries. Anyone can use this collection of federal documents, and many of the documents are available to be checked out. The collection is slowly changing to online items, which are available to the public 24/7. SAC Library subscribes to documents which support our curriculum: law enforcement, nursing, NASA materials, being some of the areas included.
There are many benefits to housing a depository collection. When new material is published through the depository, it is often the first time research is made available to the public, such as the first appearance of AIDs and of bird flu influenza. Reference material from the government would cost over $10,000 to purchase. Most important, equity of access and free and unrestricted public use of these materials serves a vital link between the public and our government.
SAC offers interlibrary loan services in which library patrons can request books, recordings, DVDs, and photocopies of periodical articles from participating libraries. The consortium of participants is called TexShare. Benefits of this service are numerous: since no library can cover every subject, ILL allows the library to fill in gaps in the collection; requests allows the library to see if there are subjects that should be ordered in the future; fulfilling requests from other libraries gives this library credit with OCLC. Most of all, this service establishes beneficent public relations with our patrons and with other participating libraries. SAC students can also check out library materials directly from any Alamo College Library or from any Texas library participating in TexShare.
Throughout the year, SAC librarians and staff purchase, process, and Discovery materials for inclusion in the collection, and repair and withdraw materials as needed. Purchases are made to support the SAC curriculum and suggestions from faculty, students and staff are taken into consideration as they are received. Additionally, library patrons now have the opportunity to trigger the purchase of electronic books through the EBL, an electronic book database shared by the Alamo College Libraries.
The SAC Library is ADA compliant, providing ADA approved furniture, equipment and software to disabled users. Librarians and staff are available to assist disabled students and refer them to appropriate resources and departments.
SAC librarians participate in college and district committees and governing bodies, including the following:
· SAC Faculty Senate
· SAC Chapter of the American Association of University Professors
· SAC Curriculum & Review Committee
· Alamo District Emergency Sick Leave Committee
· SAC Foundations of Excellence Transfers Focus Task Force
· SAC Building Action Team
· SAC Emergency Response Team
Librarians also participate in professional organizations, including the following:
· American Association of University Professors
· American Library Association
· Association of College and Research Libraries
· Beta Phi Mu
· Bexar Library Association
· Council of Research and Academic Libraries
· Texas Community College Teachers Association
· Texas Council of Academic Libraries
· Texas Junior and Community College Association
· Texas Library Association
Volunteer indexing for the Hispanic American Periodicals Index
SAC librarians serve the community through a variety of outreach activities. A Library Art Committee, established in 2005, identifies and selects artists and artwork for the Library’s biannual art exhibits. Artists have included San Antonio College students, faculty, and staff, as well as local and nationally renowned artists. A reception is held at the beginning of each fall and spring semester to which the entire SAC community is invited. The artists’ works remain in the Library throughout the semester.
Library faculty consistently publicize programs, services, and new acquisitions through SAC's award winning student newspaper, The Ranger. Approximately 20-25 articles have been published each year about the Library since 2006. In addiiton, SAC librarians have received Ranger Source nominations and/or awards every year since 2006. The Library also supports a Facebook page with approximately 200 followers and a twitter account with approximately 120 followers.
The Library is a member of TexShare, a statewide consortium of academic, public, and medical libraries. TexShare libraries share staff expertise and library resources, pursue joint purchasing aggreements and encourage cooperative development of information resources. Library faculty have attended Texshare meetings, participated in and contributed ot their programs, and present committee projects at Texas Library Association meetings.
Traditionally, the SAC Library has been responsible for researching, initiating, and negotiating cooperative purchases of databases subscriptions shared among participating AC libraries. This results in the acquisition of important library resources that individual AC libraries might otherwise not be able to afford.
How does the institution determine if its services are appropriate? How does the institution determine adequacy and relevancy of library/learning resources to support all its educational, research, and service needs?
The Library contributes to student success by providing professional, friendly instruction, easily accessible resources and services, extended hours, and multiple means of access. Reference librarins deliver individualized instruction on accessing and interpreting research materials, interpreting classroom assignments, and developing critical thinking skills.
Librarians partner with classroom faculty to develop relevant assignments that demonstrate information literacy. This collaboration not only ensures that the assignment is suited for the class, but makes informaiton literacy part of the curriculum for that course. Library instruction consists of course related sessions that promote information literacy skills tailored to the course assignment. Student learning outcomes for each session include developing a questiong approach to identiying an information need, creating a fexible research strategy, and locating a variety of quality sources on a given topic.
Curriculum changes throughout the college are monitored by a library faculty representative on the Curriculum Review Committee. Appropriate changes are made in selection criteria based on curriculum changes. Newly created courses may require new materials and discontinuation of courses may require deselection of obsolete or underused materials.
Library survey, 2nd floor Reference
Fall 2013-Spring 2014
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What relationship do you have with SAC?
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The courtesy & friendliness of the librarian(s):
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The knowledge & expertise of the librarian(s):
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The assistance by librarian(s) to accomplish your research goals:
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Did you find the necessary resources to support your research?
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Did you find the library environment suitable for research and study?
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Library survey, 3rd floor Circulation
Fall 2013-Spring 2014
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What relationship do you have with SAC?
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Did you receive prompt and courteous service from library personnel?
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Did you find the necessary resources to support your research?
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Was the library environment suitable for research and study?
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Library Instruction evaluation by students - Student Learning Outcomes
Spring 2014
1. I found keywords or phrases which may help me develop or write about this topic
| Strongly Agree | 420 | 45% |
| Agree | 438 | 47% |
| Undecided | 69 | 7% |
| Disagree | 10 | 1% |
| Strongly Disagree | 1 | 0% |
2. Which keyword search below would find the FEWEST number of search results?
| internet | 135 | 14% |
| internet and students | 48 | 5% |
| internet and students and addiction | 412 | 44% (CORRECT ANSWER) |
| internet and student* and addict* | 265 | 28% |
| not sure! | 79 | 8% |
3. I found items relevant to my topic
| Strongly Agree | 391 | 42% |
| Agree | 456 | 49% |
| Undecided | 77 | 8% |
| Disagree | 14 | 1% |
| Strongly Disagree | 0 | 0% |
4. I now have a better understanding of where to look for academic sources on a topic
| Strongly Agree | 491 | 52% |
| Agree | 404 | 43% |
| Undecided | 36 | 4% |
| Disagree | 7 | 1% |
| Strongly Disagree | 0 | 0% |
5. The concepts, skills, and resources I learned about today will help me complete my research assignment
| Strongly Agree | 507 | 54% |
| Agree | 388 | 41% |
| Undecided | 35 | 4% |
| Disagree | 7 | 1% |
| Strongly Disagree | 1 | 0% |