The policies in this manual were created or updated during the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 academic years. The writing and organizing processes were collaborative and involved the Library Leadership Team, Library Faculty and Staff, the Library Administrative Assistant, and the Executive Director. All contents, policies, and procedures in this manual were approved by the NSU Libraries Leadership Team.
The operations of NSU Libraries will comply with the policies in this manual until or unless a policy is officially revised or replaced at a later date. Deviation from these will require the approval of the Executive Director in consultation with the Libraries Leadership Team.
Effective January 4, 2022
Access Services “develops and provides services that connect library users to library resources. It is the primary point of contact for library users. It strives to make the library user’s experience positive and rewarding” (A Framework for Access Services Librarianship, American Library Association).
Access Services provides services in circulation, course reserves, use of library spaces and technology, printing, information, and interlibrary loan. Other functions of the department are shelving of material, stack maintenance, special projects, opening and closing the library, and the supervision and scheduling of student workers.
The principal mission of the NSU Libraries is to provide access to information, space, and services to support the research needs of the students, faculty, and staff of Northeastern State University and affiliated Oklahoma educational institutions. The secondary mission of the NSU Libraries is to provide information access and research support to members of the local community. Therefore, NSU Library facilities are open and accessible to members of the NSU and local communities.
All library patrons agree to the following rules and restrictions:
Please see the NSU Libraries Circulation Policy for information on the following:
* Replacement costs and processing fees are assessed per the NSU Libraries Circulation Policy.
John Vaughan Library, Tahlequah:
Broken Arrow Library:
John Vaughan Library, Tahlequah:
Broken Arrow Library:
This policy applies to the circulation of library materials for all NSU community members (students, faculty, and staff) and public patrons.
| Lending Periods and Renewals - Undergraduate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Item Type | Lending Period | Renewals |
| Circulating Print | 3 weeks | 2 |
| Audiovisual | 7 days | 2 |
| Laptops | 14 days | N/A |
| Portable Charging Stations | 7 days | 1 |
| Physical ILL | Varies | 3 max* |
| Lending Periods and Renewals - Graduate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Item Type | Lending Period | Renewals |
| Circulating Print | 1 semester | 1 |
| Audiovisual | 3 weeks | 1 |
| Laptops | 14 days | N/A |
| Portable Charging Stations | 7 days | 1 |
| Physical ILL | Varies | 3 max* |
| Lending Periods and Renewals - Faculty/Staff | ||
|---|---|---|
| Item Type | Lending Period | Renewals |
| Circulating Print | 1 semester | 1 |
| Audiovisual | 3 weeks | 1 |
| Laptops | N/A | N/A |
| Portable Charging Stations | 7 days | 1 |
| Physical ILL | Varies | 3 max* |
| Lending Periods and Renewals - Non-NSU Academic, Public Patrons | ||
|---|---|---|
| Item Type | Lending Period | Renewals |
| Circulating Print | 3 weeks | 2 |
| Audiovisual | 7 days | 2 |
| Laptops | N/A | N/A |
| Physical ILL | N/A | N/A |
*ILL lending periods and renewals are determined by the lending institution.
NSU Libraries assess processing fees and replacement fees for long overdue items. Items are considered long overdue following a set period past their due date. This period is assigned according to patron account type and item format. Processing fees and replacement fees for each long overdue item are added as balances to the patrons’ Banner accounts.
Replacement fees for long overdue items are assessed based on item values at the time of acquisition. Patrons are not responsible for payment of replacement fees following the return of long overdue item(s) in good condition.
| Long Overdue Periods and Processing Fees | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Item Format | Patron Type | Long Overdue Period | Processing Fee Cost |
| Circulating Print Items | NSU Undergraduate, Non-NSU | 30 days |
$10.00 |
| NSU Graduate, Staff, Faculty | 30 days | ||
| Audiovisual Items | NSU Undergraduate, Non-NSU | 14 days | |
| NSU Graduate, Staff, Faculty | 1 month | ||
| 1, 2, 3-Hour Reserve | All | 3 days | |
| 1, 2, 3-Day Reserve | All | 3 days | |
| 7-Day Reserve | All | 7 days | |
| 14-Day Reserve | All | 14 days | |
| Permanent Reserve | All | 3 days | |
| Laptops | NSU Undergraduate, NSU Graduate | 2 days | $25.00 |
| Portable Charging Stations | All | 2 days | |
Due to NSU Bursar’s Office policies and procedures, NSU Libraries patrons may not make payments toward specific library fee balances on their accounts.
For this reason, NSU Libraries accepts cash payments under the following terms:
After cash payments are received, NSU Libraries billing staff will credit the paid amount to the library fee balance on the patron’s Banner account.
NSU Libraries do not accept patron-purchased replacement copies in lieu of replacement and processing fees.
| Patron Type | Total Items | Physical ILL Items (Cumulative with Total Items) | Digital ILL Items |
| Undergraduate | 15 | 10 | No Limit |
| Graduate | 50 | 25 | No Limit |
| Staff/Faculty | 50 | 25 | No Limit |
| Public | 5 (3 DVD max) | N/A | N/A |
| Non-NSU Academic | 10 | N/A | N/A |
NSU Libraries shall grant borrowing privileges to Public patrons and Non-NSU Academic patrons. Public patrons are defined as library patrons who are not employed by Northeastern State University, who are not enrolled in NSU courses, and who are not visiting faculty or researchers from an institution other than NSU. Non-NSU Academic patrons are defined as visiting instructors, academic/library faculty, or researchers from an institution other than NSU.
Public/Non-NSU Academic patrons may borrow from the NSU Libraries circulating collections upon the completion of an application.
Public and Non-NSU Academic patrons shall abide by the following:
Public Patron Circulation Policy
Public patrons may borrow items from the circulating collections with the following limits:
Non-NSU Academic Circulation Policy
Non-NSU Academic Patrons may borrow items from the circulating collections with the following limits:
Item Renewals
Overdue and Damaged Items
NSU Libraries’ Reserves Service provides students with access to supplementary materials designated by the faculty to assist in meeting their course objectives. The goal of the department is to provide equal access to all students for high-use and on-demand materials. These materials have a shorter loan period than regular library items.
“While library faculty/staff are available to provide guidance in the use of copyrighted materials in relation to Northeastern State University Libraries’ services, we do not provide legal advice or serve as a substitute for consultation with competent legal counsel on matters regarding compliance with copyright law.”
It is the policy of the Northeastern State University Libraries to follow the provisions of the copyright law. Copyright is a form of protection grounded in the U.S. Constitution and granted by law for original works of authorship. One of the rights given to the owner of copyright is the right to reproduce or to authorize others to reproduce the work in copies. This right is subject to certain limitation, such as “fair use.” The limitations and exceptions do not require permission from the copyright owner, but all other uses require permission.
The University Libraries Privacy Policy describes patron privacy and confidentiality rights, the actions the Libraries take to respect and protect patron privacy when they use library resources and services, and how the library manages personally identifiable information (PII) collected from them.
The courts have upheld the right to privacy based on the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution. The Libraries' privacy and confidentiality policies acknowledge the Library Bill of Rights, Statement on Professional Ethics, and the ALA Policy on the Confidentiality of Library Records (see the links below). The University Libraries follow applicable federal, state, and local laws, as well as the University’s institutional policies related to privacy.
Library user rights outlined here are based in part on what are known in the United States as the five "Fair Information Practice Principles" (FIPPs, see the below link).
These five principles are the framework for privacy policy at the Department of Homeland Security, and outline the rights of Notice, Choice, Access, Security, and Enforcement.
Our commitment to patrons’ privacy and confidentiality has deep roots not only in law but also in the ethics and practices of librarianship. In accordance with the American Library Association's Code of Ethics:
"We protect each library user's right to privacy and confidentiality with respect to information sought or received and resources consulted, borrowed, acquired, or transmitted."
The University Libraries will post publicly the privacy and information-gathering policies of the Libraries on our website and other places as appropriate. Whenever policies change, notice of those changes should be disseminated widely to our users via campus-wide email, website, internal documentation, etc. All kinds and types of records are covered by this policy, including data-related logs, digital records, vendor-collected data, and system backups.
The University Libraries gather information about current and valid library users for the sole purpose of providing library services. Where it is necessary for the Libraries to identify users, it is our goal to gather only the minimum information necessary and to retain that information for only as long as it is needed to complete a particular transaction. The University Libraries avoid creating unnecessary records and retaining records not needed for the fulfillment of the mission of the Libraries. Furthermore, we do not engage in practices that might place personally identifiable information (PII) in or on public view.
The University Libraries receive personally identifiable information automatically from the Office of the Registrar (for students) and the Office of Human Resources (for employees), or directly from patrons to create and update their library user account. User accounts contain an official email address and home and campus mailing addresses supplied by the university. Patrons have the option of providing a different email address for the purpose of receiving notifications about library accounts.
When patrons borrow materials from the University Libraries, the barcode on the photo identification card is linked to the patron’s personally identifiable information for the items borrowed. The library management system (LMS) does not retain a history of items checked out. There is no access to circulation history through the LMS interface; on an item-specific level, a record is retained of the last patron to check out the item until the next patron returns that item. A notification history of overdue materials is retained for one calendar year; notifications of overdue materials is sent to patrons via email. Patron-specific circulation history information is retrievable by a limited number of librarians with assigned permission roles that provide higher levels of access to this information through the Libraries LMS analytical reporting mechanisms. There is no history of check-out items in the WMS Circulation interface, but there is a history of notifications. That history exists for one calendar year, but it is configurable and is only available to WMS full time staff with certain elevated levels of access. A record of the last patron to check out an item is retained in the system and this information is visible to WMS staff possessing a certain level of access. The system is set up to retain this information until the next patron returns that item.
Patrons may need to provide personal information such as their name, email address, University N number, password, barcode, and/or database-specific password when using library services through the University Libraries website. Off-campus database authentication uses the University’s single-sign-on system for access to library resources and databases.
Patrons may need to show identification and/or provide personally identifiable information on paper forms or logs that are retained, as needed, when using certain library services or collections. This process is uncommon and limited to particular circumstances (e.g., when the automated circulation system is inoperative due to local power outages, or LMS-related situations where the LMS is temporarily inactive).
Library patrons can update their personally identifiable information to ensure that library operations function properly. University faculty, students, and staff can view and update their personally identifiable information. Users not affiliated with the university can update their information at any University library by visiting with library staff at the Circulation desk.
Community patrons can access university computers at the University Libraries. To do so, community patrons must abide by the university’s ITS computer use policy which requires community patrons to provide personal information to library staff. The university’s ITS computer use policy requires personal information be obtained from community patrons prior to use of library computers. Library staff at the Broken Arrow campus obtain the patron’s name, phone number, and email address, and time in/time out of computer use. Information gathered is input on a Google spreadsheet, stored in the University’s Shared Drive, and is accessible to the ITS department. This information is available to library staff for one semester, and is stored for a longer timeframe in the ITS department. At the main library, community patrons are asked to fill out a paper guest form that requests personal information (name, address, phone number, email). Community patrons are added to the WMS Circulation system.
Guest forms are filed in a filing cabinet at the Circulation desk. Forms are shredded if the patron account is inactive for three semesters. Forms are examined at the end of each spring semester, and shredding is performed by a full-time circulation staff member.
OK-Share Card System: The Oklahoma Council of Academic Library Directors (OCALD), adopting a common goal to promote and facilitate access to information, communication and scholarly research among college and university communities, provides reciprocal borrowing privileges to each other's faculty, students, and staff. These specified individuals may have direct, personal access to materials that are not available at their home institution's library. only the faculty, students and staff of educational institutions with primary campuses in Oklahoma and whose library directors are members of the Oklahoma Council of Academic Library Directors, are eligible for participation in this agreement. Specifically, this agreement does not cover faculty, students, or staff of unaccredited educational institutions, educational institutions without an existing library in the state of Oklahoma or out-of-state educational institutions. The OK-Share card system permits NSU-affiliated patrons, and patrons affiliated with regional institutions of higher education to request access via an OK-Share card. Academic libraries that sign this OCALD agreement must provide a free OK-Share library card and free circulation access to the main and branch libraries of the college or university. Any eligible faculty, student or staff member of any OK-Share institution may use the collections of any OK-Share library on site. Upon completion of the OK-Share card application at their home academic library and issuance of an OK-Share card, eligible faculty, student or staff members may be issued a courtesy card by any participating OK-Share library. This courtesy card, with proper identification, may be used at the participating OK-Share lending library to borrow materials. OK-Share card holders who not affiliated with NSU are added to the WMS Circulation system. OK-Share card applications are housed at the Circulation desk for a period of three semesters, at which time they are shredded by full-time library staff.
Data Retention: The University Libraries protect personally identifiable information from unauthorized disclosure. Once it is no longer needed to manage library services, The University Libraries regularly purges, shreds, or anonymize personally identifiable information about library users, library resource use, material circulation history, and LMS reporting logs. Patron records are purged at the end of each semester (Fall, Spring, Summer). The Systems Librarian pulls the patron file, based on expiration dates in WMS, last date of activity, and the created on/last updated on date. Patron deletion files are purged. Banner patron loads create “current” status, so if a student has not taken a class in over a year, their record will expire. Community members are purged in this same manner.
Tracking Users: The University Libraries have invested in appropriate technology to protect the security of any personally identifiable information while it is in the library's custody, and the University Libraries ensure that aggregate, summary data is stripped of personally identifiable information. The University Libraries do not ask library visitors or website users to identify themselves or reveal any personal information unless they are borrowing materials; requesting special services; registering for services, programs, or classes; or making remote use from outside the library of those portions of the University Libraries' website restricted to registered borrowers under license agreements or other special arrangements. The University Libraries discourage users from choosing passwords that could reveal their identity, including social security numbers. The University’s ITS department removes cookies, web history, cached files, or other computer and Internet use records and other software code that is placed on our public computers or networks after each use. The University Libraries does maintain some log files for printing history.
Third Party Security: The University Libraries use and link to resources owned and operated by third parties, including integrated library systems, offsite computer services, databases, and electronic journals. The University Libraries license these resources for the use of NSU-affiliated and community authorized users. We make every attempt to include user privacy protections in license agreements with third parties, such as vendors of digital information resources like electronic databases and journals. Nevertheless, because the use of these websites and resources is not governed by the University Libraries, we strongly recommend that patrons review the privacy policies of the websites that they visit, particularly if they are requesting online help through email or chat, or establishing their own account for specialized services like table of contents, email, saved search alerts, purchases, or personalization features. When connecting to licensed resources outside the library, the University Libraries authenticate users as members of our community and do not provide any personally identifiable information.
Cookies: Our Libraries do not use cookies to verify information about our users. However, some of our licensed resources require the temporary enabling of cookies. For searches conducted on university library computers, patrons can disable or refuse to accept cookies and remove them from their device. The University Libraries does not erase cookies from library computers after patrons close the browser at the end of their session.
Security Measures: The University Libraries security measures involve both managerial and technical policies and procedures to protect against loss and the unauthorized access, destruction, use, or disclosure of the data. University Libraries managerial measures include internal organizational procedures that limit access to data and ensure that those individuals with access do not use the data for unauthorized purposes. University Libraries technical security measures to prevent unauthorized access include encryption in the transmission and storage of data, limits on access through use of passwords, and storage of data on secure servers or computers.
Staff Access to Personal Data: We permit only authorized Library staff with assigned confidential passwords to access personal data stored in the University Libraries' computer system for the purpose of performing library work. The University Libraries will not disclose any personal data we collect from patrons to any other party except where required by law. The Libraries do not sell or lease users' personal information to companies, universities, or individuals.
All University Library staff and volunteers refer law enforcement inquiries to Library administrators. The University Libraries may confer with the University Office of the President and General Counsel before determining the proper response. The University Libraries will not make library records available to any agency of state, federal, or local government unless a subpoena, warrant, court order or other investigatory document is issued by a court of competent jurisdiction that shows good cause and is in proper form.
The NSU Libraries provide computers, printers, and scanners for use by NSU staff and faculty, NSU students and members of the public. Computers are located throughout the Tahlequah and Broken Arrow campus libraries and in library computer labs. Priority for usage is given to NSU students.
All computer users must abide by the following:
John Vaughan Library circulates laptop computers for enrolled undergraduate and graduate students. Students borrowing laptops shall sign a laptop borrowing agreement form at the beginning of each academic term.
Laptop Usage
Laptop Borrowing Requirements
To borrow laptops, NSU Undergraduate and Graduate Students must provide the following:
Laptop Borrowing and Returns
Overdue and Damaged Laptops
John Vaughan Library lends portable charging stations for NSU employees and enrolled NSU students. Patrons must sign a Laptop and Portable Charging Station Borrowing Agreement to check out a portable charging station.
Charging Station Borrowing Requirements
Charging Station Lending Period and Returns
Overdue and Damaged Portable Charging Stations
Northeastern State University recognizes and adheres to federal copyright law and guidelines. Copyright law applies to the use, performance, and display of copyrighted works. All members of the university community—faculty, staff, and students—are expected to obtain permission from copyright owners for uses protected by copyright law.
The Constitution of the United States endows Congress with the power to “promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries.”
The Copyright Act of 1976 provides “authors [and creators] of original works protection for their intellectual property in any work exhibiting minimal creativity and fixed in a tangible mode of expression.” One no longer needs to apply for a copyright in order to have her/his/their work protected under the law. Copyright protections cover published or unpublished intellectual property in all formats and media by authors, artists, composers, and creators.
The unauthorized use of a copyrighted work is copyright infringement and violators may be subject to civil and criminal penalties under federal law. Fines range from $30,000 - $150,000 depending on the nature and extent of the infringement.
NSU Libraries Copyright Policy prohibits the following:
The general rule is that copyrighted work may not be appropriated by others through duplication or dissemination without the creator’s permission. There are exceptions to copyright restrictions that apply to academic institutions. These exceptions fall under the Fair Use Doctrine in the law.
NSU Libraries support the use of copyrighted work that falls under the Fair Use Doctrine, which is codified in Section 107 of the Copyright Act. This statute establishes that the use of a copyrighted work “for purposes such as criticism, comment…teaching, scholarship, or research” is fair use. Note however, that this use is not limitless.
For the use of copyrighted work to qualify as fair use under the statute, the following factors must be considered:
Please note:
NSU Libraries support the right to use copyrighted materials outlined in the exemptions for fair use in face-to-face teaching, online teaching, research, and library circulation of materials. The library is committed to educating its community of users on the legal and ethical uses of copyrighted work.
NSU Libraries support the viewing/showing of films for educational purposes. The viewing or showing of films outside of personal use is governed by United States Copyright Law. All faculty, staff, and students are required to meet the conditions stipulated in the Fair Use Doctrine when using film. This policy applies to both physical media such as CDs and DVDs, and electronic media such as any video streaming service or source.
The unauthorized use of a copyrighted work is copyright infringement and violators may be subject to civil and criminal penalties under federal law. Fines range from $30,000 - $150,000 depending on the nature and extent of the infringement.
If a use of film does not meet all of the requirements above, it is not protected or lawful under the Fair Use exemption. Faculty, staff, or students who show films not meeting these conditions must obtain copyright permission.
The Research and Instruction Services department is staffed by faculty librarians who provide bibliographic instruction, reference consultations, collection development and maintenance, and the creation of research resources, tools, and services. NSU Librarians serve as liaisons to academic programs and colleges and serve on University committees.
University students have a role and responsibility in creating new knowledge just as teaching faculty have a responsibility to design curricula and assignments that foster engagement with the scholarship within their disciplines. Librarians are partners who share a responsibility for extending student learning to include information literacy in collaboration with faculty. Each Resource Coordinator/Instruction Librarian teaches information literacy as it relates to their area of subject specialty, using sequenced instruction in all formats.
Undergraduate students receive basic introductory information, assignment-specific instruction, and information literacy concepts.
Students in upper division, graduate, and professional programs are instructed in the tools of their field as well as assignment-specific resources and information literacy.
Library instruction includes formal classes taught in the libraries’ computer labs, classes taught outside of the library, classes taught via Zoom, classes taught while embedded in Blackboard, small group sessions, instructional web pages, passive content embedded in online classes, online classes, tutorials, workshops, scavenger hunts, one-on-one sessions, walking tours of Library facilities, and presentations.
Classes are taught during their normal class period and based on the availability of the Resource Coordinator. Librarians are available for one-on-one and small group instruction during office hours or by appointment.
Who provides instruction?
Library instruction is provided by the Resource Coordinators. However, classes may be taught by other librarians as well as staff under the direction of a Resource Coordinator.
Instruction is provided to Northeastern State University students as well as community outreach for visiting pre-K through 12th grade school classes. Instruction is also provided to Tulsa Community College students and Broken Arrow 'Early College High School' students on the Northeastern State University-Broken Arrow campus.
Classes are taught by each Resource Coordinator on a first come, first served basis and as their schedule allows. Northeastern State University students have priority in the use of library facilities and services.
Scheduled classes will be recorded on the appropriate online Reservation Calendar and also on the Resource Coordinator statistical reports.
Librarians will refer to the “Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education” created by the Association of College & Research Libraries, as well as program-specific information literacy standards established by ACRL. Resource Coordinators will follow applicable guidelines from accreditation agencies for NSU programs.
Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education
ACRL Standards
Resource Coordinators provide assistance and the best possible resources for student success. In our experience, a successful partnership with the faculty member or instructor includes the following:
Last updated: September 2021
The purpose of this collection development policy is to provide guidelines to the resource coordinators for the purchase of physical materials and individual electronic titles.
NSU Libraries provide services to the faculty, staff, and students of Northeastern State University and purchase materials in support of University degree programs.
The Libraries assign resource coordinators to represent each of the degree programs. Resource coordinators work with NSU faculty in their respective colleges and departments to identify materials for selection. Recommendations for the purchase of materials should be made to the appropriate resource coordinator. Although faculty and others are welcomed and encouraged to make recommendations for the purchase of library materials and resources, due to limited funds and overall curriculum needs, the final selection decisions are made by the resource coordinators.
The Library recognizes its responsibility in having available a representative selection of materials on subjects which support the curriculum, including materials on controversial topics. In an endeavor to provide materials which engage critical thinking skills about controversial subjects, the Libraries will provide materials representing a variety of conflicting viewpoints. It should be clearly understood and emphasized that the Libraries do not endorse all the opinions expressed in the materials selected.
The following will be purchased when budgetary considerations allow: faculty research material; materials for the University Administration; and works on local history, along with the history of NSU. Titles in English will be chosen except those directed towards foreign language instruction or deemed appropriate by a resource coordinator. Works of popular fiction along with “self-help” and “how to” books will be purchased only on a limited basis.
As a general rule, textbooks will not be purchased for the collection. Course required textbooks should not be purchased. Rare and out of print books are typically selected only when affordable. Generally, the Libraries do not purchase multiple copies of the same title. However, resource coordinators may select multiple copies of the same title for purchase when deemed appropriate or if heavy use can be demonstrated. Multiple copies of the same title received as a gift may or may not be added to the collection, as determined by the appropriate resource coordinator, according to the Gift Policy. Resource coordinators decide on a case-by-case basis whether to replace lost or damaged materials and do so with the appropriate firm order funds.
In accordance with the ALA’s interpretations of the Library Bill of Rights, the NSU Libraries shall strive to support diversity, equity, and inclusion in regard to the development of its collections. Collection development decisions for the library collections shall strive to recognize all forms of diversity in the user community as well as amongst resources. The NSU Libraries shall strive to address issues regarding equity and inclusion through the selection of materials that offer multiple perspectives on a topic and represent a variety of groups. However, some outdated or controversial titles may remain in the collection to offer historical perspectives on a topic. The NSU Libraries will provide a copy of the Library Bill of Rights to any concerned patron.
While materials considered for the collection may encompass any of the world’s languages, the library will seek to collect books, periodicals, and other major materials in English. However, certain materials such as musical scores, songbooks, librettos, poetry, and dual-language editions will be collected based upon the inclusion of the criteria of the entire item, regardless of the language of sung or written lyrics, album liner notes, etc. NSU was founded on the rich educational heritage of the Cherokee Nation. In support of the University’s mission and values of collecting, preserving, and sharing Native American materials, NSU Libraries will seek to identify and acquire materials in the Cherokee language for its Special Collections.
Serials may include periodicals; newspapers; annuals; journals; magazines; proceedings; transactions; indices; monographic series; and continuation orders. Serials may be acquired in the following formats: print, microfilm, DVDs, and electronic.
The Youth Collection (or Y Collection) supports the curriculum of the NSU College of Education for preservice teachers and also provides materials for use by students and patrons for other educational purposes. The included children’s and young adult materials (PreK-12) are collected based on ALA Youth Media award winners, Sequoyah book award nominees and winners, starred book reviews, a longstanding partnership with Scholastic, and other requests at the discretion of the Y Collection coordinators. Materials include fiction, non-fiction, poetry, folk and fairy tales, graphic novels, biographies, and autobiographies and are most often purchased in hardcover format. A single copy of each title is normally purchased, although duplicate copies of many award-winning books are frequently purchased to meet curricular needs in both Tahlequah and Broken Arrow. Some outdated or controversial titles will stay in the collection to offer children’s literature students a historical perspective of this genre.
All other library materials excluding serials should be considered here. These may be monographs, including reference books, curriculum materials, musical scores, audio-visual materials, maps, atlases, and online resources.
The collection development policies of Special Collections are addressed in the Special Collections Collection Policy.
Funds are allocated to resource coordination areas annually according to a formula which includes factors such as full-time equivalent faculty, student credit hours, usage level, and average book cost.
Gifts to the library of books or funds for books are addressed in the NSU Libraries Gift Policy.
Weeding, or the removal of obsolete materials for purposes of discarding, is an integral part of the total organized effort to study and develop the collection. Weeding is a thorough and conscientious effort to achieve a well-balanced collection suitable to the patrons and programs served, and should be a continuous, consistent process.
Obsolete materials, such as outdated books with inaccurate information, superseded editions, broken files of unindexed journals, superfluous duplicates, and badly damaged copies are examples of items which may be withdrawn from the collection. Availability of newer and more valid materials which are of importance to the field are of prime consideration in weeding; classics in any field represented in the curriculum will be retained, depending upon condition and number of needed copies. Final decisions for the selection or weeding of library materials will be made by the appropriate resource coordinator, and will be based on the overall consideration of a subject area, as well as specific criteria used in each program area.
Weeding is the responsibility of the resource coordinators within their own areas.
The list of State Adopted Textbooks is published each year in July by the Oklahoma State Textbook Committee. Each subject area typically rotates every six years for review.
The Libraries’ policy is to identify older editions of Curriculum Materials as the new edition is ready to shelve. The Broken Arrow resource coordinator for Education is notified of available older editions and duplicates. Those selected for the Broken Arrow collection are then relocated, and the remaining are withdrawn. Shelf space is at a premium in this area. In this way, we keep a current six-year rotation of adopted textbooks.
The College of Education resource coordinators are notified in advance of the subjects being withdrawn. Any titles they wish to keep are retained. Some textbooks are weeded at the end of each review year after all new materials are on the shelves.
Withdrawn materials are offered to state funded public schools biennially in the Fall.
(1991/92; 1995; 2015; last revision 2021)
The NSU libraries welcome the donation of materials from all patrons as a means of developing and enriching our collections. The libraries reserve the right to retain or dispose of any portion of gifts received based on whether or not materials meet the criteria set forth in the Collection Development policy. All gift materials become the property of Northeastern State University libraries upon receipt.
Books, periodicals, and audio-visual items are the most common materials accepted as donations and added to the libraries’ collections. Any non-traditional material(s) being donated should be approved prior to donation by a library faculty member (typically the librarian overseeing the subject area that the material would fall under).
The receipt of donations falls most commonly under the purview of the Technical Services department, although smaller donations may be accepted by other members of library staff and faculty. All accepted donations will be documented by a Gift Receipt, and a copy of the receipt will be offered to the donor. Bookplates are also available upon request, to be affixed to donations, with a donor’s name and/or title and the date of the donation printed on them.
IRS codes dictate that the libraries, or any library employee, CANNOT appraise any donations made to the library. The value of the gift must be determined prior to donation and is the responsibility of the donor.
Donated materials found to show signs of mold, mildew damage, stains, smoke damage, or extreme wear and tear due to age or handling will not be added to the collection. Outdated textbooks (more than ten years old) or popular magazines are unlikely to be added to the collection.
The resource coordinator for the appropriate subject area will make the final decision whether or not to add gift materials to the library collection. Coordinators will be provided with relevant information pertaining to individual titles by Technical Services. Items selected for addition to the collection will be integrated into the workflow of materials to be cataloged/processed by Technical Services staff.
Unselected gift materials will be disposed of according to current state regulations and other resource-sharing agreements. The permanent, in-house used book sale (on the first floor of JVL) is an additional method by which materials are redirected from the collection back to the public.
The University Archives is the repository for materials which document the history of Northeastern State University. The department serves as the institutional memory by identifying, acquiring, and maintaining records of enduring value that chronicle the development of the institution.
Northeastern State University Special Collections exists to support the University’s mission and values statement, by the collection, preservation, and dissemination of Native American materials. The collections will focus on history, anthropology, and language in relation to regional Native American cultural heritage.
Northeastern State University Special Collections exists to support the University’s mission and values statement, by the collection, preservation, and dissemination of Native American materials. The collections will focus on history, anthropology, and language in relation to regional Native American cultural heritage.
Special Collections encourages the use of our collections by a diverse group of users, including NSU students, faculty, staff, and scholarly researchers from other institutions, the local community and general public.
Special Collections accepts materials that supplement or strengthen areas of existing collections, or provides a foundation for the expansion of future collections. Collection material is accepted in the form of:
These and any materials not specifically listed above are at the discretion of Special Collections staff.
Special Collections preference is to acquire items in a non-digital format, accepting the digital format as a supplement or, if the original no longer exists, as a substitute. Material that is “born digital” will be considered if it is not otherwise accessible for research, can easily be migrated and preserved using accepted industry standards and common technologies, and also includes appropriate metadata. Materials that are born digital will be added to the College’s institutional repository when appropriate.
Special Collections shares resources with other institutions when it is beneficial to researchers, and when the terms and circumstances are favorable. Resources shared may include duplicate and extraneous materials from collections (if acceptable under the terms of the donor agreement), copies of materials from collections, electronic versions of finding aids, exhibit items, and professional consultation.
Loans may be made to museums, historical societies, and educational institutions for a specific short-term period. Materials will only be loaned if condition allows for safe movement, handling, and minimization of environmental stress. All parties must complete and sign a loan form. The borrowing institution will be responsible for the materials while in their possession, and must meet various requirements as set forth by JVLSC to assure the well-being of the collections.
All items permanently added to Special Collections will be assigned an accession number, and all paperwork related to the acquisition of the items will be maintained permanently in Special Collections’ files.
De-accession is the official removal of items from Special Collections. Materials that duplicate existing holdings, relate to subjects that are no longer a Special Collections priority, or deemed not to be of enduring value may be de-accessioned. Additionally, if the material is outside the scope of our collection policy, or is no longer relevant to the purposes and activities of the institution it may be removed from the Collection. The material will also be de-accessioned if found to have deteriorated to a degree that renders it in such poor condition as to be virtually unusable, or threatens other collections or staff.
The disposition of material will be in accordance with the relevant donor agreement and the guidelines of Oklahoma State Records Management. Deaccession materials may either be offered to the donor or donor’s heirs, transferred to other departments of the library, offered to other, more appropriate institutions, or disposed of in accordance to the laws of the Oklahoma State Records Management.
NSU Libraries Administration consists of the offices of the Executive Director and the Library Administrative Assistant. The Executive Director is responsible for the development and implementation of policies and procedures, preparation and management of the annual budget, supervision of personnel, and the oversight of library operations, programs, and services.
The Library Administrative Assistant assists the Executive Director in the development of the budget, processing of payments, preparation of correspondence, research and preparation of reports, management of the Executive Director’s calendar, development and management of assigned library budgets, and creation of library communications and marketing.
*Note on Committee Charges: In consultation with the Executive Director, committees will revisit their charges every two years, updating and revising as needed to respond to changing needs and circumstances.
Mission of the Committee (see the Committee Charge above in the Library Committee List and Charges box)
Goals/objectives for the library website:
