Library Review

 

Library
Bethlehem University
Bethlehem –Palestine
Review and Visit, May 15-19, 2006,
conducted by Harry E. Welsh.
June 5, 2006

        The library of Bethlehem University occupies a choice central location on the hill- top campus.  The four-floor facility was constructed in 1978 and has a capacity for 100,000 volumes.  At present the collection includes about 60,000 volumes in English and Arabic, and approximately 2,000 books are added annually.  The periodical and journal collection includes about 500 titles chosen for those disciplines in the areas of study offered by the University.

            The print resources of the library are limited.  The annual addition of only 2,000 volumes to a collection supporting a host of disciplines in the humanities, the social sciences and business, as well as some professional studies, and in some cases covering two cultures and languages is meager.  Students and faculty both requested more book titles.

            The university library has within its facility a range of media services for the university community.  The AV Center offers an extensive audio-visual collection with production and support services including internet access stations.  A Digital Media Center provides video production services as well as teleconferencing.  The staffs in these areas also assist with general library automation, media presentations in Furno Hall and are frequently engaged with the special needs students.  As the library director stated in his 2004-5 annual report, “The work in [these] areas continues to shift to supporting the technological needs of the library and the faculty and administrators.  The work of the staff is that of IT specialists or computer systems administrators.”

            The library is abreast of technology and the staff must be complimented for its successes with implementation of automated services and electronic resources.  The online catalog and library management system (LibSys) is up and running.  The inputting of the bibliographic records of the library’s holding and the barcoding of the collection was accomplished in a notably short time.  This plodding type of work is usually unnoticed and unheralded.  Ebsco Host’s Academic Premier, a major journal indexing database, is fully accessible and has been added to the library’s home page.  Off-site access to library’s catalog and to Ebsco Host has been provided to the university community.

            Special collections such as the Palestiniana (Turathuna) and the college archives are in good shape and are a source of pride to the community.  Efforts to promote the use of the Palestinian collection have been disappointing for the staff.  However, a number of factors beyond the control of the library could explain the low interest and use.  The published guide to the archives, its main finding aid, is regularly updated.

            The staff has been active publicizing the services and resources of the library. The guides explaining the organization of the library and its services together with the topical pathfinders that identify specific resources are laudable in their intention and professional in their design.  In light of new services, the guides for the faculty and students could be updated.

            The director and library staff should be complimented for their success with grantsmanhip and exploiting available opportunities for funding library services and resources.  Grants and awards are significant components of Bethlehem’s finances and the library has taken advantage of propitious offers.

            One was impressed with the workmanship of the student assistants and the incentive system for work performance that has been developed in the library.  The annual awarding of the BUL Scholarship Fund for the two best students-assistants is particularly noteworthy.  The University and the library should be congratulated for inaugurating this practice.

            The library’s funding is meager considering its range of services and its technological current state.  It has worked with the administration to manage finances and contain costs.  Cancellation of journal subscriptions totaling approximately $10,000 because of full-text availability in electronic databases is a recent example.  One should, however, proceed with caution here.  The licensing agreements between publishers and database producers are at times tentative and have been abrogated on the part of publishers because of the numbers of libraries’ subscription cancellations.  The university, even in the electronic age, must recognize the library as a major cost center.

            Considering the circumstances surrounding Bethlehem University, the library of the university appears to be doing a successful job fulfilling its mission to the community in view of a number of constraints—fiscal, political, and logistical.  The faculty and students demonstrably appreciate the services of the library and the support extended by the library staff to the academic program of the university.  The faculty lent particularly strong endorsements to the library’s recent successes with its technological improvements:  an online catalog and integrated system (LibSys), a searchable online database (Ebsco Search Premiere) providing citations and some full-text access to the world’s journal literature, and the availability of remote access via the campus network to these services from offices and home.  The special services of both the Audio Visual Center and the Digital Media Center were similarly complimented, and there is pride in the Palestiniana collection.

            The recommendations in this report are not critical of current services, but are extended as assistance to the University’s strategic planning process and, in the main, are intended to assist the library in developing its program for the years ahead.

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METHODOLOGY

            The review of the library was conducted over three and a half working days, May 16 -19.  The reviewer arrived a day earlier and took advantage of the Founder’s Day ceremonies (May 15) to get a sense of the University.  For the next few days, conversations were arranged with approximately seventeen members of the faculty and the administration.  The reviewer met with a delegation of both undergraduate and graduate students.  Discussions were held with the Director and with the Library Liaison Team—the library’s management group.  Formal and informal conversations meetings took place among the reviewer and the library faculty and staff.  Similarly, the reviewer formally and informally toured the library facility.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

1.  The library organization is in need of some rethinking and updating. Like many academic libraries, the organization could better incorporate some of the advances the library has made into new services and systems.  This will situate the library to respond to future needs rather than past practices.

Action and implications:

a.  A few of these emerging concerns have initially been identified in the library’s annual report, 2004-5.  As a major university agency, the library is in the vortex of technological change.  It is often difficult to keep the organization abreast of the latest services.

b.  The library could undertake a study itself of the organization and/or engage a consultant to mediate the process.

c.  The organization of the library should better reflect the inclusion into the operations of library instruction (information literacy) as a major library program. It should also address the inclusion of a systems/electronic resources librarian primarily involved with the integrated system, electronic resources (databases), networking, web page mastering, and liaison with the campus computer center.  Adequate technical staff should be provided for the full range of media services including support for special needs students.  The recommendations for membership in OCLC (below) and for the merger of the AV Center and Digital Media Center have implications for this study of the organization of the library.

d.  The mechanism of the Library Liaison Team (LLT) to foster communications between the library and its clientele should be maintained.  Communications among the library, academic departments, and other campus agencies such as the Computer Center should be regularized.  Its future composition should incorporate any changes made in the library’s organization.

 

2.  Expenditures for books and other resources such as media should be increased.  Greater access to journal literature should be obtained through full-text electronic databases and through interlibrary loan arrangements and networks.

Action and implications:

a.  It will surprise no one that the present book budget of $37,000 is inadequate.  Ideally the amount should be doubled.  The present amount permits an annual acquisition of only 700 English language titles and about 1,000 in the Arabic language.  Increments should be part of any strategic plan for the library.  The European Universities Association (EUA) self-evaluation report addresses the library’s “insufficient resources.”

b.  Faculty continue to identify sparse journal holdings in their disciplines as a major shortcoming.  This is not unexpected.  The library should continue to gain access to full-text articles through subscriptions to electronic databases thereby increasing its journal literature availability.

c.  Any strategic plan for the library to gain wider access to journal literature should provide for the library entering into networks for interlibrary lending.

 

3.  Bethlehem University Library should join OCLC and take full advantage of its major worldwide bibliographic, cataloging, and interlibrary lending services.

Action and implications:

a.  This is the major recommendation of this report and one that could profoundly affect current operations for the library and, at the same time, position it for enhancement of future services.  As a major investment for the library the matter of OCLC and its services and requirements for staff training has been discussed with the Academic Vice President and the Vice President for Development.  The OCLC database (WorldCat) is rich in Arabic language holdings.

b.  Some economics in staff time may offset membership expenses.  OCLC should also reduce the number of data-inputting hours of four employees currently engaged in processing cataloging records.  The work mechanics would change from inputting to tagging records.

c.  Contact and exploratory conversations with OCLC should get underway as soon as possible (OCLC Middle East and India:  phone 1-614-764-6006, Mr. Arthur Smith, http:www.oclc.org/global/).

d.  Bethlehem University library might explore a consortial membership with other West Bank Palestinian academic libraries.

e.  The importance of this type of cooperation in the interest of gaining greater to library resources was addressed by the EUA in their Self-Evaluation Report  action recommendation for insufficient resources in the library, “[The university should] investigate the possibility of twinning with international universities to increase the electronic resources available” (p.36).

f.  In preparation for any action on this recommendation, perhaps, some staff should visit libraries of comparable size that utilize the services of the OCLC network in order to ascertain how participation could impact operations.  Particular attention should be paid to the technical services processing of materials and interlibrary lending operations in these libraries.

 

4.  Bethlehem University Library working with other academic library users of LibSys should form a users group.

Action and implications:

a.  Formation of a users group among the Palestinian academic libraries using Noursoft’s LibSys will promote better communication between the libraries and the vendor.

b.  Such exchanges among users and vendor could lead to improved product development.

c.  It also provides good opportunities for professional development.

 

5.  The Library should begin planning for the enhancement and expansion of its electronic resources offerings.  Plans should get underway for the acquisitions of some specialized literature databases, notably CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) Plus with full-text.

Action and implications:

a.  The library through the acquisition of CINAHL would lend its support to a major university program.  This database was identified by both faculty and students in the interviews conducted.

b.  The full-text feature of the database which provides a number of nursing journals online may afford opportunity for select journal cancellations to defray expenditures.

 

6.  The library should begin investigating the acquisition of an e-journal directory and linking system such as Serials Solution or 1CATE.

Action and implications:

a.  Journal linking systems are open URLs which enable libraries to identify and manage journal titles available through subscribed electronic databases such as EBSCO and CINAHL, and permits integration of electronic serials into the integrated system or online catalog.  It is a major service improvement for the library user.  When a user finds a reference to a specific article, the linking system supplies the fastest path to the content with the collection.

b.  A journal linking system will be feasible when the library subscribes to a larger number of general access literature databases.

 

7.  In a similar vein, the library should explore the use of electronic reserves (e-reserves).

Action and implications:

a.  E-reserves have revolutionized the notion of the library as a place on university campuses.  E-reserves will allow students access to materials reserved for class use around the clock.  The library uses a scanning program such as Docutek to scan the items placed on reserve by the instructor.

b.  Such availability could in part negate some of the demand for extended hours and perhaps minimize vandalism and excising of book components.

c.  E-reserves popularity will increase the use of the library’s reserve service by the faculty.

d.  In implementing e-reserves, the library should follow copyright guidelines.

e.  Cost of Docutek is approximately $2300 annually.

 

8.  The services of the Audio Visual Center and the Digital Media Center should be merged into a Media Center.

Action and implications:

a.  Both of these centers are doing commendable jobs and the university and library can only profit from their consolidation.  The combination will simplify library organization and possibly realize some economies in management.

b.  Staff exchange and integration will only enhance the technical expertise available on the campus.

c.  Media services and library systems are distinctive functions and should be addressed in any plans for library reorganization.

d.  Internet access stations should  be located throughout the library and not be limited to the AV Center.

 

9.  Access to the internet should be available on terminals located throughout the library.  These should require an authorized log-in and thereby be available only to Bethlehem University affiliates.  A few terminals accessing LibSys and, perhaps, EBSCO should be available to visitors and non-affiliates without log-ins.

Action and implications:

a.  This recommendation is not without complications and frustrations.

b.  A modern academic library should give high visibility to internet access. Use of the internet is a necessity for today’s students and information seekers.

c.  Unfortunately, gaming, emailing, and cyber-surfing are hard facts of life in the information age.  Controlling such behavior is daunting and can probably be achieved only by entreaty.  Signs imposing time-limits, or stating that “academic work takes precedence over surfing” work 50% of the time.  The library’s monitoring of students’ use of computers implies censorship and should be invoked only when absolutely necessary.  Often students themselves are the best enforcers of the rules.

 

10.  A wireless environment for network connectivity within the library building should be explored.

Action and implications:

a.  More and more libraries are expected to provide a wireless environment for laptop owners and users.  This expectation will only grow as laptops become more common.

b.  A wireless environment will negate the need for the library to ration and or police the use of their computers and for the constant installation of network ports.

c.  In connection with a wireless environment, the library may also want to look into the feasibility of a modest laptop loaning service.

 

11.  Library hours of operation should be extended after some study.

Action and implications:

a.  Surprisingly there is no ground-swell of demand for extended hours.  Some serious students as well as faculty speaking for their students urged longer library hours of opening.  Most students and faculty recognize the exigency of closing the campus at 4 p.m., but there is an articulate group who think the policy should be revisited.

b. The question for the library is either to extend the weekday hours to 5 p.m. (no one suggested a later time), have Saturday hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or both.

c.  The matter needs study.  Initially it appears that undergraduates in professional programs with clinicals want a weekday extension, while graduate students ask for Saturday.  Unless the library is unable to experiment with both options, it should survey the students to determine whether weekday extensions or Saturday hours are more valued.  As one faculty member stated, “library hours should be extended. Once hours are extended added use will catch on.”

d.  The experiment should be widely publicized and the extended hours should be followed for a semester minimally.  Headcounts of users actually in the library at selected times should be recorded.

 

12.  Some arrangement—either incorporation into the print shop or out-sourcing—should be made for the bindery.  The library, however, may continue doing minor book repairs primarily for its Arabic collection.

Action and implications:

a.  Binderies located on site in academic libraries are rare.  Most libraries contract for their binding.  University plans for the space currently occupied by the bindery prompts a reconsideration of bindery operations at Bethlehem University.  It would appear that the space could be better utilized for the library program. 

b.  A merger of the bindery with the print shop appears initially to be feasible.

c.  One could investigate what bindery services are used by other libraries in the area.

d.  A minor book repair operation should remain primarily to mend the Arabic books that need attention after a few uses.

 

13.  The Library Skills course is a success but addressing a number of problems could lead to its improvement.

Action and implications:

a. The name of the course should be changed to denote greater inclusiveness of modern and electronic resources.  Information Literacy, Information Fluency, Information Services, and Information Competency are all possible monikers.

b.  The library should work to involve more staff in the conduct of the course.

c.  Faculty need to be made more aware of the purpose and content of the course in order to build on its usefulness for upper division instruction. As one instructor remarked, “there is a three-year lapse between the initial exposure to the course and the time when it is probably most beneficial to the students.”  Another stated, “library skills are good but students also need some specialized training in subject area as well. Advanced sessions for upper level and graduate students could build on basic course.”

d.  Course is pass/fail.  Students and most faculty agree that the course should carry one-hour credit.

 

14.  There appears to be no need for an Education Curriculum Materials Center within the Library.

Action and implications:

a.  This is a defensive non-recommendation.  Colleges and university libraries that support elementary education programs are frequently, and often unexpectedly, requested to provide a special curriculum materials center.  In the case of Bethlehem University, this service is maintained within the department and the faculty also avail themselves of the resources of the Pontifical Mission Library.  Let the record note that the faculty members of the department are currently pleased to manage their own resources for the use of the students.

 

15.  The Arabic and English book and monograph collections should be interfiled.

Action and implications:

a.  Fortunately for the library, this sound pedagogical recommendation came from the reviewer of the Arabic Department program.  The library should seize it as an   opportunity.

b.  The interfiling arrangement will also afford the library an opportunity for better management of interstitial growth of its collection.

 

16.  More attention should be paid to international copyright conventions and rules.

Action and implications:

a.  Campus wide there appears to be a cavalier attitude to international copyright regulations and the ownership of intellectual property.

b.  More attention must be paid to “fair use.”

c.  It is advised that media which has not been purchased but has been recorded off-air should not be cataloged as part of the library’s collection.  The bibliographic records for these items should not be entered into the database of any library cooperative which Bethlehem University may join in the future.

 

17.  The Librarians and library staff should be factored into any University efforts for Continuing Professional Development.

Action and implications:

a.   In the Information Age the University should recognize the library personnel as key players on the campus embracing technology.

b.   Plans or allocations of any funding for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) should include the library.  There should be recognition of librarians and technicians as academic staff working in concert with faculty in the academic programs of the university. They should be included in professional development efforts such as faculty development days.

 

18.  Any Future Plans for modernizing or renovating the library building should provide for group study room(s). 

Action and implications:

a.  For better or for worse, group study among students has become an academic fact of life.  It is particularly prevalent among professional studies, i.e., nursing, accounting, etc. b.  Among its various purposes, academic libraries have traditionally served as study halls for students and should adjust to this phenomenon.

c.  Meanwhile, the library might consider using the low-used faculty study room as a group study room which can be reserved upon request.

19.  Students requested that the book loan period be extended beyond ten days.  Three weeks check-out was suggested and should be considered.

 

20.  The library should develop a disaster plan.

Action and implications:

a.  Unfortunately, considering the potential for conflict in this region, an outside reviewer will have grave concerns about library disasters.

b.  The library should wisely have a plan for responding to disasters that seem probable.  The plan should identify agencies or businesses that can be called upon to conserve, preserve, or restore materials that could be damaged in a catastrophe.

            In conclusion, this report points to a pressing need for greater cooperation worldwide among the LaSallian colleges’ and universities’ libraries.  For the reviewer, it is a revelation that comes at the end of a career—23 years spent in a college sponsored by the Brothers for the Christian Schools.  It seems so elementary to imagine the academic LaSallian libraries in North America and Europe rising to extend a hand to the Brothers’ colleges and universities in Asia, Africa, and the third world generally.  Pressing questions of access to resources particularly in the age of the internet and worldwide telecommunications could be easily resolved in the interests of the underserved.  It is a matter for those responsible for the governance of the LaSallian institutions to address and perhaps formalize a libraries’ resource-sharing network.  There is a solution ready to solve a problem.

 

Harry E. Welsh, Director
Mary Alice and Tom O’Malley Library
Manhattan College
Riverdale NY  10471
June 5, 2006