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Section IX:  Libraries

I.            Mission and Roles

Mission:

        The Libraries support the University’s mission by ensuring that students and faculty can both identify and obtain the materials that sustain their scholarly activities. The Libraries are developing a client-centered library where learning is supported beyond the boundaries of place, time, and resource format in accord with the highest standards of librarianship, scholarship, and service.

Roles:

§          The Libraries develop and maintain collections and electronic resources that support the University’s curriculum and broadly enhance both learning and teaching throughout the disciplines.

§          The Libraries help students, faculty and other members of Western’s community identify, obtain and evaluate materials necessary for scholarship, both from Western’s collections and other sources.

§            The Libraries provide leadership to Western’s community in the development of students’ information literacy through formal and informal instruction.

§            The Libraries incorporate the principles of intellectual freedom into all activities, insuring a protected forum for the sharing and development of ideas representing diverse points of view on all subjects.

§            The Libraries acknowledge and support the University’s goals for diversity by strengthening collections that enhance understanding.

§            The Libraries serve the broader community with government information and publications and, whenever possible, with academic resources not available elsewhere in the region.

II.          Organization and Governance

        Library collections are located in Wilson Library, Haggard Hall (Wilson/Haggard) and the Music Library located in the Performing Arts Center.  Library services are provided by faculty, staff, and student assistants.  Operations and services are administered by the University Librarian, who reports to the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs.

III.        Intellectual Freedom

        The Libraries endorse and follow the principles of intellectual freedom set forth in the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights and interpreted in such documents as its Freedom to Read policy[1] and the Association of College and Research Libraries’ Intellectual Freedom Principles for Academic Libraries[2]. Intellectual freedom protects the right of the library faculty to select materials representing all points of view.  The Libraries are committed to resisting attempts to censor information and to upholding the library users' right to privacy.

IV.      Academic Freedom

        All members of the library faculty are entitled to academic freedom as defined in the 1940 Statement of Principles of Academic Freedom and Tenure formulated by the Association of American Colleges and the American Association of University Professors.

V.        The Faculty

        A.   Professional Qualifications

              Appointment to the Library Faculty requires the master’s degree in library science or its professional equivalent from a library school accredited by the American Library Association. It is the appropriate terminal professional degree for academic librarians."  (Approved as policy by the Board of Directors of the Association of College and Research Libraries, a division of the American Library Association, on January 23, 1975.)  The historical or foreign equivalent of the master's degree in library science is also acceptable.  Additional degrees, certifications and/or experience may be required, depending on specific position responsibilities.

B.  Principles Used for Appointment and Promotion

              Library faculty members are appointed and evaluated on the basis of attainment in three areas:  librarianship, scholarship, and service which we define as follows:

Librarianship is the performance of responsibilities in reference and instructional service, collection development, bibliographic organization and control of collections, information systems design and implementation, or library management as specified in the individual Professional Position Description. Effective librarianship is the essential requirement for all the academic ranks – Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and Professor.

              Scholarship is the integration and application of inquiry, discovery and research. Evidence of scholarly activity may include but is not limited to:  publication of articles, books, bibliographies, indexes, reviews, instructional materials, software, or professional association or administrative documents; contributions at conferences such as papers and panel participation; production and presentation of media programs; preparation of exhibits; editorial activity; grants, awards, fellowships, and contracts; preparing and conducting workshops, institutes, or courses.

              Service is contributions to the profession, the academic community, and the interests of the University, including, but not limited to:  active participation in local, state, or national professional and learned societies; consulting; serving as a member of a team of experts, review committee, or similar body; successful service on library, departmental or University-wide committees and teams; participation in institutional governance; and appropriate professional involvement in the community.

C.      Criteria for Rank and Promotion

        D.   Annual Evaluation

        The basis for annual evaluation is the individual written activity report containing a record of accomplishments in librarianship, scholarship, and service, and a follow-up conference with the University Librarian.

        Reviews are intended to assist professional growth and to evaluate potential for promotion, tenure, and merit.

E.   Professional Performance/Development Review

All tenured faculty are reviewed through a formal process in accordance with this Handbook. Eligibility for general merit salary step increases is based on performance since the last successful professional performance/development review. Performance must be at least “satisfactory” in the area of Librarianship and in one of the other two areas, Scholarship and Service. Faculty receiving an unsatisfactory evaluation in Librarianship shall be given help from the institution to achieve a satisfactory evaluation and shall be evaluated for Librarianship again the next year.

Special merit is awarded for performance beyond the normal professional growth recognized by general merit awards and is based on evidence since the last Special Merit increase.

        F.    Library Faculty Evaluation Committee

        The Library Faculty Evaluation Committee reviews evidence in support of and makes recommendations to the University Librarian concerning retention, promotion, tenure, professional performance/ development, merit, and emeritus status.

        The Committee consists of three tenured library faculty members elected by the library faculty.   Elected members of the Library Faculty Evaluation Committee serve for three years, with terms staggered to permit the election of one member every year.  The senior member serves as Chair.

        The annual election is conducted by the current Library Faculty Evaluation Committee by the end of Spring Quarter.  The committee will seek nominations.  Individual library faculty members may nominate themselves or others. The election will be held by secret ballot.  The person receiving the highest number of votes is elected to the Committee.  The person receiving the next highest number of votes is designated the alternate for that year, serving on the Committee only when one of the elected members is being reviewed for retention, promotion, or merit.  A special election will be conducted by the current Committee when an unscheduled vacancy occurs.

         G.  Retention, Promotion, and Tenure

              1.   Peer Review

                    The Chair of the Library Faculty Evaluation Committee requests that all library faculty members submit written evaluations to the Committee. Tenured library faculty members are required to participate in evaluation.  Evaluations from non-tenured library faculty members are invited but not required. The timetable for the peer review will be set by the Library Faculty Evaluation Committee in consultation with the University Librarian, taking into account the due dates determined by the academic administrative calendar for forwarding required reports and/or files to the Provost.

                    Evaluators must address each of the three categories: Librarianship, Scholarship and Service and should give as specific evidence as possible in support of their assessments. In the case of review of tenured faculty members, evaluators must additionally rate the performance of the person being evaluated as “Satisfactory,” “Unsatisfactory” or “Superior” in each of the three categories.

                    The Library Faculty Evaluation Committee forwards the evaluations along with its summary and recommendation to the University Librarian.  All deliberations of this Committee are to be regarded as confidential in accordance with section IX of the Faculty Handbook.

              2.   University Librarian’s Recommendations

                    The University Librarian’s recommendation is discussed by the University Librarian with the individual being reviewed prior to forwarding to the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs.

         H.  Candidate’s Supporting Materials

A current resume and Professional Position Description are required for the evaluation process.  Other supporting materials must also be provided; these may include, but are not limited to:

1.    Edited versions of, or extracts from, annual activity reports.

2.    Copies of published works, such as books, journal articles, book reviews, papers published in proceedings, in any format.

3.    Copies of in-house publications, such as research guides, informational handouts, and bibliographies, in any format.

4.    Copies of reports issued by review committees; newsletters or other publications of University committees, policy statements, or findings of library committees or task forces; grant proposals; administrative documents, such as manuals or data spread sheets.

5.    Descriptions of participation in special projects.

6.    Samples of work performed in the course of duties, e.g. policies, procedure manuals, technical documentation, course syllabi and other instruction-related documentation.

7.    Evaluations of instruction or workshop performance.  Both formal and informal evaluations of bibliographic instruction may be used, including formal student evaluations for those librarians who teach classes, letters from faculty and students, evaluation questionnaires, etc.  Normal university teaching assessment measures will be used whenever applicable.

8.    Letters or statements of support from non-library faculty, staff, students, administrators, community representatives, or others.

9.    Unique supporting materials in any form.

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