DLS Guidelines Survey

The purpose of this survey is to determine how the ACRL Standards for Distance Learning Library Services are being utilized in libraries which serve academic programs delivered at a distance. Thank you.

Survey Questions:

1. What is your title?

2. What is your role in providing distance learning library services to students at your institution?

3. What programs or degrees are offered to distant learners at your institution?

number of undergraduate programs
number of graduate programs
number of certificate programs
other (please explain)

4. Are you aware of the ACRL Standards for Distance Learning Library Services?
Yes No Comments Below:

5. Does your library use the Standards for planning, implementing or budgeting distance learning library services?
Yes No Comments Below:

6. Does your institution's administration recognize and/or utilize the Standards in strategic planning?
Yes No Comments Below:

7. How are distance learning library services funded at your institution? Check all that apply

No additional funding; absorbed by library's general budget
Additional funding added to the library's general budget due to increased costs for distance learning services
Funded as a separate line item in library's budget
Funded by a fee assessed to each student in distance education programs
Funded by Department of Distance and Continuing Education (or whatever it's called at your institution)
Co-funded by Library and DCE Department
Other (please describe)

8. The ACRL Standards for Distance Learning Library Services address seven areas: Management, Finances, Personnel, Facilities, Resources, Services, and Documentation. Listed below are the key points of each area. Based on your perusal of the attached information (contained below this survey), and/or your prior familiarity with the Guidelines, please rate each section on a scale of 1 (Not at All) to 5 (Fully) based on your institution's practices.

a. Management	1	2	3	4	5
b. Finances	1	2	3	4	5
c. Personnel	1	2	3	4	5
d. Facilities	1	2	3	4	5
e. Resources	1	2	3	4	5
f. Services	1	2	3	4	5
g. Documentation	1	2	3	4	5

9. Comments:

Management

The chief administrative officers and governance organizations of the originating institution bear the fiscal and administrative responsibilities, through the active leadership of the library administration, to fund, staff, and supervise library services and resources in support of distance learning programs. As the principal and direct agent of implementation, the librarian-administrator should, minimally:

assess and articulate, on an ongoing basis, both the electronic and traditional library resource needs of the distance learning community, the services provided them, including instruction, and the facilities utilized;
prepare a written profile of the distance learning community's information needs; develop a written statement of immediate and long-range goals and objectives for distance learning, which addresses the needs and outlines the methods by which progress can be measured;
promote the incorporation of the distance learning goals and objectives into those of the library and of the originating institution as a whole;
involve distance learning community representatives, including administrators, faculty, and students, in the formation of the objectives and the regular evaluation of their achievement;
assess, using the written profile of needs, the existing library support for distance learning, its availability, and appropriateness;
prepare and/or revise collection development and acquisitions policies to reflect the profile of needs;
participate with administrators, library subject specialists, and teaching faculty in the curriculum development process and in course planning for distance learning to ensure that appropriate library resources and services are available;
promote library support services to the distance learning community;
survey regularly distance learning library users to monitor and assess both the appropriateness of their use of services and resources and the degree to which needs are being met;
initiate dialog leading to cooperative agreements and possible resource sharing and/or compensation for unaffiliated libraries;
develop methodologies for the provision of library materials and services from the library and/or from branch campus libraries or learning centers to the distance learning community;
develop partnerships with computing services departments to provide the necessary automation support for the distance learning community;
pursue, implement, and maintain all the preceding in the provision of a facilitating environment in support of teaching and learning.

Finances

The originating institution should provide continuing, optimum financial support for addressing the library needs of the distance learning community sufficient to meet the specifications given in other sections of these Standards, and in accordance with the appropriate ACRL Standards and with available professional, state, or regional accrediting agency specifications. This financing should be:

related to the formally defined needs and demands of the distance learning program;
allocated on a schedule matching the originating institution's budgeting cycle;
designated and specifically identified within the originating institution's budget and expenditure reporting statements;
accommodated to arrangements involving external agencies, including both unaffiliated and affiliated, but independently supported, libraries;
sufficient to cover the type and number of services provided the distance learning community;
sufficient to support innovative approaches to meeting needs.

Personnel

Personnel involved in the management and coordination of distance learning library services include the chief administrators and governance organizations of the originating institution and the library administration and other personnel as appropriate, the librarian-coordinator managing the services, the library subject specialists, additional professional staff in the institution, support staff from a variety of departments, and the administrator(s), librarian(s), and staff from the distance learning site(s). The originating institution should provide, either through the library or directly to separately administered units, professional and support personnel with clearly defined responsibilities at the appropriate location(s) and in the number and quality necessary to attain the goals and objectives for library services to the distance learning program including:

a librarian-administrator to plan, implement, coordinate, and evaluate library resources and services addressing the information needs of the distance learning community;
additional professional and/or support personnel on site with the capacity and skills to identify informational needs of distance learning library users and respond to them directly;
classification, status, and salary scales for distance learning library personnel that are equivalent to those provided for other comparable library employees while reflecting the compensation levels and cost of living for those residing at distance learning sites;
opportunities for continuing growth and development for distance learning library personnel, including continuing education, professional education, and participation in professional and staff organizations.

Facilities

The originating institution should provide facilities, equipment, and communication links sufficient in size, number, scope, accessibility, and timeliness to reach all students and to attain the objectives of the distance learning programs. Arrangements may vary and should be appropriate to programs offered. Examples of suitable arrangements include but are not limited to:

access to facilities through agreements with a non-affiliated library;
designated space for consultations, ready reference collections, reserve collections, electronic transmission of information, computerized data base searching and interlibrary loan services, and offices for the library distance learning personnel;
a branch or satellite library;
virtual services, such as Web pages, Internet searching, using technology for electronic connectivity.

Resources

The originating institution is responsible for providing or securing convenient, direct physical and electronic access to library materials for distance learning programs equivalent to those provided in traditional settings and in sufficient quality, depth, number, scope, currentness, and formats to:

meet the students' needs in fulfilling course assignments (e.g., required and supplemental readings and research papers) and enrich the academic programs;
meet teaching and research needs;and
accommodate other informational needs of the distance learning community as appropriate.

Services

The library services offered to the distance learning community should be designed to meet effectively a wide range of informational, bibliographic, and user needs. The exact combination of central and site staffing for distance learning library services will differ from institution to institution. The following, though not necessarily exhaustive, are essential:

reference assistance;
computer-based bibliographic and informational services;
reliable, rapid, secure access to institutional and other networks including the Internet;
consultation services;
a program of library user instruction designed to instill independent and effective information literacy skills while specifically meeting the learner-support needs of the distance learning community;
assistance with nonprint media and equipment;
reciprocal or contractual borrowing, or interlibrary loan services using broadest application of fair use of copyrighted materials;
prompt document delivery such as a courier system and/or electronic transmission;
access to reserve materials in accordance with copyright fair use policies;
adequate service hours for optimum access by users;
promotion of library services to the distance learning community, including documented and updated policies, regulations and procedures for systematic development, and management of information resources.

Documentation

To provide records indicating the degree to which the originating institution is meeting these Standards in providing library services to its distance learning programs, the library, and when appropriate, the distance learning library units, should have available current copies of at least the following:

printed user guides;
statements of mission and purpose, policies, regulations, and procedures;
statistics on library use; statistics on collections; facilities assessment measures;
collections assessment measures;data on staff and work assignments;
institutional and internal organization charts; comprehensive budget(s);
professional personnel vitae; position descriptions for all personnel;
formal, written agreements; automation statistics; guides to computing services;
library evaluation studies or documents; library and other instructional materials and schedules; and
evidence of involvement in curriculum development and planning.

Revised April 6, 2000
http://caspian.switchinc.org/~distlearn/guidelines/dlssurvey.html