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Jocelyn Sanders, Accreditation Liaison
Karen Adsit, Steering Committee Chair
106 Race Hall
Dept #5405
615 McCallie Avenue
Chattanooga, TN 37403

(423)425-4515
(423)425-4088 fax

Jocelyn-Sanders@utc.edu
Karen-Adsit@utc.edu

Technical Support
Michael Miller, Web Development Assistant
Chris Tanis, Web Development Specialist
206A Founders Hall
Dept #5405
615 McCallie Avenue
Chattanooga, TN 37403

(423)425-5689 (Miller)
(423)425-4009 (Tanis)

Michael-Z-Miller@utc.edu
Chris-Tanis@utc.edu

Home / SACS Accreditation / 2.9 Learning Resources and Services...

2.9 Learning Resources and Services

The institution, through ownership or formal arrangements or agreements, provides and supports student and faculty access and user privileges to adequate library collections and services and to other learning/information resources consistent with the degrees offered. Collections, resources, and services are sufficient to support all its educational, research, and public service programs.

Judgement of Compliance:

Compliance

Narrative:

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) owns and operates Lupton Library, which provides student and faculty access and user privileges to collections, resources, and services in support of the degrees offered by UTC and its educational, research, and public service programs.

The mission of UTC’s Lupton Library is:

to provide access to the information and materials that support the teaching, research and public service programs of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The Library supports these programs by acquiring, organizing, managing, and preserving scholarly information in its own collections; by providing access to scholarly information which it does not own and which may be located elsewhere; by offering a variety of supportive reference and instruction services to the students, faculty and staff of the University; and by sharing information resources reciprocally with other libraries and institutions in the area, state, region, and nation. The Lupton Library endeavors to provide leadership in the access, management, and use of scholarly information; to review and improve each of its programs and collections continuously; to budget its finite resources creatively; to secure sources of funding and other resources outside the normal state allocation process; and to apply technology dutifully in service of scholarship.

Lupton Library is an engaged campus partner and an active participant in UTC’s strategic planning, institutional effectiveness, and data-driven assessment efforts. Lupton Library’s culture is one of collaboration and transparency with a commitment to providing quality, innovative services and collections to UTC students and faculty. In 2008-2009, 87.9 percent of responding students and faculty were satisfied with the Library’s overall collections, services, and facilities. A new library, of 180,000 square feet, is in the building phase. Additional information about UTC’s Lupton Library is available at online at the library homepage.

Library Facility
Lupton Library is a three-story building with 116,000 usable square feet. The facility opened in 1974. The gate count for the 2008-2009 academic year was the highest in history as the Library welcomed 375,713 patrons. Lupton Library provides seating for over 700 patrons and a total of 130 desktop and laptop computers for patron use. UTC recently broke ground on a new library that is scheduled to open in January of 2012. Detailed information about Lupton Library’s current facility, as well as the new facility, can be found in section 3.8.1.

Library Collections
To meet the Library’s mission, faculty and staff acquire and provide access to bibliographic and information resources in all formats at the undergraduate and graduate levels, as appropriate to the degrees offered by the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga.

Physical Collections
The physical holdings of Lupton Library include over 2 million books, current and bound periodicals, films, audio recordings, and microfilm. All materials are cataloged, arranged by Library of Congress call number, and located on open shelves. Of note is the fact that the Lupton Library is a depository of state-approved textbooks, a rotating collection (older titles replaced by newly approved books on an eight year cycle) of K-12 textbooks and other materials approved for use in Tennessee classrooms. Additional and detailed information on library collections is tracked as part of the Association of College and Research Libraries annual survey. Lupton Library’s physical collections, as of July 1, 2009 include:

596,000 books and bound volumes
688 current print and microfilm subscriptions
1,311,974 microfilm units
9,461 audio materials
9,758 films
60 laptops, 30 IPod Touches, Kindles, cameras, and other circulating pieces of equipments.

Online Collections
Lupton Library’s online collections are rising in number with over 100,000 online books, numerous streaming films and music files, almost 2,000 direct online journal subscriptions, and 140 online databases and journal packages. Access to online resources is available to patrons alphabetically, by subject, and by format. Database subscriptions include ABI Inform, ArtStor, CINAHL, Engineering Village2, JSTOR, Lexis-Nexis, MathSciNet, Project Muse, PsycArticles, SciFinder Scholar, West Campus Research, and Web of Science, among others. Access to online collections is available 24/7 via Lupton Library’s proxy server and is facilitated through Lupton Library’s Open-URL resolver. Lupton Library’s online collections, as of July 1, 2009 include:

100,527 electronic books
142 indexes and databases
1,956 online subscriptions
25,554 full text journal titles
Numerous streaming media and audio files

Special Collections
Lupton Library’s Special Collections houses, preserves, and provides access to historical items and collections, particularly those that relate to UTC, Chattanooga, State of Tennessee, and the South. Many collections contain unique, primary resource materials unavailable elsewhere. UTC’s Special Collections are comprised of

1) Manuscripts, Personal Papers, and Local History: includes over 100 collections, occupying over 600 linear feet. Topics include regional events, places and people, the Civil War, Cherokees, UTC, and Chattanooga. Other collections focus on literature, politics, religion, and art. Collections often include correspondence, drafts of published works, memorabilia, and business and work-related documents.

2) Rare Books: includes over 7,000 books, many of which date back multiple centuries. The Collection is searchable through the Library’s catalog, and items are retrieved for in-house use upon request. Significant titles in the Rare Book Collection include the landmark first edition of The Dictionary of the English Language, by Dr. Samuel Johnson (London, 1755), and two plays by William Shakespeare, extracted from the 1623 2nd Folio: The Twelfth Night and Tymon of Athens. The Rare Book Collection also contains many Civil War books and rare regimental histories. Books by local authors such as Robert Sparks Walker (1878-1960) and Emma Bell Miles (1879-1919) are housed in the Rare Book Collection, as are illustrated books by UTC alumnus and world-renowned illustrator, Barry Moser.

3) University Archives: includes documents and records of Chattanooga University (1886-1889), US Grant University (1889-1907), University of Chattanooga (1907-1969), and University of Tennessee, Chattanooga (1969- present). There are also items pertaining to Zion College and the Chattanooga City College. The collection occupies over 700 linear feet and includes such items as photographs, yearbooks, master's theses and honors papers; the school’s student newspaper, The Echo; and past course catalogs, bulletins, and curriculum requests.

4) The Fellowship of Southern Writers Collection: The Fellowship of Southern Writers was founded in 1987 by 26 distinguished Southern writers. The Fellowship meets biennially during the Conference on Southern Literature. Lupton Library maintains a collection of members' books, the Arlie Herron Collection of the Fellowship of Southern Writers, as well as documentation of past conferences and meetings.

Satellite Collections
The holdings of the Grayson H. Walker Teaching Resource Center (WTRC) are available via the Lupton Library’s catalog. Holdings include monographs, videos, and software focused on topics related to teaching, learning, strategies, and practices. Materials are available for check out to faculty, and staff. WTRC maintains a set of articles on selected teaching, learning, and technology topics and circulates technology to faculty such as video cameras, student response systems, microphones, iPods, and iPod microphones. Additional information about the WTRC is available in Comprehensive Standard 3.7.3, Faculty Development.

Collections: Methodology, Relevance, and Assessment
Librarians partner with faculty from each academic department in order to ensure that library collections are relevant and adequate to support UTC degrees, student and faculty research, and public programs. This task is accomplished through a variety of means.

Collection Development Methodology
Collection development at UTC is a shared responsibility between librarians and faculty. In 2007, Lupton Library implemented a Library Liaison Program to enhance collection development and communication efforts. Each academic department is assigned a Library Liaison who serves as an information conduit between the department and the library regarding new collections and services. Library Liaisons select, gather, and order material for assigned departments for the one-time purchase of new materials. Collection development funds for the one-time purchase of books and media are allocated annually. Collection development funds for ongoing serial and databases expenditures are encumbered at the start of each fiscal year. Lupton Library has developed a Collection Development Manual to document existing policies and procedures.

Relevance, Adequacy, and Assessment of Collections
In addition to informal input received from faculty and students, collection relevance and adequacy is determined through the means listed below.

Support for New Classes and Programs

Lupton Library faculty, through service on the Faculty Senate, have the opportunity to hear and comment on all undergraduate and graduate curriculum proposals to ensure appropriate library materials and resources are available. The Dean of the Library is an ex-officio member of the Faculty Senate, the Library has one permanent faculty seat, and library faculty have the ability to serve as at-large members.
The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) requires that all new degree programs address support for library and information needs. Attached is the recent proposal prepared by Lupton Library regarding a potential new Doctorate in Nursing.
Lupton Library supports an annual grant, called the Library Enhancement Initiative. Each year faculty may apply for up to $1,000 for the one-time purchase of materials to develop collections, to support new classes and research interests, or to enhance an existing collection.

Support for Existing Classes and Programs.

Lupton Library faculty members gather and review current collection usage statistics for the physical and online collections on a schedule that varies for each collection:
Lupton Library’s Electronic Resource Committee reviews usage statistics annually prior to any database renewals
Online collection statistics, for collections to which UTC has yearly subscriptions, are reviewed two-three months prior to the renewal month
Online collection statistics, for collections which UTC owns and has perpetual access, are reviewed yearly
Physical collection statistics, for collections to which UTC has subscriptions, are reviewed each semester
Physical collection statistics, for collections we own, are reviewed yearly.
Lupton Library prepares reports for all departmental accreditation and program reviews and usually participates in the corresponding site visit. These reports provide information concerning support of the library holdings for the degrees offered at the University.
Lupton Library produces an Annual Library Survey that assesses satisfaction with collections, services, and facilities. Satisfaction with physical collection is up, but patrons would like additional online journal and database access.
Each Fall and Spring semester, Lupton Library produces an online newsletter that highlights new services, collections, personnel, and projects. The library also produces a monthly bathroom newsletter.
The Faculty Senate’s Library Committee meets annually to review the library budget, collections, and other timely library topics.

Peer Collection and Funding Support Comparisons
When compared to its THEC peers, Tennessee Board of Regents Colleges (TBR), and other University of Tennessee (UT) campuses, Lupton Library ranks 13th among these 21 institutions in print volumes held per FTE and 19th in print volumes being added per FTE.

When comparing collection expenditures to those of THEC peers, TBR Colleges, and UT campuses show, Lupton Library is 12th of 21 institutions in collection expenditures per FTE. The average expenditure for the libraries in this group is $181.30 per FTE while UTC spends an average of $147.50 per FTE.

While the Library’s collections budget is adequate to support current faculty and student teaching and research, the Library frequently receives requests for new, ongoing subscriptions (primarily databases and serials) from faculty and staff.

Resources
Lupton Library receives an annual allocation from the Division of Academic Affairs to support its operations. As of July 1, 2009, the annual budget for the Library is $2,335,940. In addition, Lupton Library has numerous restricted accounts that support collections, and it receives one-time fund allocations from Academic Affairs.
The Library’s budget is distributed in the following manner:

Faculty and staff salaries	$1,166,602.00	49.94%
Student salaries	$61,000.00	2.61%
Collection expenditures	$1,005,607.00	43.05%
Other operating	$102,713.00	4.40%
Total	$2,335,922.00	100.00%

Peer Budget Comparisons
When comparing Lupton Library’s total library expenditures per FTE students to those of its THEC peers, TBR, and UT peers, Lupton Library is 14st among these 21 institutions in funding.

Consortium Activities and Shared Resources
Lupton Library is a member of the following consortia and works cooperatively with a range of libraries to enhance collections and resource sharing, including University of Tennessee System, Tennessee Board of Regents System, Tenn-Share, Lyrasis, OCLC, and Rapid ILL. These cooperative relationships allow Lupton Library to further support UTC degree programs by making available important resources from other strong programs.

University of Tennessee System
The University of Tennessee System (UT) is comprised of five campuses: UT Chattanooga, UT Knoxville, UT Martin, UT Memphis – Health Science Center, and the UT Space Institute. Librarians from each campus meet twice a year to discuss cooperative ventures, campus events, and new ideas. Direct borrowing is available to any current UT students, faculty, and staff at any campus. UT libraries jointly license three online resources, including the Web of Science.

Tennessee Board of Regents
The Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) is comprised of six four-year state institutions and thirteen technical and two-year colleges. UT library directors meet once a year with TBR colleagues to discuss cooperative ventures, campus events, and new ideas. Direct borrowing is available between UTC and all TBR institutions.

Tenn-Share
Tenn-Share is comprised of close to 600 Tennessee libraries, museums, archives, and information agencies committed to resource sharing and providing quality information sources to citizens of Tennessee. Tenn-Share, in conjunction with the State Library, provides state-wide access to TEL, the Tennessee Electronic Library. TEL funds access to 33 databases to all state libraries and includes such titles as Academic One File, Literature Resource Center, and Heritage Quest Online. In addition to TEL, Tenn-Share personnel coordinate other consortia database purchases. Tenn-Share hosts an annual conference and a DataFest each Fall and works with the Tennessee Library Association to provide access to training and other professional development opportunities. Tenn-Share initiated the development of Volunteer Voices, an Institute for Museum and Library Services grant funded project, to preserve and share Tennessee history and culture with the world.

Lyrasis and Online Public Access Catalog (OCLC)
Lyrasis is the nation’s largest regional membership organization serving libraries and information professionals. OCLC is a worldwide library cooperative committed to improving access to the information held in libraries around the world. Cataloging and interlibrary loans services are provided to Lupton Library by OCLC via Lyrasis. Lyrasis also provides cost savings through group purchasing for products and services. Lyrasis and Tenn-Share partner on numerous group database subscriptions. Lyrasis also offers a range of professional development opportunities for library faculty and staff.

Rapid ILL
Rapid ILL is a unique resource sharing system, designed by the Interlibrary Loan staff at Colorado State University Libraries to provide very fast, cost effective article requesting and delivery. Over 180 libraries from around the country participate in Rapid ILL for an annual fee. All participants agree to respond to requests within 24 hours of receipt.

Library Services
Lupton Library provides a full array of library services to support UTC students and faculty. The Library strives to provide a convenient, constructive, and positive experience to all patrons of Lupton Library services. Lupton Library success is revealed in student and faculty satisfaction in the Annual Library Survey and through increased service usage as expressed in our ACRL statistics in areas such as interlibrary loan and class instruction.

Personnel
Lupton Library engages 16 faculty librarians and 14 support staff specialists to support the UTC community. Detailed information about Lupton Library’s personnel can be found in section 3.8.3.

Circulation and Reserves Services
The Circulation Desk at Lupton Library is vibrant and provides all circulation and course reserve services. In addition to books, Lupton Library circulates films, music, and a variety of devices (60 laptops, 30 IPod Touches, 3 Kindles, 3 digital cameras, 3 calculators and more). Over the past year, the Library implemented a number of more convenient, patron- friendly policies. For example, the Library eliminated fines on overdue circulating books, extended borrowing periods, and reduced all processing fees. Total circulation, including books, audiovisuals, and equipment, is approaching 100,000 items per year. Lupton Library offers a well-utilized course reserve service for high demand materials in electronic and physical formats, as appropriate.

Interlibrary Loan Services
Lupton Library offers free interlibrary loan (ILL) service to students and faculty to acquire materials not owned by the Library. Lupton Library employs an electronic ILL management system, ILLiad, which allows patrons to submit and track the progress of requests, receive email notification of arrival dates, and receive articles electronically. Lupton Library is also an active participant in a program called Rapid ILL which expedites the delivery materials to patrons. The average turnaround time for article delivery is under three day. The average turnaround time for book delivery is under 10 days. In 2008-2009, the total number of items borrowed was 16,795, while the total items lent were 5,278. ILL is currently undertaking a pilot “buy not borrow” project for requested books meeting established criteria.

Instruction and Reference Services
Lupton Library has a robust Library Instruction program and supports two interactive classrooms, one with 28 networked desktops and the other with 25 laptops. In 2008-2009, librarians taught 353 courses and reached 6,304 students. Librarians work closely with faculty to design instruction sessions tailored to course and assignment objectives. Lupton Library’s Reference Desk is open 79.5 hours per week to assist faculty and students. In addition, Lupton Library offers instant messaging, email, and telephone reference services. Last year, the Reference Desk fielded 14,171 questions. One-on-one research consultations are available to patrons seeking in-depth research assistance. Lupton Library also staffs information desks on the 2nd and 3rd floors to assist patrons with finding physical materials. Detailed information about Lupton Library’s Instruction and Reference Services can be found in section 3.8.2.

Web Presence
Lupton Library has a vital and interactive web presence. In 2008-2009, the home page had close to 1.5 million unique visitors while the OPAC saw close to 400,000 visitors. In addition to standard content, the site includes interactive forms, rotating banner ads, and featured news links. Lupton Library launched a new home page in 2007 and is preparing to implement LibGuides, LibraryH3lp, and accessibility for mobile patrons. A new web page is being developed in preparation for the move to the new library facility.

Students with Disabilities
Lupton Library provides unique services to students with disabilities. A librarian serves as a liaison between the Library and the Office of Student Disabilities and is a member of UTC’s ADA Committee. Lupton Library houses a workstation equipped with assistive technology and software and offers assistance to patrons with its use. The Circulation Desk receives requests for book retrievals and assistance with photocopying.

Students at a Distance
Lupton Library provides unique services to distance education students. The Interlibrary Loan Department provides a registration process, so students can identify themselves as “distance” students to receive books through the mail. All articles are delivered electronically. Instruction sessions are taught via interactive software, and librarians travel to nearby distance sites to offer face-to-face instruction and orientation. Distance students use instant messaging, email, or telephone reference services.

Peer Service Comparisons
When compared to its THEC peers, TBR, and UT peers, Lupton Library is 10th among these 21 institutions in circulation per 1,000 FTE students.

When compared to its THEC peers, TBR, and UT peers, Lupton Library is 1st among these 21 institutions in ILL borrowing requests. This ranking means Lupton Library patrons borrow more materials on average than all our peers. The top ranking also speaks to UTC’s recent addition of several doctoral programs and a heightened emphasis on faculty and student research without corresponding increases in the collection budget.
Instruction and reference services comparisons are found in 3.8.2.

Lupton Library provides over sixty (60) computers equipped with a variety of software for word processing, desktop publishing, internet usage, multi-media uses, and other uses. Wireless laptop computers are available and may be checked-out for in-Library use only.

In summary, the UTC Lupton Library is vital to the success of the University’s academic programs. It provides and supports student and faculty access to adequate library collections and services as well as other learning/information resources. The Lupton Library offers support and services to enhance the degrees offered by UTC. The UTC Lupton Library collections, resources, and services are sufficient to support all educational, research, and public service programs at UTC.