Number
02.01.33
Division
Library
Date
June 16, 2015
Purpose
At UAH, the library supports the instructional, research and outreach programs of the students, faculty and staff by building both the print and electronic collections in order to provide access to resources that the university community needs to advance in academic excellence, research discovery and information exchange and by promoting the values of lifelong learning.
Policy

The following policies are designed so that library services and resources can best meet the information needs of students, faculty and researchers at UAH.

  1. Collection Development. The library strives to develop and manage a collection of materials that supports and enriches the current and anticipated instructional and research programs of the University and which meets the standards of accreditation set by SACSCOC. See Appendix A for detailed procedures
  2. User Services. The User Services department is responsible for patron access to services and materials as well as for general building operation.
    1. User Privileges. Access to services and materials in the library, fees and fines are based on a patron's privilege type. Unless otherwise specified, fines will be levied for all materials returned late and for lost/non-returned items. See Appendix B for details on access and privileges by patron type.
    2. Fines and Payments. Fines and fees are charged to ensure prompt return of materials and to cover the replacement of lost or damaged materials. Payment is handled according to University guidelines and audit recommendations. Library patrons may incur fees, fines or other pecuniary assessments that must be paid in full at the time they are billed. This debt to the Library will be held indefinitely until it is paid or until it is deemed uncollectible. See Appendix C for details on fines and payment procedures. Periodically, the Library Director may establish a designated fine and fee amnesty time period, at least once a year, during which Library staff will accept from cardholders overdue items loaned from the library with no fines assessed. This excludes charges for interlibrary loan services and materials; charges for lost or damaged items; or other Library-related non-overdue charges. Performance of service to the library to pay off fines may be allowed in certain situations.
    3. Academic Reserves. Instructors may ask that the library pull items from the collection and place them on reserve for students in a particular class. These items will have shorter loan periods and may in some cases may be restricted for use only in the library. See Appendix D for academic reserve procedures.
  3. Archives. The Archives and Special Collections department collects, organizes, preserves, and creates access for documents of historical value. The collections that are donated to the Archives department reflect the history of the university, and the history of Huntsville and related fields. The Archives accepts donations with an emphasis placed on materials which support the curricular and research needs of students and faculty at UAH. Materials may also be accepted which serve a reference or recreational purpose in areas peripheral to, or indirectly related to, the UAH curriculum. See Appendix E for specific Archives procedures.
    1. The Archives component of the department is the repository for official and unofficial records that document the history, policies, people, aims, achievements, and events of the university.
    2. The Special Collections component of the department supports research and teaching through the preservation of important documents related to the history of space and to the history of the Southeastern area.
  4. References and Information Services. The purpose of the Reference and Information Services department is to provide information, reference assistance, and research assistance in a timely manner to support the academic programs and research of the students, faculty, researchers, staff, and guests of UAH.
    1. Reference Transactions
      1. The primary transaction of the Reference department will be questions related to UAH – about the library collection, coursework, the campus itself, the history of the region, or any other topic as needed. Answers will be as honest and thorough as possible, regardless of the question or of the person asking, as long as this does not violate any other rule.
      2. The Reference librarian may determine that a question is beyond the purview of the reference department or is taking up too much time. Due to the vast variety of reference questions, there is no one fixed set of criteria on what is or is not in the purview; see also the section for “Questions not answerable.”
    2. Questions Not Answerable
      1. Questions that equate to the librarian doing school assignments for the student (including assignments not related to UAH). Continued insistence to have a librarian do one's homework can result in a report to the appropriate authorities and a potential flag against academic integrity.
      2. Questions of medical advice.
      3. Questions of legal advice.
      4. Questions that violate any law or contract, including, but not limited to, questions that would violate privacy, trademark, copyright, or license between the library and a vendor.
      5. Questions asked in a fraudulent manner, e.g., the patron lying about their UAH status in order to receive help.
      6. Questions asked in an abusive or harassing manner.
    3. Contacting the Reference Department
      1. The Reference department can be contacted in-person at the library reference desk, by phone, and by various methods of electronic communication (email, chat, etc.).
      2. Contacting subject specialists directly at their office extension or by their campus email is allowed and recommended for lengthier queries.
    4. Maintaining Patron Privacy
      1. The privacy of the patron will be maintained in regard to his or her reference questions.
      2. For certain types of transactions, some information about the patron will be seen (such as the patron's email address or phone number). This information will be available to the librarian but will not be recorded.
        1. Chat transactions can be anonymous, but information about the chat session (the name given, the IP address, and the device set-up) will be retained. This information can be used to see previous transactions with an individual, in order to better address their reference needs.
      3. In some situations, a reference question may need to be transferred to a third party for assistance. The patron will be notified before their question is transferred. Only information necessary to answer the question will be passed on.
      4. If a patron wishes to have their transaction removed from the system, an attempt will be made to remove any distinguishing information from the transaction.
    5. Reference Statistics
      1. Information about reference transactions (by type, location, method received, sources used, etc.) will be analyzed to determine collection development, instructional design, budget allocation appropriate service hours and staffing, following the guidelines of the Reference and User Services Association (a division of the American Library Association), 
    6. Special Considerations for Electronic Resources
      1. Electronic resources (i.e., digital resources, databases, etc) have special agreements between the library and the vendor which in general state that these resources may only be used by UAH affiliates and authorized guests.
        1. Some electronic resources may have a contractual stipulation that access is only from the UAH library or otherwise on-campus.
      2. Any attempt to retrieve a document by a non-UAH affiliate should come through interlibrary loan requests from the guest's host institution's library.
      3. Any special vendor restrictions, such as Harvard Business Review's exception to deep-linking, will be upheld by the department librarians. Librarians will not violate any other institution's agreements by attempting to access their electronic files except through official channels, such as interlibrary loan.
  5. Interlibrary Loan. The Interlibrary Loan Department, ILL, borrows books or copies of research materials not owned by the library for use by UAH faculty, students and staff. Persons not affiliated with the university should be referred to their local public library. See Appendix F for Interlibrary Loan procedures.

    Copyright Restrictions. The library follows the copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) when making photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted materials. The library will supply a copy on the condition that it is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research". Library staff members reserve the right to refuse a copying order if, in their judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.

  6. Library Instruction. The library instruction program supports the mission of the library and of UAH by helping students, faculty, and staff better understand what materials and services are offered by the library and librarians. Sessions provided by instruction librarians focus on promoting information literacy and on promoting life-long learning.
    1. Library Instruction Philosophy & Mission
      1. The UAH library is committed to its information literacy instructional efforts and goals. This is a key concept which focuses on understanding information and how this can benefit the students' academic and lifelong pursuits. Information literacy through library instruction is a key component to academic success and the library takes a holistic and embedded approach to this crucial educational element.
      2. Every library instruction class is designed around the subject at hand and built specifically for the information needs of the particular class and student.
      3. The library focuses on student centered learning, following complete instructional design methods and active, collaborative learning theories. Students will have active hands on assignments as well as collaborative practice, in addition to theory to help ground the information literacy practices in intellectual pursuits as well as practical knowledge. Every class and session will be built around Learning Outcomes to address the information literacy goals of the students and instructors. This will result in a solid start on their research project and an understanding of how to find, analyze and synthesize information for their research needs.
      4. The library instruction program follows the Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education, from the Association of College & Research Libraries (a division of the American Libraries Association), http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/informationliteracycompetency.
    2. Scheduling an Instructional Session
      1. UAH faculty, staff, students, other college faculty and high school instructors may schedule a library instruction session or library tour for their classes at the library. Information about instruction sessions and the request form can be found at http://libguides.uah.edu/libraryinstruction.
      2. Instructional sessions will not be cancelled without prior notice.
      3. Instructors may request follow-up sessions for specific class assignments.
    3. Informal Instruction.
      1. Instructional librarians are able to meet one on one for research assistance and active informed learning.
      2. Instructional librarians are available for in-class research assistance.
    4. Curriculum Design Assistance
      1. UAH librarians are available to help introduce information literacy competencies into an existing departmental curriculum, or to work with departments and faculty one on one to build those sequenced competencies into a revised curriculum. This may be accomplished by:
        1. Embedding librarians in research projects, classes and distance education.
        2. Creating subject specific online tutorials.
        3. Training faculty in information literacy concepts and activities.
        4. Conducting information literacy and research workshops.
        5. Providing research support.
    5. Assessment
      1. The library continually assesses the effectiveness of library instruction by measuring success in the following areas:
        1. Gauging how the library instruction helped the students to meet Learning Outcomes.
        2. Verifying student retention of information that was presented, including (but not limited to) the use of appropriate library resources.
        3. Identifying areas where the library can provide additional instructional assistance or other services.
  7. Emergency and Building Closure Policies. The library follows University policies and procedures for emergencies. Power and water outages may result in closure of the building until the outage is corrected. For specific emergency and closing procedures, see Appendix G.
  8. ADA Services. The UAH Salmon Library strives to provide access to library materials, programs, and services to all patrons. All patrons with disabilities are encouraged to register with the UAH Disability Services office. For specific accessibility procedures see Appendix H.
  9. Online Education. The UAH library is committed to providing library services and resources to online students comparable to services provided for on-campus students. Every reasonable effort will be made to ensure that students enrolled in online courses at UAH will have access to library resources and services.
    1. Library Resources
      1. Online students are subject to the same requirements listed under User Services and for ILL regarding due dates, overdue fines, return shipping, and copyright observance.
      2. UAH online students have the same remote access to online resources that the library provides to students, faculty and researchers on-campus.
      3. Some electronic resources may have a contractual stipulation that access is only from the library or otherwise on-campus.
    2. Reference Services
      1. The UAH Reference librarians will advise researchers on appropriate databases, books, indexes, and other research tools. The Reference department can be contacted by phone or online.
      2. The librarian responsible for Online Education will also be available to talk, chat, advise and set up virtual or phone reference appointments. If the designated online education librarian is not available, the Reference staff will field their inquiries.
    3. Information Literacy Instruction Services
      1. Online students have access to online information literacy instruction at http://libguides.uah.edu/content.php?pid=621006.
  10. Library Outreach. Library outreach is an extension of the Library's place as part of UAH and of the Huntsville community. The goal of library outreach is to create a two-way road where the library can explain the services currently offered and where users can explain their wants, needs, and general expectations of the library. This includes the various digital presences maintained by the library.
    1. Website
      1. The library website refers to those elements of the library web presence with content edited directly by librarians. It includes:
        1. The website itself: http://uah.edu/library.
        2. The UAH LibGuides: http://libguides.uah.edu/.
        3. The UAH LibAnswers: http://libanswers.uah.edu/.
        4. The library blog: http://libsys.uah.edu/LibraryBlog/wordpress/.
      2. The primary function of the website is to provide information for use by the UAH community regarding the library policies, resources, activities, and other elements, and to help the UAH community make best use of the library.
      3. The website content is vetted by the librarians at the library. The library does not engage in link-exchange programs, or accept payment to promote links or information.
      4. Content on the website is intended to be correct, up-to-date, and informative. Information on the website is not a binding contract and may be superseded by a librarian. If information known to be out of date is found, contact erefq@uah.eduor the department in person and updates will be performed as soon as possible.
    2. Digital Signage
      1. The digital signage in the library displays slides providing information about library events and information resources.
      2. Slides from other departments can be shared with prior permission, as long as due respect is given to the library's patrons, the library's schedule, and the library's policies.
      3. The library will not post paid advertisements on the digital signage.
    3. Social Media
      1. The library's presence on social media provides an additional avenue of communication with the Library. Content will be vetted and accurate. The nature of the medium means that it will often be addressed in a less formal manner.
      2. The library does not engage in paid follower or follow-exchanges. Resharing of information from other users -e.g. retweets, reblogs, or shares -does not automatically constitute condoning such content.
Review
Academic Affairs will review this policy every five years or sooner if needed.

Appendix A

Collection Development Procedures

  • Current publications of lasting and scholarly value are given priority over older and out-of-print materials.
  • Materials will be acquired in suitable copy (e.g. microfilms) if originals are not available or are too expensive.
  • If the library holds materials in microfilm, then hard copies of these materials will not be purchased unless sufficient cause is shown.
  • Duplicate copies will be purchased only on justification of heavy and continued use.
  • If available, resources will be purchased in digital format.
  • It is the policy of the ACHE (Alabama Commission on Higher Education) that funds for library materials to support new academic programs be included in the budget for the new program. These new funds should be added to the library materials budget.
  • The library will not purchase extensive in-depth materials for specific thesis topics of graduate students or for research projects for faculty members beyond the level of the graduate programs, unless separate and specific funding is made available (e.g. grant money).
  • Faculty members and graduate students who need materials not available in the collection will be encouraged to utilize the library's Interlibrary Loan service, or make use of the resources available at other institutions in the area.
  • The library will generally make no effort to collect materials in non-western languages except for the acquisition of material for the Foreign Language department or material of specified demonstrated need.
  • The strength and weaknesses of other available library collections in this geographic region are considered in the selection of areas for intensive collection development at UAH.
  • Journal and serial titles available in the library's full-text databases normally will not be purchased in hard copy.
  • Serials review –each spring, the library reviews active periodical subscriptions for usage. Based upon those use patterns and upon the library budget, the library consults with the appropriate academic departments, to determine which journal subscriptions should be maintained and which should be considered for cancellation.
  • To reduce costs for online resources, the library will purchase licensing through the Network of Alabama Academic Libraries (NAAL) or the Southeastern Library Network (Solinet) over individual agreements whenever possible.
  • Materials offered as gifts are subject to the same selection guidelines as those obtained by purchase. Duplicate and unwanted material may be disposed of as the library sees fit unless a special arrangement has been made with the donor.

Appendix B

User Privileges

  1. UAH students, Faculty and Staff
    1. Undergraduate Students
      1. Currently enrolled undergraduates must present a UAH Charger card in order to utilize any privilege available to him/her.
      2. Undergraduates are allowed to check out 25 books at a time. The check-out period is 28 days. Three renewals per item are allowed.
      3. Undergraduates are allowed to check-out reserve materials.
      4. Library privileges extend to the end of the break after the current semester.
    2. Graduate Students
      1. Currently enrolled graduate students must present a UAH Charger card in order to utilize any privilege available to him/her.
      2. Graduate students are allowed to check out 35 books at a time. The check-out period is 50 days. One renewal per item is allowed.
      3. Graduate students are allowed to check out reserve materials.
      4. Library privileges extend to the end of the break after the current semester.
      5. Graduate students not currently enrolled should contact the Graduate School to obtain library privileges.
    3. Faculty and Staff
      1. Currently employed faculty and staff must present a UAH Charger card in order to utilize any privilege available to him/her.
      2. Faculty and staff are allowed to check out 35 books at a time. The check-out period is one semester. One renewal per item is allowed. All items due May 31 must be brought into the library for renewal.
      3. Faculty and staff are allowed to check out reserve materials.
      4. Faculty and staff will be billed for lost/non-returned materials.
      5. Library privileges are current as long as the faculty or staff member is employed with the university.
  2. Part Time, Visiting and Temporary Faculty and Staff
    1. Part time or temporary users must have a letter from the sponsoring department, on letterhead, or via email from authorizing staff/faculty, acknowledging the user's eligibility for user status. This letter, or a copy of the email, will be placed on file in the User Services' office. The user must have a picture I.D. (driver's license, etc.)
    2. A user record is created and a Library Guest Pass is issued. The user record remains active for the remainder of the academic term or to the date specified in the authorizing letter.
    3. Part time or temporary faculty/staff obtain the same privileges as UAH graduate students.
  3. Retired Faculty and Staff
    1. Retired faculty and staff obtain free user privileges upon presentation of their UAH Retiree Charger card.
    2. Retired faculty and staff are allowed to check out five books at a time. The check-out period is 28 days. One renewal per item is allowed.
    3. Retired faculty and staff are issued a username and password for access to the PCs in the library. This privilege level does not include remote access to the library's online products.
  4. Emeritus Faculty
    1. Emeritus faculty have the same privileges as full-time faculty. Emeritus faculty have a flag in their LDAP record which gives them remote access to online library resources.
  5. Alumni
    1. The alumnus must present a current UAH Alumni Association membership card.
    2. There is no charge for an alumni card and the privilege does not expire.
    3. Privileges include the check-out of five books at a time for 28 days at a time, and the issuance of a username and password for access to the PCs in the library. This privilege level does not include remote access to the library's online products.
  6. Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
    1. The learner must be on the list provided to User Services by OLLI.
    2. There is no library fee for the active Osher student. Privilege expires when student is not enrolled.
    3. These privileges include check-out privileges of three books at a time for 28 days at a time, and the issuance of a username and password for access to the PCs in the library. This privilege level does not include remote access to the library's online resources.
  7. Community College Users
    1. Calhoun Community College
      1. Individuals enrolled at Calhoun Community College are subject to a contract made between Calhoun and UAH. With proof of enrollment, these Calhoun students receive privileges for the sum of $25.00. This privilege is purchased on the basis of a year-to-date.
      2. These privileges include the check-out of three books at a time for 28 days at a time, and the issuance of a username and password for access to the PCs in the library. This privilege level does not include remote access to the library's online resources.
    2. Drake State Technical College
      1. Individuals enrolled at Drake State Technical College are subject to a contract made between Drake State and UAH. With proof of enrollment, these Drake State students receive privileges for the sum of $25.00. This privilege is purchased on the basis of a year-to-date.
      2. Privileges include the check-out of three books at a time for 28 days at a time, and the issuance of a username and password for access to the PCs in the library. This privilege level does not include remote access to the library's online resources.
  8. High School Users
    1. Catholic High School
      1. Catholic High School students may obtain a user record and user card at the User Services' desk. The student must be on the list provided to User Services by Catholic High School. The privilege expires upon the student's high school graduation.
      2. Privileges include the check-out of five books at a time for 28 days at a time, and the issuance of a username and password for access to the PCs in the library. This privilege level does not include remote access to the library's online resources.
    2. Other Area High Schools
      1. Area high school students, after completing an orientation tour provided by the Reference Department, may obtain a user record and user card at the User Services' desk. The student must be listed on a list provided to User Services by their reference tour instructor or their teacher. This privilege expires upon the student's high school graduation.
      2. Privileges include the check-out of two books at a time for 14 days at a time, and the issuance of a username and password for access to the PCs in the library. This privilege level does not include remote access to the library's online resources.
  9. Other Local Educational Users
    1. Any student or employee of a local educational institution (not covered under an existing contract) may purchase user privileges for the sum of $25.00. These privileges are purchased on a three-month basis. The user must provide proof of current enrollment or employment at a local educational institution in the form of a dated school ID.
    2. Privileges include the check-out of three books at a time for 28 days at a time, and the issuance of a username and password for access to the PCs in the library. This privilege level does not include remote access to the library's online products.
  10. All other Users
    1. Book Check-out and PC Use
      1. Any individual may purchase user privileges for the sum of $75.00. These privileges are purchased on a three-month basis.
      2. Privileges include check-out privileges of five books at a time for 28 days at a time, and the issuance of a username and password for access to the PCs in the library. This privilege level does not include remote access to the library's online resources.
    2. PC-Use Only
      1. Any individual may purchase PC-use only privileges for the sum of $50.00.These privileges are purchased on a three-month basis.
      2. This privilege includes the issuance of a username and password for access to the PCs in the library. This privilege level does not include remote access to the library's online resources.

Appendix C

Fines and Payment Procedures

  1. When a patron owes money to the library, the following steps are taken:
    1. Overdue notices are sent to the patron.
    2. Bill notices are sent to the patron.
    3. Library privileges are suspended.
    4. A hold is placed on the student's transcript after fines exceed $30.
  2. Basic late fees for regular books (those books checked out under normal policies) are $0.25 per day, per item. Maximum fine accrual per item is $25.00. This does not include reserve materials, recalled items, or other types of resources (study rooms, technology items, etc.).
  3. Late fees for other types of materials - recalled items, reserve materials, study rooms, technology items, etc. - will vary, to reflect the higher demand & limited supply of those items.
  4. If an item has been lost by a user, the user will be billed a minimum replacement charge of $65.00 (including a non-refundable $15.00 processing fee) or replacement cost plus a processing fee.
  5. If an item has been damaged by a user, a $10.00 bindery fee is assessed against the user. If the damage is considered to be "beyond repair", then the item is declared "Lost" and processed as such.
  6. All payments must be in cash, check, Charger card Flex account, or credit card.
  7. No one except the user card holder, in person or over the phone, may pay or have adjusted his or her bill record. The user must have his or her Charger card in order to access his or her user record.
  8. If a user receives a bill via email, he/she may mail in a payment.
  9. Bill payments may be paid in installments, not to exceed four separate payments.
  10. No checks may be cashed out of the User Services cash drawers.
  11. Change may be given out of the cash drawer only if funds are available for this purpose.
  12. All transactions must be accompanied by a receipt.
  13. Performance of service to the library to pay off fines may be allowed in certain circumstances, as a grant-in-aid situation.
  14. Debt to the Library will be held indefinitely until it is paid or until it is deemed uncollectible. One of the three criteria must be met before an assessment will begin:
    1. The cost of collecting the debt is equal or exceeds the amount of the debt owed.
    2. The debtor is deceased.
    3. The debt is at least five years old.

Debts to be written off will be reviewed and approved by the Director of Research, Information and User Services before processing. When approved, the debt will be paid with a payment type of UNCOLLECTIBLE for future reporting.

Appendix D

Academic Reserves Procedures

  1. Reserve materials are placed on reserve by the request of a faculty member.
  2. Reserve materials remain on reserve until the end of the current term unless otherwise requested by the appropriate faculty member.
  3. All reserve materials are available to all currently enrolled UAH students.
  4. New material to be added to the reserves collection will be added within a three working day period after receipt.
  5. No more than 30 library-owned monographs may be placed on reserve at any one time, for any one course.
  6. No library-owned journals, microforms, or reference materials may be placed on reserve.
  7. Users may check-out a maximum of four reserve items at any one time.
  8. Reserve check-outs for three hours or less are all in-building charges. Reserve check-outs for 24 hours or longer may be taken from the building.
  9. Customized check-out periods may be established in consultation with User Services staff.
  10. Reserves may not be renewed.
  11. A Charger card is required to check out reserve items.
  12. Lost reserves materials are replaced and paid for in consultation with faculty. If the reserve material is owned by the library, the item is processed as lost and the user is fined accordingly.
  13. Any materials to be returned to the requesting faculty member are returned as soon as the item(s) is removed from the Reserves collection.
  14. Audio/Visual material held on reserve is for in-house use only, unless otherwise indicated by faculty instruction.

Appendix E

Archives and Special Collections Procedures

  1. The Archivist makes the final determination on whether to accept or refuse donated items. Donations may be refused, particularly if they duplicate items already in the collection.
  2. The library as recipient cannot appraise the fair market value (FMV) of gift materials, due to IRS regulation number IRC 170.
  3. The Archivist, in consultation with the Director, reserves the right to dispose of gift materials which are not deemed necessary for its collection.
  4. The library cannot accept gifts with conditions attached to their acceptance.
  5. Gift books or items which are added to the collection may be gift-plated with the donor's name unless the donor wishes to remain anonymous.

Appendix F

Interlibrary Loan Procedures

  1. Current students, faculty and staff who need research material not available at the library may request those materials free of charge through Interlibrary Loan.
  2. Charges for ILL are not passed to patrons, but borrowing charges that exceed $20.00 per item may cause requests to be unfilled. Every effort is made to see that ILL requests are filled.
  3. The lending library sets the return date for interlibrary loan items. In most cases it may be two or three weeks with no renewal. The UAH library has no control over these dates.
  4. Institutions that loan materials reserve the right to recall items at any time.
  5. Borrowers are charged $1.00/day for each day that an ILL book is overdue. After 21 days overdue, the ILL book is declared lost and a fee of $65.00 is imposed which includes a non-refundable processing fee of $15.00.
  6. The library will not request textbooks for current classes.
  7. Patrons will be notified by email to come to the library to retrieve the material if it is in hardcopy. If the books are not picked up within 15 days from the date the email is sent, they are returned to the lender.
  8. Articles delivered in electronic format will be sent to the patron's UAH email address.
  9. ILL books cannot be sent through campus mail.
  10. Books and journal articles that are held by the library will only be delivered to Online Education students living more than 30 miles from the UAH campus. Students living within 30 miles must come to the library.
  11. Students enrolled in a UAH Online Education program who are unable to travel to UAH may not request books from other libraries through interlibrary loan due to time restrictions. Students should request interlibrary loan for non-UAH items through a local library.

Appendix G

Library Emergency and Building Closure Procedures

  1. Emergencies
    1. Severe Weather – Tornado Siren or UAlert
      1. All library staff and users in the library at the time should go to the Lower Level (Archives) of the library. Do not use the elevators. There are two stairwells on the east and west sides of the Central Tower that can be used.
      2. Floor Captains are responsible for clearing floors.
      3. One staff member from User Services will remain in S1 for security purposes and coordinating movement of people to the Lower Level during regular hours and after hours.
      4. After hours, User Services is responsible for clearing all staff and patrons from all floors.
      5. A key to the Special Collections area in the LL will be kept in the Reference desk key book to enable access to the phone to receive the “all clear” call from Campus Safety or the staff member at the User Services Desk.
    2. Fire Alarm
      1. Follow UAH procedures outlined at:

        http://www.uah.edu/emergency/procedures/fire

        http://www.uah.edu/emergency/procedures/building-evac

      2. Floor Captains are responsible for clearing floors.
      3. Assembly area for evacuation is the south end of the parking lot near Holmes Avenue.
    3. Other Campus Emergency
      1. Follow campus emergency procedures at http://www.uah.edu/emergency.
      2. Emergency Procedures Handbooks are to be posted on the wall in each public room and classroom and a copy should be in each office.
  2. Building Closure
    1. Power Outage
      1. A power outage may be localized in one portion of Salmon Library or it may affect the entire building, the campus, and the surrounding community. During a power outage, most mechanical systems in the building will stop functioning, including elevators, most lighting, and the HVAC system. Automatic emergency lights will provide lighting in limited areas. All library computers will stop functioning. Telephones should continue to work.
      2. During power failures, areas without sufficient natural light should be evacuated while emergency lights are on. Floor captains are responsible for clearing floors and directing people to emergency exits. Emergency lighting is temporary and is not intended to allow normal building operations to resume or continue.
      3. No one should reenter the building until power is restored.
      4. User Services staff will report the power outage:
        1. During regular business hours
          1. Call Facilities – x6490 or x6482.
          2. Ask for estimate of length/scope of outage.
          3. For outages longer than 30 minutes, the Head of User Services will consult with the Library Director on building closure
        2. After hours
          1. Call campus police –x6596 –who will contact Facilities.
          2. Ask for estimate of length/scope of outage.
          3. For outages longer than 30 minutes, staff should contact the Head of User Services for a decision on building closure.
    2. Water Outage
      1. Determine the scope of the outage by checking water availability in each building section (North, Central and South).
      2. Report the outage to Facilities (x6490 or 6482) during regular business hours, to Campus Police (x6596) after hours or on weekends.
      3. Work with Facilities to determine the expected length of the outage.
      4. During regular business hours, the Head of User Services will consult with the Director to determine the best course of action.
      5. After hours and weekends, contact the Head of User Services to determine the best course of action.
      6. If it is decided to close the building, place signs on the entrance doors to indicate closure due to water outage and re-open time if known.
      7. After water is restored to the building, User Services staff will go through the building and run water fountains and flush all toilets.

Appendix H

ADA Services

  1. Building Access
    1. Accessible parking is provided in the lot adjacent to the Nursing building with a level walkway leading to the library entrance. The entrance to this lot is off Ben Graves Drive next to the Nursing building.
    2. The main entrance/exit for the library has an automatic door.
    3. All three buildings of the library have an elevator. The elevator to the Archives in the lower level is located in the middle building just past the coffee shop.
  2. Staff Services
    1. When possible, User Services staff will assist patrons with disabilities by retrieving materials as needed. Staffing at the front desk is limited after 5:00pm and on weekends. Patrons are encouraged to call in advance for assistance or to email for more information: 256-824-6530 or library@uah.edu
    2. Materials that are on the shelf may be placed on hold. Patrons will receive an email when the items have been pulled from the shelf and held at the front desk.
    3. Patrons may request that another individual with library privileges be authorized to check out materials for them with authorization by an email from Disability Services.
    4. Patrons with disabilities may make a request for extended loan periods and library items may be renewed online.
    5. Reference faculty are available at the reference desk for assistance with library research. Patrons may schedule appointments with the Reference staff by calling 256-824-6529 or emailing erefq@uah.edu.
  3. Assistive Technologies
    1. The computers in the library run software which has a strong suite of tools for screen magnification and text reading. For sanitary reasons, patrons should bring their own headphones to use on the library computers.
    2. Patrons with the proper licenses for assistive software may request that a copy of the software be installed on computers they will use in the public area or in one of the computer classrooms. Patrons are encouraged to call in advance or to email for more information: 256-824-6530 or library@uah.edu.

Salmon Library Policies