TABLE OF CONTENTS
5.4.1 Faculty Computing Support5.4.2 Faculty Instructional Technology Development and Support
5.4.3 Academic Software and Licensing
The Blinn College Library operates facilities at the Brenham, Bryan, and Schulenburg campuses. The library provides materials suitable for student assignments and research, and for faculty preparation and professional development. Materials housed at each facility are available for use at the other locations upon request. Professional librarians are available to instruct students and to assist faculty members in developing research assignments.
5.2.1 Requesting Materials for Library Purchase
Recommendations for items not directly related to the curriculum may be submitted to the library for possible purchase with the library's discretionary funds. Requesters are notified when recommended items are cataloged. Normal ordering and processing may take several months: rush processing should be identified at the time of request.
The Blinn library is automated using the VTLS (Virginia Tech Library System)
software. The online public assess catalog (OPAC) provides full bibliographic,
location, and circulation information for all print and most audiovisual
materials. Indexing to periodical articles is available via paper and CD-ROM
indexes at each library. Consult the
library's web page for complete information concerning database search capabilities:
http://www.blinn.edu/library/.
Faculty requesting material not available at the Blinn library have access to TexShare, a resource sharing initiative, which allows Blinn College to utilize several on-line databases. Faculty should be aware that students also have access to the library's major databases such as Ovid Periodical Abstracts (a general and scholarly database) and Ovid ABI-Inform (a business database). These databases may include full-text articles as well as indexing. For further information on additional databases, consult the library's web page.
Faculty members are not charged overdue fines, but are expected to return materials promptly. Faculty members are responsible for charges for lost or damaged materials.
Faculty members are issued library cards upon request.
Faculty may place holds on items in circulation; however, an item on which a hold has been placed may not be renewed. When the item is returned, it is held at the circulation desk for the requestor, who is notified by letter.
If a circulating item is recalled, faculty are asked to respond promptly. If the library needs additional copies of an item, the library will attempt to purchase additional copies to meet faculty needs.
Items owned by an instructor and items from the library may be placed on reserve. Reserve items are normally released for two-hour periods in the library only. Concerning photocopied articles placed on reserve, faculty should be attentive to copyright law which limits the number and length of photocopied articles placed on reserve (see 2.7.3).
Some faculty require a library orientation for their students or give them extra credit for attendance. Instruction is provided in general orientation tours, specialized tours, or presentations arranged at the instructor's request. At the Brenham library, these sessions are scheduled outside of class time, and the library provides the students with proof of attendance. The Bryan and Schulenburg libraries provide library orientations for classes at the instructor's request.
Faculty wishing their students to have access to special class-related assignments at the library should provide copies in advance; this will help the librarians and other members of the library staff assist students in completing their assignments.
Faculty should notify the library when a class is to meet there. No unscheduled classes en masse should be taken into the library: only scheduled classes with the instructor present.
Videotapes, audiotapes, films, filmstrips, and spoken-word records are listed in the library's online catalog. Many of the items are housed in the instructional divisions and are listed in the library online catalog with the status "Division Reserve" in addition to location information.
Division audiovisual may also be kept on reserve in the library and circulated to instructors only. Media in the general library collection are available for use by instructors as well as students.
Request for new audiovisual instructional media must be approved by the division chairman and the Vice- president Academic Affairs before being forwarded to the library for purchase.
Items not owned by the Blinn library or available online may be requested through interlibrary loan (ILL); this service is provided free for faculty and students. Interlibrary loan may take from one to two weeks for delivery so faculty are encouraged to urge students to plan ahead.
5.2.13 Miscellaneous Services for Faculty
The Blinn Learning Centers located on both the Brenham and Bryan campuses are academic support facilities that serve all divisions of Blinn College. They are places where students have access to qualified academic assistance and appropriate resources.
Faculty may utilize the Learning Center for testing in the following areas: distance learning courses, emergency make-up testing, and correspondence exam administration. Since the Learning Center is designed primarily as a support service for students, faculty are discouraged from dumping make-up exams wholesale for the Learning Center to administer.
5.3.2 Bryan Learning Center Services
The Bryan Learning Center provides one-on-one tutoring and tutoring services augmented with instructional and tutorial software, video and audio tapes, and supplemental textbooks and workbooks. Also available to students and faculty is a computer lab equipped with tutorial software.
Faculty may utilize the Learning Center for testing in the following areas: distance learning courses, emergency make-up testing, and correspondence exam administration. Since the Learning Center is designed primarily as a support service for students, faculty are discouraged from dumping make-up exams wholesale for the Learning Center to administer.
Academic Technology Services (ATS) offers technical assistance to ensure
that the academic area has adequate resources and support for its technology-related
activities. Academic Technology Services is located on the Brenham and Bryan
campuses and
may be contacted at the following numbers: Brenham (979-830-4153); Bryan
(979-821-0228).
Faculty may request assistance for any Blinn College computer-related services. ATS procures, installs, and services new computers and computer-related items such a keyboards, printers, etc.
5.4.2 Faculty Instructional Technology Development and Support
ATS assists faculty in acclimating to new technologies by offering faculty workshops throughout the year. Workshops in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and e-mail use (et al.) are offered on a regular basis. Individual assistance with specific computer problems or programs is also available. In addition, ATS provides instructional design assistance regarding integration of technology in the curriculum.
5.4.3 Academic Software and Licensing
ATS assists faculty in chosing the best software programs in their disciplines for effective interfacing with the College's computer systems. All prospective software should be cleared through ATS. Any faculty wanting to add software to the computers in the Learning Center should contact the coordinator of the Learning Center.
During the process of book adoption, if tutoring and other software-based resources are part of the product, ATS will provide systems to assist in evaluating the products. This service provides instructors the opportunity to evaluate the software in a simulated production environment and allows the ATS department the opportunity to evaluate the software for compatibility, security, and manageability.
Standard software includes Microsoft Office 97/2000 Professional (Word,
Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Publisher), Netscape Communicator and McAfee VirusScan.
All Software installed in labs and classrooms must have a current license
on file with the ATS department. Software included with textbooks and
installed on Blinn equipment must have a license agreement stating where
the equipment can be utilized and how many copies of the software can be
used. Evaluation and shareware software installed on office computers
must be used in accordance with the license agreement.
All software installed on office computers must have a corresponding legal
license.
5.4.4 Academic Network Resources
Academic divisions and instructors are assisted by ATS in maintaining servers, network software, and network printers. ATS provides storage space on campus for academic servers for divisions and individuals. ATS maintains the College's web, e-mail, and firewall services including the creation of accounts accessing these resources.