Navigating the Claremont Colleges Library: Governance, Access, and Resources
The Claremont Colleges Library serves as a vital hub for the seven institutions that comprise The Claremont Colleges consortium, offering a wealth of resources and services to its diverse community. Understanding its governance, access policies, and the array of collections and support mechanisms is crucial for students, faculty, and affiliated researchers to fully leverage its offerings. This article delves into the operational framework of the Library, outlining its governance structure, detailing access privileges for various user groups, and highlighting the specialized divisions and initiatives that contribute to its comprehensive support of academic endeavors.
Governance and Advisory Structures
The governance of The Claremont Colleges Library is a collaborative effort, involving key stakeholder groups: students, faculty, and the administration. This shared responsibility is formally outlined in the Library Agreement, which clearly delineates the roles and responsibilities of various entities. These include the Lead College, the Lead Dean for the Library, the CEO of The Claremont Colleges Services, and the Library Dean. This multi-faceted governance ensures that the Library's strategic direction and operational decisions are informed by the needs and perspectives of its primary users.
To ensure continuous input and feedback from the academic community, the Library actively seeks advice from students and faculty. A primary mechanism for this is the Faculty Library Advisory Committee (FLAC). This committee operates under the charge of the Academic Deans Committee (ADC), providing essential input and feedback regarding the current and future activities of The Claremont Colleges Library. FLAC's mandate is to offer guidance on matters pertaining to faculty and student research, teaching, and learning needs, thereby playing a pivotal role in shaping the Library's services and collections to align with evolving academic requirements.
Access and Borrowing Privileges
The Claremont Colleges Library extends its resources and spaces to a broad spectrum of users, with specific privileges granted based on affiliation. For current students, staff, and faculty of The Claremont Colleges, as well as visiting scholars, their official campus ID card serves as their Library card. This affiliation grants access to the Library’s extensive e-resources, which can be conveniently accessed using campus login credentials (CAS). However, it is important to note that remote access to these e-resources is generally not available for this user group, emphasizing the importance of on-campus presence for full digital resource utilization.
Beyond the immediate TCC community, the Library also offers provisions for scholars from other academic institutions who are affiliated with one of The Claremont Colleges for instruction or research purposes. These individuals, to access electronic resources, will require network credentials issued by their respective TCC campus, in addition to a campus ID card issued by the TCC campus with which they are registered. Similar to the primary TCC community, remote access for these affiliated scholars is typically not provided.
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Students officially registered as auditors in one or more classes at The Claremont Colleges also fall under specific access guidelines. To exercise borrowing privileges, they must possess a campus ID card issued by the TCC campus where they are registered. As with other affiliated academic users, network credentials from that campus are necessary for accessing electronic resources, and remote access is generally restricted.
Recognizing the importance of community engagement, The Claremont Colleges Library also provides access to individuals not directly affiliated with the consortium. The Library offers Community Access and Community Borrower Cards for visitors aged 16 and older. The Community Borrower Card is particularly valuable as it grants access to the Library’s physical spaces and extends borrowing privileges for physical materials housed within the building. This initiative underscores the Library's commitment to serving as a public good and a resource for the broader Claremont community and surrounding counties, including Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County, and Orange County.
Visiting Groups and Special Access
The Library warmly welcomes visits from groups, both from within The Claremont Colleges and from the wider community. For college-sponsored groups, the Library can arrange for orientation tours, specialized information literacy instruction, or general access. To facilitate these arrangements, groups are required to complete the Affiliated Visiting Groups Form. This ensures that the Library can adequately prepare and provide the most beneficial experience for the visiting contingent.
Similarly, public or community groups interested in visiting the Library are also accommodated. These groups can request a visit by utilizing the Unaffiliated Visiting Groups Form. This streamlined process allows the Library to manage group visits effectively and ensure a positive experience for all attendees, regardless of their institutional affiliation.
Collections and Digital Resources
The Claremont Colleges Library boasts a rich and diverse collection, encompassing both physical and digital materials. A significant portion of the Library's eBook collection can be downloaded as PDF files, offering a convenient way to access scholarly content. However, it is important to be aware of Digital Rights Management (DRM) restrictions, particularly with eBooks sourced from platforms like ProQuest Ebook Central. Many of these eBooks are protected by DRM, which imposes certain limitations on downloading and usage of digital media. The Library provides instructions for downloading DRM-protected eBooks on ProQuest Ebook Central, guiding users through the process while adhering to these digital rights.
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In the realm of scholarly publishing, The Claremont Colleges Library actively supports and encourages its community to engage with Open Access (OA) initiatives. Once an article is published Open Access, it remains accessible to all, irrespective of any future subscription terms. While specific options can vary by journal, typical OA publishing models are available. Importantly, while the Library champions Open Access, it also acknowledges that users may opt to publish under a closed license with many publishers in hybrid journals. Fully OA journals, by their nature, exclusively accept OA articles. This dual approach ensures flexibility while promoting the widespread dissemination of research.
Library Divisions and Initiatives
The operational structure of The Claremont Colleges Library is organized into four distinct divisions, each led by a Director, in addition to the Dean’s office. These divisions, along with the Dean's office (which encompasses Operations and Strategy), work in synergy to manage the Library's comprehensive services. The four core divisions are: Digital Strategies & Scholarship; Research, Teaching, & User Services; Collections, Metadata, & Resource Sharing; and Special Collections & Archives. This departmentalization allows for specialized expertise and focused management of the Library's diverse functions.
The Honnold/Mudd Library, centrally located within The Claremont Colleges, serves as the primary physical location for many of the Library's collections, services, and staff. Beyond its core library functions, the Honnold/Mudd Library also houses two significant campus-wide initiatives: the Center for Teaching and Learning and the Office of Consortial Academic Collaboration. These initiatives highlight the Library's role as a facilitator of pedagogical innovation and inter-institutional academic cooperation.
Consortial Partnerships and Professional Engagement
The Claremont Colleges Library actively participates in a variety of consortia and other organizations. These partnerships are instrumental in expanding access to resources for the Library's community. Notable among these affiliations are SCELC (Statewide California Electronic Library Consortium), the Center for Research Libraries, the Greater Western Library Alliance, the Coalition for Networked Information, SPARC (Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition), and the Oberlin Group. Through these collaborations, the Library enhances its ability to provide a broad spectrum of scholarly materials and services.
Furthermore, librarians at The Claremont Colleges Library are deeply engaged in professional activities. They contribute to the broader library profession through active committee service, scholarly publications, and various other professional endeavors. This active participation ensures that the Library remains at the forefront of library science and contributes to the advancement of the field.
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Distinguishing the Claremont Colleges Library
It is important to clarify that the term "community" in the context of The Claremont Colleges Library also encompasses additional libraries that are administered separately from the main Library. These include the Denison Library, which is funded and operated by Scripps College; the Bates Aeronautics Collection at Harvey Mudd College; and smaller, specialized libraries such as the history department library and the Pacific Basin Institute library, both situated at Pomona College. Additionally, the California Botanic Garden, an affiliate of The Claremont Colleges, maintains its own library, which at times includes items on loan from The Claremont Colleges Library. Understanding these distinctions is key to navigating the full landscape of library resources available within the Claremont academic ecosystem.
Responsible Use of Library Materials
The Claremont Colleges Library expects its patrons to use its materials responsibly. A key aspect of this is the timely return of borrowed items. When an item is kept past a certain designated point, it is marked as lost, and a replacement fee is incurred and added to the patron's Library account. These replacement fees are applicable to all users, including students, faculty, and staff. Failure to resolve unpaid replacement fees will result in the suspension of borrowing and renewal privileges until the matter is rectified. This policy ensures the availability of materials for the entire community and underscores the shared responsibility in maintaining the Library's collection.
When sharing digital Library materials with students, particularly through course management systems like Canvas, instructors are strongly encouraged by The Claremont Colleges Library to utilize the stable link provided within Library Search. This practice is preferred over downloading and re-uploading licensed content or employing third-party tools. Using stable links ensures compliance with licensing agreements and proper attribution, thereby safeguarding the integrity of the Library's digital resources and respecting copyright.
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