I. Selection and Adoption

The selection and adoption of textbooks and/or course materials is the responsibility of the academic department. ITU adopts the following guidelines for textbook and course material selection:

1. Faculty members are encouraged to take into consideration the affordability of textbooks for students when selecting course materials.
2. The respective department chair approves faculty textbook and course material selections prior to purchase.
3. If multiple sections of the same course are being offered, faculty are encouraged to collaborate and use the same materials for all sections of the course in a given term.
4. Faculty members are encouraged to limit their use of new edition textbooks when previous editions do not differ in a substantive way.
5. In order to avoid conflict of interest, faculty members are required to disclose to their department chair, the Provost, and the Chief Financial Officer if they wish to assign a textbook which they have authored or co-authored and/or are receiving royalties.

II. Notice and Availability

The Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) Textbook Provision, Section 112, ensures that “students have access to affordable course materials by decreasing costs to students and enhancing transparency and disclosure with respect to the selection, purchase, sale, and use of course materials.” Institutions should inform students, at the time of registration, of the cost of required and recommended books and text-based materials the students will need to purchase if they register for a class.

In order to ensure timely delivery and access for faculty and students, as well as compliance with HEOA, faculty members must identify and report to the Librarian the required and recommended textbooks and other materials that they plan to use by the 7th week prior to the start of the following term. The Library will ensure that approved textbooks for course reserve are made available to faculty and students by the start of the following term, with the exception of teacher editions, which will be managed by Academic Services. If the reporting deadline is missed, the Library and/or Academic Services cannot be held responsible for late receipt of required texts. A list of textbooks for each upcoming course will be made available on the university website during the first week of registration.

III. Ownership of Professors’ Copies

As a benefit of teaching for ITU, faculty members are allowed to keep their copy of the textbook for a given course. If materials are expensive (e.g. cost more than $150), faculty members should consult their department chairs. In these cases, and in instances of course cancellation, department chairs may require a textbook be returned.

IV. Location of Textbook and Course Materials

Student copies are placed in the library course reserve and managed by Library Services. For professors who wish to donate their copies to ITU, a faculty bookshelf is located in the ITU staff area, near the faculty offices and is managed by Academic Services.

International Technological University (ITU) requires faculty to submit a soft copy of student’s thesis and Capstone projects to the library for reference purposes.

Definitions

Reference Copy: Copy held for reference purposes; received, catalogued and made accessible by the library. It is not the official “Controlled” record copy.

Purpose

This policy gives ITU students, faculty and staff easy access to a “reference copy” of the student’s thesis and Capstone project. The “reference” copy is distinct from the document life-cycle which is the responsibility of the relevant unit (e.g. EMS, Registration).

Scope

Faculty assisting students with their thesis and Capstone project shall identify such works to be posted in the Library.

Responsibility 

• The faculty is responsible for complying with this policy and the requirements pertaining to the preparation of the student’s thesis and Capstone project (see ITU Master’s Thesis Guidelines)
• The Department chair and faculty advisors receive a PDF copy of the student’s thesis and Capstone project along-with required cover sheet, non-disclosure and other agreements.
• The library shall catalog and make accessible a copy of the student’s thesis.

Policy: Definition, Scope and Responsibility

The Collection Development Policy is the most important professional tool of the academic librarian (American Library Association). It defines the purpose, scope, responsibility and criteria for developing the library’s collection of resources and related services. The library consults principally with faculty (based on information and relationships with publishers, associations, scholarly journals and other review sources) to select a high quality and affordable collection of resources based on the needs of ITU students, faculty and other stakeholders. The development, implementation and review of this policy is the responsibility of the librarian.

Background Information

Established in 1994, ITU is an innovative WSCUC-accredited* educational institution that provides a unique graduate level business education to future leaders of Silicon Valley corporations. Its six industry-oriented departments provide high-qua lity academic and practical training in electrical engineering, digital arts, computer science, computer engineering, software engineering, engineering management, and business administration (see below). Programs and courses evolve with changes in business and technology.

The ITU Library and Learning Center supports the teaching, learning, and research needs of students and faculty and is guided and influenced by ITU’s Learning Outcomes.

The library consults with members of the ITU community to identify materials and formats central to its current and evolving curriculum and research. It is constantly following changes in information discovery, delivery and literacy. By closely consulting with Faculty and the Academic Leadership Council (ALC), the library adapts policy decisions to accommodate the changing needs of new programs, outcomes and student populations.

* On October 18, 2019 ITU received an Order of Show Cause from WSCUC. ITU Response.

Problem Solving – Critical Thinking – Communication – Team Work – Technical Literacy – Research & Information Literacy – Responsibility & Leadership

Proposed Bachelor of Science Applied Science

ITU is currently developing a proposal for a Bachelor of Science Applied Science. If accredited by WSCUC, the library’s collection policy will ensure that new teaching and learning outcomes are accommodated through its resource acquisition. As a proactive step to start to fill prospective collection “gaps” in library resources (if the proposal goes ahead) the library has purchased core library reference books that would be needed to serve an undergraduate student population.

ITU Collection Policy

The ITU collection policy provides a framework for the selection, acquisition, evaluation and management of information resources and related services, and a rationale for the subject, disciplinary and course materials that are accessed and shared, stored, archived or discarded. It is a fluid document involving ongoing consultation among the library staff, external information providers, ITU faculty, students and other staff. The global information technology and business environment requires a collection policy that evolves with rapidly evolving technology, educational and research needs.

The ITU library is committed to resource sharing and cooperative agreements, (such as the Statewide California Electronic Library Consortium (SCELC) and to open-access and discovery of open-access materials. It follows the frameworks, guidelines, standards and best practices of the American Library Association (ALA) and Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) and the “Value Rubric” of the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACL). As part of an innovative, global institution, the ITU library follows trends and technology in information and education. This is reflected in improvements to quality and efficiency of information and services that are delivered.

Collection Guidelines

The ITU Library Policy is based on the ACRL Standards for Libraries in Higher Education (ACRL: 2011), in particular “Principle 5: Collections.” The principle should be considered in the context of the other ‘eight principles” which involve the adherence to student privacy regarding personal information collection and use, the determination to oppose censorship at any level and the commitment to liaise with faculty, other internal and external sources that will guarantee a balanced, quality, relevant and affordable reference collection.

“5. Collections: Libraries provide access to collections sufficient in quality, depth, diversity, format, and currency to support the research and teaching mission of the institution.

5.1 The library provides access to collections aligned with areas of research, curricular foci, or institutional strengths.
5.2 The library provides collections that incorporate resources in a variety of formats, accessible virtually and physically.
5.3 The library builds and ensures access to unique materials, including digital collections.
5.4 The library has the infrastructure to collect, organize, provide access to, disseminate, and preserve collections needed by users.
5.5 The library educates users on issues related to economic and sustainable models of scholarly communication.
5.6 The library ensures long-term access to the scholarly and cultural record. (ACRL, 2011)”

In addition, the ITU Collection Policy makes sure that the library resources are:

• Scholarly, high-quality, relevant using the following “Criteria for Selection”
• Balanced and discipline (engineering, business, digital arts, computer & software engineering, ESL))
• Balanced by purpose (teaching, learning, research, career & core skills development)
• Adaptable to evolving technologies in format (print, media, Cloud, Mobile phone, etc.)
• Adaptive to evolving learning outcomes
• Adaptive to disciplinary trends (e.g. digital humanities, ‘Big Data’)
• Chosen in consultation with faculty, research staff and other stakeholders
• In alignment with current research, curricular and other needs
• Made accessible through resource sharing and other cooperative agreements with libraries locally, regionally, nationally, and worldwide.

Criteria for the Selection

The following criteria are prioritized in selection regardless of format (in no particular order):

• Supplementary use in ITU teaching, learning or research (for ITU textbook selection, see “Textbook and Course Materials Policy”)
• Convenience, accessibility and ease of use (e.g. ADA compatible)
• Degrees, courses, disciplines and populations served
• Accuracy and relevancy of data / information
• Scope and content – comprehensiveness and depth of coverage
• Organization: Layout, contents page, overviews, summaries, illustrations, index, bibliography
• Reviews and recommendations (publishers, associations, academic journals)
• Scholarly value
• Reputation of source (author, publisher)
• Currency and timeliness
  • Newer editions are generally preferred to older unless the newer has only minor revisions
  • Some “classic” older editions may be maintained because of their historical importance to the discipline
• Physical condition
• Special features or inclusions (color plates, media)
• Cited and/or Indexed in major indexing tools (e.g. Proquest, Ebsco)
• Response time and technical performance (e.g. ACM Digital via SCELC)
• Cost + on-going maintenance and access (e.g. digital subscriptions or versions)
• Licensing restrictions and other agreements
• Versatility for users

Additional Criteria for Selection by Format: Electronic Versions

The following factors are weighed (in consultation with faculty and other users) in making format decisions:

• Textbook & Course Materials Policy
• Thesis Reference Policy
• Faculty recommendation
• Budget: Faculty, library and other
• Comparative cost (acquisition, licensing, proxy services, maintenance, service, and preservation)
• Ability to serve a larger, simultaneous user population
• Ability to enhance searching and search results (e.g. manipulation in spreadsheets)
• Technical and other support necessary for maintenance, storage, public access and preservation

Collection Maintenance, Evaluation and De-selection (Weeding/Archiving)

The ITU collection is constantly evaluated, both at selection and feedback from staff and students on usefulness. The collection is evaluated using an integral library process called de-selection (or weeding). Weeding ensures currency and relevance to ITU Mission and Learning Outcomes. As well as the preservation of other materials that may not be directly attributed to an immediate need (e.g. Capstone projects).

The following criteria help ITU to make objective decisions about the repair, replacement, archiving or discarding of lost, stolen, damaged or materials that no longer fit the “Criteria for Selection” outlined in this policy and on the estimate of the potential use of the given item(s).

• Duplicates: Multiple copies are purchased when demand warrants. When weeding or archiving, generally no more than two copies of such will be retained.
• Replacement: The ITU Library periodically weighs the cost of RFID and theft/loss prevention security systems available in larger libraries (with larger budgets) against the cost and inconvenience of missing, lost or stolen items. Replacement will depend on the current demand in teaching, learning and research and other criteria listed in the “Criteria for Selection”. Current are preferred over previous editions.
• Weeding (Items are either archived or discarded):
  • Older editions superseded by newer ones
  • Editions that have been verified to contain inaccuracies or out-of-date material
  • Circulation history is an important criterion for archiving or de-selection
  • Historical value and relevance to research may warrant preservation
  • Limited reference materials in a given subject area
  • Extensively damaged materials will be removed and discarded
  • Unnecessary duplicates may be removed and discarded
• Archiving (on or offsite storage due to limited library space): Criteria involve:
  • Current or potential use (library circulation records and liaison with faculty)
  • Date of publication
  • Teaching, learning or research needs
  • Availability in more preferable or affordable mediums, e.g. electronic, microform
  • Availability on inter-library loan
  • Physical condition
  • Speed at which materials can be obtained from on or offsite storage

Gifts and Donations

The library appreciates the donations from faculty and other sources according to the ITU “Gift policy”. Items will be evaluated using the same criteria used to acquire or discard items.

Purpose and Policy Statement

The purpose of this policy is to state the loan period and conditions for the circulation of ITU library’s physical collection (excluding digital resources).

Note: ITU library does not provide an official inter-library loan (ILL) service but is currently reviewing the demand for and options for ILLs.

Scope

Borrowing privileges for ITU’s circulating items are extended to holders of ITU ID cards (students, faculty and staff). To access bibliographic and holdings data visit ITU Library Catalog 

Regulatory Background (if applicable)

http://www.copyright.gov/title17

Policy Content and Guidelines

• Loan PeriodSome materials are limited to in-library or on-campus use (e.g. Laptops, Capstone projects, Course Reserve).
  

  Item Type*	Loan Period
  Books – General stacks	3 weeks
  Course Reserve Books	3 hours
  Laptops –Students	3 hours
  Laptops – Faculty and Staff	event**
  Capstone & Theses	3 hours

  *All loans are renewable unless there is a hold on them.

  **Laptop loans for faculty/staff varies by intended use (e.g. event, exam, survey, etc.)

   

• Course Reserves Loan Conditions

  The Course Reserve is a separately housed and locked library collection. Items are available to students, faculty and staff on a limited loan basis. Faculty adds and removes items by sending a request to the University Librarian.

  • A Student ID card is required as a deposit until the item is returned
  • The item must be returned directly to the library staff
  • Items must be returned no later than 15 minutes prior to library closing time
  • Only one course reserve loan is permitted at one time
  • Items may be renewed if not required by another user

Related Policies, Procedures, and Guidelines

Library Borrowing and Course Reserves Policy

Enforcement

The borrower is responsible for the timely return of items checked out, and in the same physical condition in which they were borrowed. The cost of replacing lost or damaged items will be the responsibility of the borrower. Failure to comply with the policy may result in withdrawal of borrowing privileges.

ITU offers alumni and internship providers and some visitors, use of the following library services:

• ITU Online Library Catalog: Graduate level books in course-related business, management, computer science, software engineering, digital arts and electrical engineering.
• In-library use of books, student projects, theses, and other publications, with the exception of course reserve books and materials (in high demand by students).
• ITU web-based resources (see Database and Software Access, below).
• Study rooms (when not in use by students and staff).
• Access to ‘guest’ wi-fi services at ITU.
• In-house library assistance with routine inquiries.

Database and Software Access

Licensing agreements between ITU and vendors (such as ACM, Ebsco, Microsoft Office and ProQuest) limit on and off-site access to current faculty, students, staff and ITU community. These licenses also prohibit mediated (assisted) online searching by library or other staff or students. Students, researchers and staff may access licensed subscription databases through the ITU Educational Management System (EMS).

Visitor Check-in and ID

Visitors should email library@itu.edu to schedule their visit and must identify themselves at the Security or Information Desks before proceeding to the library. Proof of appointment will be needed before proceeding to the library. Alumni and visitors such as ITU collaborators and internship providers will be issued with a Visitor’s Badge.

Other Information

Residents of California can obtain library cards at any of the hundreds of city and county libraries. These memberships give access to many databases accessed at ITU (such as Business Source Elite) and additional ones (such as Safari Books, ProQuest and Factiva).

ITU Copyright Policy

Read our Copyright Policy here.

ITU Plagiarism Prevention Policy

Read our Plagiarism Prevention Policy here.