MISSION STATEMENT

The New River Community College Library provides an effective learning environment and a collection of resources, both physical and digital, that meet our users’ needs and strengthens the instructional programs of the college. The staff is dedicated to providing excellent customer service and instructional support.

VISION STATEMENT

The New River Community College Library serves a vital role in ensuring student success at NRCC by providing for the informational and educational needs of the students, faculty, and staff of New River Community College, as well as the citizens, businesses, and industries of the New River Valley. The library staff promotes the goals of achieving information literacy and producing lifelong learners and users of information technology.

COLLECTIONS DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES

Academic titles for the NRCC Library collection are selected for students at the associate degree level and to support faculty research. Other titles (fiction titles, nonfiction for general audiences, and children’s/young adult titles) are chosen for the entertainment and edification of patrons. All titles are chosen based on their content, form, accuracy, authority, and publisher. Materials are evaluated based on reviews of professional literature and the professional judgment of the college faculty and library staff.

The library operates in accordance with the college’s nondiscrimination policy and will not censor or segregate titles because they discuss race, color, nationality, political opinions, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or religious denominations, or because the material may be offensive to someone. The library maintains the right to acquire materials representing conflicting viewpoints on controversial issues. The library’s collection guidelines reflect the values stated in the following documents:

• ALA Bill of Rights
• ALA Freedom to Read
• ALA Code of Ethics
• VIVA Vision and Mission Statement

The library staff consults with teaching faculty, college staff, administrators, and patrons in the development of library collections. The director and staff solicit and invite recommendations from faculty on titles to be added to the collection. Faculty recommendations ensure that the library collection serves the needs of all NRCC curricula.

The library staff members seek to ensure that the collection is always relevant and up-to-date, in part by weeding outdated materials and finding replacements which incorporate recommendations from the faculty. Specific titles to be removed and replaced are chosen based on:

• Suitability of subject matter and relevance to the curricula
• Positive critical reviews
• Reputation of author/publisher
• Demand
• Budget limitations.

PATRON EXPECTATIONS

While using the library, please refrain from the following:

• Viewing inappropriate material on the computers
• Making loud, unreasonable, and/or disturbing noises created by persons, electronic devices, or cell phones
• Consuming food
• Consuming beverages in open containers
• Bringing animals into the library, other than service animals
• Behaving in a manner that is disruptive to library use
• Damaging, destroying, or stealing any library property, or a patron’s or employee’s property
• Engaging in illegal acts or conduct in violation of Federal, state, or local law, ordinance or regulation

Any patron not following these general guidelines may be asked to leave and security will be called if needed.

CHILDREN ON CAMPUS POLICY

The college policy regarding children on campus is:

• Children who are not registered for classes are not permitted in classrooms and/or laboratories.
• Unsupervised children, whether children of students, faculty, staff or visitors, are not permitted on campus, or other college sites.
• Those under 18 (with the exception of NRCC dual enrollment students) must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to check out library materials or use library computers.

Groups Requesting Library Services

• Requests for group instruction and research assistance for adult groups will be granted on a case-by-case basis, with priority given to NRCC classes, students, and staff. Contact libraryhelp@nr.edu to schedule a class.
• The library cannot accommodate group instruction and services for those under 18.
• All patrons must follow NRCC library policies and procedures.