ACCREDITATION '98

The library's collection consists of 96,000 books, 350 periodical subscriptions with microfilm/fiche, over 21,000 non-print materials including videocassettes, filmstrips, audiocassettes, compact disks, video disks, records, and a CD-ROM network with Web access of 14 databases covering magazines, newspapers, and government documents. The library has 15 EllieCat (on-line public access catalog) terminals which offer public access to the cataloged print, audiovisual resources, and periodical holdings of both Saddleback College and Irvine Valley College libraries. From Monday through Saturday, the library is open a total of 69 hours.

The Learning Assistance Program (LAP) provides peer tutoring in academic subjects, tutor training, and study skills workshops for Saddleback students. Services include one-on-one, small group, drop-in, and in-class tutoring sessions. The Interdisciplinary Computer Center (ICC) provides computers and software for use across the curriculum. The Social and Behavioral Sciences and Liberal Arts division, in cooperation with the Learning Resources division, presently operates the English Writing Laboratory as an adjunct to English courses. From Monday through Thursday the LAP/ICC is open a total of 40 hours.

The Innovation and Technology Center (ITC) focuses on three primary areas of instructional support: faculty and staff development, computer and network management, and audio-visual systems. Since Spring, 1996, the ITC has provided 239 workshops, which accounted for more than 1700 attendances. The ITC is also responsible for the installation, maintenance and repair of over 1,000 computers on the College campus. Beginning in 1995-1996, through the District's Technology Initiative, the College has embarked on an ambitious upgrade of its technology infrastructure that offers connectivity to all classrooms and offices on campus. The College's Audiovisual Department is also part of the ITC and it offers instructional equipment support for faculty and staff. From Monday through Friday the ITC is open a total of 57 hours.

The library has developed a local area network of CD-ROM and Web databases to support faculty, student and staff research needs. The network provides several full-text resources, with some materials available in abstract or citation only. While the network provides scholarly resources for nearly all subjects, support indexes for business topics are weak.

Students complain that the age of the book collection often restricts them to CD-ROM and Web resources for current information. Since 1992 considerable effort has been made to add multicultural resources to the collection, with support from several on- and off-campus funding sources.

In 1995-1996 the South Orange County Community College District (SOCCCD) launched its District Technology Initiative. In Summer, 1997, 30 new computer workstations were installed for on-line library research. Forty additional workstations, dedicated to word-processing and electronic mail, were deployed in Spring, 1998.

Responses to the Institutional Effectiveness Survey (IES) indicated that while 37 percent of faculty and staff responding agreed that learning resources (traditional and electronic) are easy to access and use, 44 percent disagreed with this statement, which indicates that ease of access and use must be improved (Ref. 6.1). The Community College Student Experiences Questionnaire (CCSEQ) did not ask this same question.

The District is planning to install a Web version of EllieCat, the on-line catalog. This should greatly expand access to campus resources.

The ICC is one of two open-access computer centers on campus where students can use word processing equipment.

Fifty-four percent of the respondents to the IES agreed that the tutoring services in the LAP/ICC are satisfactory (Ref. 6.2).

Overall there is a strong perception that the ITC is doing a good job with its limited resources. Forty-eight percent of those responding to the IES agreed that financial resources are sufficient (Ref. 6.3), 55 percent agreed that the ITC staff are responding to service calls in a timely manner (Ref. 6.4), and 46 percent agreed that ITC hours are adequate (Ref. 6.5).

The library staff selects and maintains traditional learning and information resources such as books, periodicals, pamphlets, microforms, and audio-visual software, as well as electronic formats (Ref. 6.6). Recommendations from faculty, students, staff, and community members are encouraged. Ten percent of each year's book budget is set aside for faculty book requests, which are given priority. Gift materials are welcome and added when appropriate to the College library collection. Librarians use selection tools such as professional library journals, publishers' catalogs, on-line sources, instructor bibliographies, and faculty recommendations and act as liaisons to instructional divisions.

Librarians are responsible for the selection and acquisition of electronic learning resources such as on-line and CD-ROM products. The ITC installs software and maintains computer workstations, accompanying software programs, and other instructional hardware. The ITC also ensures that selected software and equipment are compatible with that already present in the College system, meet minimum College standards, and can be maintained by the ITC.

The Library Focus Group, a subcommittee of the District's Reference Network Advisory Group (REFNAG), has representation from both college libraries. This group considers selection, cost-sharing, and maintenance of shared electronic research resources. The District and College share software/hardware maintenance responsibilities. The College maintains servers, CD-ROM towers, and software on the College network. The District is responsible for software programs that reside on the District servers.

The LAP/ICC does not have sufficient funding to acquire adequate educational equipment and materials.

The ITC supports campus-wide technology needs for instructional purposes. With input from faculty the equipment acquired and maintained meets minimum standards developed to support the educational program.

Faculty and staff responding to the IES generally gave high marks to selection, acquisition, and maintenance of information and learning resources. Eighty-two percent of full-time faculty responding to the survey agreed that the services from the library are satisfactory (Ref. 6.7). Fifty-nine percent of full-time faculty and 68 percent of part-time faculty agreed that the library holds books, periodical literature, media, and electronic resources sufficient in depth, diversity and currentness to support student learning. There was a strong perception that the College provides adequate training to use information and learning resources effectively (Ref. 6.8).

In the 1992 Self Study, the library was criticized for having a general collection that was out of date to support research in current events. This issue has been addressed in part by the generosity of the Associated Student Government, which has donated more than $47,000 since 1992 for the purchase of library books. In the same time span, the Friends of the Library have contributed nearly $28,000 for the purchase of information and learning resources. During 1997-1998 an additional College allocation of $56,000 was provided for library books and audiovisual materials.

Of exceptional note is the replacement of the card catalog in use during 1992 Self Study by an on-line system supplied by Data Research Associates (DRA). Nicknamed EllieCat, the on-line catalog provides comprehensive access to the book, periodical and audio-visual holdings of both Saddleback and Irvine Valley College (IVC) libraries.

Although cost-sharing for electronic resources has been a mutual goal of both colleges, the Library Focus Group of REFNAG has not been able to reach agreement on which databases will be mutually accessible, nor is there an agreement on the funding mechanism for shared resources.

Staff vacancies have impacted the day-to-day operations of the entire library. Since September, 1996, two full- and one part-time library assistants have resigned. To date only one position has been filled. Acquisition, cataloging, and processing of new materials is now more difficult and is taking longer than before. Several circulation tasks are not being carried out on a regular basis as staff focuses on checking out and renewing books and periodicals.

Current periodical subscriptions have been reduced to 350, down from 375 in 1992. (The 1992 self study reported that in 1989 current subscriptions numbered more than 600.) This loss has been only slightly offset by the acquisition of new electronic databases.

LAP staff has been actively involved in the development of the Saddleback College Technology Master Plan and the District Technology Initiative. Response to IES questions regarding the LAP and ICC reported a widespread satisfaction with their services (Ref. 6.2).

The ITC staff has performed well in meeting the goals of the District Technology Initiative. Responses to the IES supported a strong perception that the ITC is performing well despite overwhelming difficulties (Ref. 6.3). Staff shortages and vacancies in the ITC impact the installation, maintenance, and training of electronic learning resources used by the library.

The library promotes its resources to students, staff, and faculty through instruction, orientations, in-service presentations, Internet workshops, the Lariat (student newspaper), College publications, the library Web page, and printed materials. Last year librarians taught approximately 200 library orientations at the request of faculty, structured to meet specific class needs. The library also offers research skills classes. Library hours during the fall and spring semesters are 8:00 a.m. to 9:45 p.m., Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. through 3:45 p.m. on Friday, and 9:00 a.m. through 1:45 p.m. on Saturday. During summer session, the hours are 8:00 a.m. through 8:45 p.m., Monday through Thursday and from 8:00 a.m. through 1:45 p.m. on Friday. Reference librarians are on duty when the library is open.

The resources of the LAP/ICC are promoted through printed materials such as the Schedule of Classes, the Lariat, flyers, posters, and bookmarks, through presentations made to student clubs and student orientations, and through faculty in-service. The LAP is open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday. One hundred fifty tutors provide 2,000 hours of tutoring assistance per month to Saddleback College students. Approximately 1,500 to 2,000 students use the LAP each semester. The ICC is open 35 to 40 hours per week. Between 700 and 1,000 hours of computer use is tracked each month. Approximately 700 students use the ICC each semester. Thirteen English 300 classes are held in the ICC each week.

The ITC is open to College faculty and staff Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The ITC provides an extensive training program for faculty and staff throughout the year. The Audiovisual Circulation department moved from the Learning Resources Division to the ITC in 1996 and Audiovisual Circulation services are scheduled by contacting the ITC staff.

Responses to the IES indicated a need for improved access to learning resources by faculty and staff. Forty-four percent of staff responding disagreed that access and use of materials is easy (Ref. 6.1). Thirty-one percent of students responding to the CCSEQ said they never use the library, 57 percent never check out books, 41 percent never use the card catalog, 50 percent have never prepared a bibliography, and 41 percent have never asked a librarian for help (Ref. 6.9). One very likely explanation for these figures is that the classes surveyed may not have included a library research assignment.

Significant efforts have been made since the 1992 Accreditation Self Study to assess library skills of students taking the matriculation tests. English as a Second Language (ESL) classes have been surveyed for special needs. This has resulted in the creation of a special section for ESL-level materials on the upper floor of the library. The ESL survey results (Ref. 6.10) indicated a need for more non-fiction materials in the ESL section. The librarian responsible for selecting ESL materials has made a concerted effort to add non-fiction resources. In addition, in Spring, 1995, another librarian dedicated her sabbatical project to researching the unique library instruction needs of ESL students. The library instruction librarian developed an instructional unit for use by all English 1A classes, but not all faculty in the department chose to adopt it. All English 1A classes come to the library for a specialized orientation during the semester.

The hours of the LAP and ICC are limited due to lack of funding. Tutoring is offered 12 hours per day Monday through Thursday made possible by more than 100 volunteer tutors. Thirty-five to 40 hours of computer access are provided each week. The budget supports only 20 hours of part-time assistance in the ICC. Students need access to tutoring and computers on Fridays and Saturdays. The LAP/ICC cannot currently satisfy this need.

Fifty-four percent of faculty, staff and administrators responding to the IES agreed that the services available for tutoring are satisfactory (Ref. 6.11).

Fifty-five percent of faculty and staff responding to the IES agreed that the ITC staff responds in a timely manner to requests for service and equipment (Ref. 6.4). Forty-six percent of faculty and staff agreed that ITC's hours of service are adequate (Ref. 6.5).

In July, 1997, the District Board of Trustees reorganized the administrative structure of the College without input from the College community. The Dean of Learning Resources was transferred to IVC and another Dean now oversees the Library, Distance Learning, Teleconferencing, the Interdisciplinary Computer Center, and the Learning Assistance Program as well as the Technology and Applied Science division, the ITC, and Technology Services for the entire campus.

The library employs seven full-time and several part-time librarians with MLS degrees (one doctorate), one secretary, three Library Technicians, four Library Assistant IIs, one full-time Library Assistant I, three part-time Library Assistant Is, one Media Services Supervisor, one Specialist Aide and several student aides. The ICC/LAP employees include one Senior Instructional Assistance Specialist and five part-time Instructional Assistance Specialists, one Specialist Aide, student aides, and numerous volunteer tutors.

The Dean oversees the Innovation and Technology Center. The ITC Director supervises two full-time Senior Lab Technicians, two full-time Instructional Assistants for Computers, two full-time User Services Analysts, two full-time and two part-time Audio-Visual Technicians. Librarians also provide basic and advanced instruction in learning to use traditional and electronic research resources in the ITC.

Response to the IES indicated broad satisfaction (64 percent) with the availability of information about and training for new technologies (Ref. 6.8). Seventy-nine percent of the respondents agreed that library services are satisfactory (Ref. 6.7). Staffing seems to be adequate in the library to satisfy faculty and staff needs. Response to the CCSEQ showed that a large percentage of students never or rarely use the library or its resources. (Ref. 6.10). A possible explanation is that not all instructors include library research in their curriculum and therefore students do not have a curriculum-related need to use the library. Another possible conclusion is that students surveyed were from classes which do not yet rely heavily upon library research for completing class assignments (e.g. ESL and some vocational classes).

While it may appear that the library is adequately staffed, it is important to note that there are several vacancies. Two full-time Library Assistant II positions are vacant. Both positions are critical to providing appropriate support to students and other users of information and learning resources.

Fifty-four percent of faculty, staff and administrators responding to the IES agreed that the services available for tutoring are satisfactory (Ref. 6.2). However, IES question 84 indicates that 41 percent of the respondents did not have enough knowledge about the ICC to know if the services were satisfactory (Ref. 6.2).

Although response to the IES reported widespread satisfaction with ITC services, there was a significant (27 percent) number of respondents not aware of ITC services (Ref. 6.12).

The library's annual book budget for the last several years has remained at approximately $25,000. The periodicals budget also has been $25,000 per year. The media supply account which pays for electronic resources subscriptions has been $8,000 to $14,000 a year. At the end of each academic year this account is augmented by dedicated revenues that enable acquisition of audiovisual resources.

Supplemental funding ($47,000 since 1993) from the Associated Student Government (ASG), the Friends of the Library (nearly $28,000 since 1992), and other sources, has allowed the library to maintain an adequate level of service.

Throughout 1996 and 1997, the District Technology Initiative provided a campus-wide network of computer equipment to improve access to information and learning resources electronically. A network-based security system is being examined to secure and protect the equipment housed in the library and other campus buildings.

The LAP tutor budget has been reduced by one-half during the last ten years, from $40,000 to $20,000 annually. At the same time, the rate of pay for tutors has increased from $3.85 to $5.75 per hour.

Forty-five percent of faculty and staff responding to the IES did not agree that the College allocates sufficient financial resources to the library collection and other learning resources (Ref. 6.3). While College financial support has been level, it is important to note that, according to the 1996 Bowker Annual, over the last five years the cost of books and periodicals has increased by 15 percent and 11 percent respectively. In addition, sufficient funds for purchasing audiovisual materials for instruction have not been available. The income from the student use of copiers that had been transferred to the media supply account is now no longer available due to a new photocopy service contract. The division has been fortunate to receive additional support from the ASG, the Friends of the Library, the College Foundation and other sources that have made it possible to maintain, secure, and improve its information and learning resources.

In Fall, 1996, the DTI was launched. By the end of 1997-1998 six million dollars will have been spent to upgrade the technology infrastructure, hardware, and software District-wide. While the infusion of these one-time funds for technology is a necessary expenditure, funds for maintenance, training, and technology upgrading are not part of the plan.

The library and learning resources budget needs to be increased on a continual basis, to a more realistic level to meet growing needs for acquisition, access, and maintenance of traditional and non-traditional resources including audiovisual materials. The Library and Learning Resources must not rely on outside funding sources for basic programmatic needs.

Fifty-four percent of faculty and staff responses to the IES agreed that LAP tutoring services are satisfactory (Ref. 6.11). This excellent service is provided mostly through the dedication of volunteer tutors. In fact, during the last several years, funding for paid tutors had decreased and more volunteer tutors are being used.

The equipment budget for the operation of the ITC is sufficient, however, concentrated demands on the existing staff have been overwhelming. The ITC needs to make an assessment of its personnel requirements and forward requests to the College.

Saddleback and IVC libraries have informal agreements to serve each other's students. This is facilitated by a district-wide on-line catalog, which highlights local campus resources while also displaying those of the sister campus. Saddleback College students are informed in library orientations that all resources in the database are available to them. Students may opt to travel to the IVC Library to pick up materials or students may submit interlibrary loan requests through the Saddleback College reference desk. Circulation staff process the requests and the items are delivered to the sister campus for student use within 48 hours. Access to the periodicals and audiovisual resources is currently limited to faculty and staff. Information about all library services is presented in the Lariat fall orientation issue and all official College publications.

Saddleback College and the California State University, Fullerton Mission Viejo (CSUF-MV) campus have formal agreements to serve each other's students. In library orientations, students are informed that once the resources of the Saddleback College and IVC libraries are exhausted they may consult the collection of the CSUF-MV Library. Saddleback College librarians verify CSUF holdings before sending students to the satellite library. All resources of the CSUF main campus library are accessible to Saddleback College students through a photocopy and courier service. All Saddleback College students have full library privileges at the CSUF Library in Fullerton through its open access policy. The Saddleback College Honors Program students have secured additional library privileges with UCI, UCLA and Chapman University libraries (Ref. 6.13).

Saddleback College and IVC libraries share book resources to benefit students at both campuses. Faculty from both campuses benefit from this cooperation because all resources regardless of location are available to them. Services to students can be improved by making periodical and audiovisual resources available as well. Staff on both campuses have access to e-mail and fax service, and it is possible to expand the current level of cooperation to include these resources.

Saddleback College students and faculty are well served by the CSUF-MV Library. Over 94 percent of requests for books or periodical articles were satisfied during the last year and a half according to statistics collected by the CSU-MV librarian (Ref. 6.14). Mission Viejo Library opened its doors to the community in October, 1997. With this new library come opportunities for cooperation to benefit all users.

The librarians evaluate CD-ROMs, electronic resources, periodicals, reference books, and the circulating book collection regularly and systematically. Based on student requests and budget, electronic resources (CD-ROM databases) are evaluated several times during the year to determine effectiveness and value to student research and information needs. Librarian liaisons to campus divisions and/or disciplines consult with faculty in weeding the book collection and in acquiring new resources. With the DTI in full operation, information resources and services will be changing dramatically in the next two years. In Spring, 1997, the Library Focus Group of the REFNAG was formed and includes library staff from both colleges and District Information Technology staff. The group's charge is to determine which databases and information resources will be accessible through the colleges' Web sites, to evaluate vendors and resources for inclusion on the "electronic reference desk" and to centralize the costs, the deployment, and the maintenance of electronic reference resources.

Bibliographic instruction and reference statistics are used to determine the schedules of instruction librarians. Reference activity statistics are collected every semester and are reported in the division's annual report to the State Chancellor's office.

The LAP regularly seeks student feedback and faculty input about the success and impact of LAP services to students. On-going evaluation methods are surveys to students and faculty and anecdotal evidence. Data is reviewed on an ongoing basis, including the number of hours of assistance provided. Tutoring 100 student success is surveyed every semester and tutoring methods and strategies evolve and change based on these evaluations.

The ITC, with the help of the College's Institutional Technology Committee, has centralized equipment and technologies, has developed a set of standard specifications for computer hardware and software, has scheduled deployment of equipment to classrooms, labs, the library, offices and other centers, and is creating a maintenance and replacement procedure for the new equipment.

The library evaluates its information and learning resources in a variety of ways which contribute to improvement of the program. However, there is no coordinated effort to the various evaluations currently taking place.

The Library Focus Group of REFNAG is a committee at the District level which represents the interests of the Saddleback College and Irvine Valley College libraries. Efforts are being made through this committee to coordinate and synchronize library-related technology for both campuses. REFNAG needs to become a more effective representative for both libraries at the District level.

The evaluation methods presently in place (surveys and interviews with students) are time-consuming, especially in light of the fact that statistics are gathered manually and then analyzed. The implementation of new information management systems will provide easier and more accurate tracking of students and will also be able to provide more information on student success than is currently available.

Because it is so new, the ITC does not yet have in place a systematic evaluation process for its services. It does, however, respond to curriculum-driven changes by updating and replacing computer software. The ITC is currently completing the deployment of the DTI and has plans to address the adequacy and effectiveness of its services by drafting and implementing a process for systematic evaluation.

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