Library - Mitchell Community College: Faculty & Staff Resources

Faculty & Staff Circulation Policy

Any materials that are not available directly from Mitchell Community College Library may be available through interlibrary loan. To request interlibrary loan items, please submit a completed Interlibrary Loan Request form, or contact a library staff member.

Circulating Books

• Located on the 3rd floor of Huskins Library (Statesville); limited selection available at the Mooresville campus*
• Faculty and staff may borrow books for 90 days; may renew items up to two times if other patrons have not requested them
• No limit to the number of items that can be checked out at once

Reference Books

• Located on the main floor of Huskins Library (Statesville); limited selection available at the Mooresville campus*
• In-library use only
• A large selection of electronic reference materials is available online.  Please contact a library staff member for more information.

Audiovisual Materials (DVDs, CDs, audiobooks)

• Located on the main floor of Huskins Library (Statesville) and at the Mooresville Campus Library.*
• Faculty and staff may borrow AV materials for 30 days; may renew items up to two times if other patrons have not requested them
• No limit to the number of items that can be checked out at once

*Note:  Items can be sent from one campus to another free of charge.  Please contact a library staff member for details.

Collection Development

Collection Development Plan

The J.P. and Mildred Huskins Library supports the mission of Mitchell Community College by providing a high quality, relevant and useful collection of resources, which includes all facets of information literacy and by collaborating with the college community to enhance student learning. The library is responsible for the development of library and audiovisual materials and services which support the instructional goals of Mitchell Community College.

One of the major tasks of a library program is collection development: the process of building and maintaining the library's materials collection through identification, selection, acquisition, evaluation, and withdrawal of print, non-print, electronic and remote formats.

Collection Development Statement

The J.P. and Mildred Huskins Library at Mitchell Community College supports student academic success by providing resources and services to the college's students, faculty, staff and the local community. This collection development policy includes general guidelines for the selection of library materials and criteria for withdrawal of materials from the collection.

As an important information resource for the academic community, the library provides students, faculty, staff, and the local community with books, periodicals, online databases and other materials in a variety of formats which serve to:

• support classroom instruction and the achievement of course, program, and institutional student learning outcomes;
• cover topics and issues relevant to the diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, social, and economic background of the college and local community;
• support and encourage independent, lifelong learning and intellectual growth.

Although the Huskins Library at Mitchell Community College is primarily responsible for the quality of the collection, the selection of new materials, and the withdrawal of materials; our activities are shared with other members of the college community.  The librarians will work closely with faculty liaisons from all subject areas to evaluate their subject(s) area of the collection. Since collection assessments represent a significant investment of time, Huskins Library will spread the impact over a three to five-year period. Each semester, the focus of the assessment will be on those parts of the collection that support the Associates Degree and transfer program. This process will ensure that each program and discipline is reviewed at least once during a five-year period. All campus libraries will evaluate the same curriculum areas simultaneously with the exception of programs that are unique to one campus.

Librarians and instructional faculty initiate most purchase requests. Students and other staff are also encouraged to suggest additions to the collection using the Library Purchase Request form on the library website.

The library fully supports the philosophical and ethical guidelines set forth in the Library Bill of Rights. American Library Association, 1996 Intellectual Freedom Principles for Academic Libraries. (Association of College and Research Libraries, 1999).

Allocation of Funds

The North Carolina Community College System allocates funds each year to each community college for library books, equipment, salaries, fringe benefits, and their expenses. These allocation are fixed at the state level. The vice-president for finance recommends distribution of "other expenses." This recommendation is approved by the president and the board of trustees.

The Library Director submits an annual budget request that includes books, DVDs, CDs, online databases/periodicals and library and audiovisual equipment.

Priorities for purchase of library and audiovisual equipment are set by the director and are determined by the following: demands not met the previous year; formats of materials being added to the AV collection; space needs for cabinets, shelves, etc.; and new programs in the curriculum.

The book fund, which includes audiovisual materials and automated databases, is administered by the director, to whom requests are made by faculty members, administrators, staff, and students. Factors considered in developing the book collection include the following: new courses and programs; current need and requirements as indicated in student and faculty surveys; strengths and weaknesses in the different disciplines; amount of weeding necessary to keep certain areas updated; and degree of reliance of the department on library books.

Course Reserves

Reserve items are resources which are housed in the college library for student use, but which are usually not owned by the library.  Often these items are the personal property of the instructors themselves (ex. a book of poetry; a textbook), but then may also belong to a particular department (ex. model bones for medical study).  

Instructors have the right to determine how and by whom reserve items will be used.  For example, the instructor can make reserve items available to all students or may choose to limit access only to students on a current class roster. 

Instructors also set limits on how long an item may be borrowed (ex. an hour, 24 hours) and if the item is allowed to leave the library premises or not.

Reserve items will be maintained by the library for as long as the instructor sees fit.  Library staff will periodically contact faculty members to inquire whether reserve items need to be removed or updated. A reserve section is maintained at both Huskins Library and the Mooresville Campus Library behind the circulation desk.

Interlibrary Loan Request

Mitchell Community College Library patrons may borrow items for free from other institutions via Community College Libraries in North Carolina (CCLINC) using interlibrary loan.

To request an item, fill out the Interlibrary Loan Request form, found on the library homepage under "Library Forms." Be sure to fill out as much of the form as you can, as this will help ensure the correct item is requested. A Librarian will let you know when your item is available.

Patrons may also use the "Place Hold" function (see below) within the library catalog to request an item from another college. Simply enter your library card number in the User ID field and submit.

Library Instruction

To request Library instruction (in-person or virtual, synchronous or asynchronous), please complete this form, which can also be found under "Library Forms" on the Library homepage. Please be sure to include as much detail as possible, as this will help the librarian tailor the lesson as specifically as possible to your students' needs.

Once a completed form has been submitted, a librarian will contact you as soon as possible to confirm the date and time of instruction and to ask any follow-up questions. Instruction may be requested outside the Library's normal hours of operation.

Library Purchase Request

Requests to purchase library resources may be made in person, via email, or using the online Library Purchase Request form. 

Every three to five years, the library will conduct detailed collection development assessments of each program or department, during which time faculty will be asked whether there are any items that need to be purchased to better support the curriculum. However, the library welcomes purchase suggestions at any time.

While the library makes every effort to fulfill as many purchase requests as possible and values all user input, it prioritizes requests which are in accordance with its stated purpose and goals and which:

• support classroom instruction and the achievement of course, program, and institutional student learning outcomes;
• cover topics and issues relevant to the diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, social, and economic background of the college and local community;
• support and encourage independent, lifelong learning and intellectual growth.

In most circumstances, one copy of a requested item will be purchased at a time to prevent dilution of limited library resources. The Library will acquire duplicates of an item in the event that heavy and continued use is demonstrated.

Course textbooks are not eligible for library purchase. Instructors who wish to provide one or more copies of a textbook for students use within the library may make the item(s) available via the reserve shelf.  No more than five copies of a single book are to be kept on reserve at any one time. Please see a library staff member for more details about placing items on reserve, or visit the Course Reserves tab.

Current publications will receive priority over out-of-print publications when limited funds are a factor.

If a request is denied or cannot be processed quickly enough to meet an urgent need, interlibrary loan (ILL), through which library users can borrow materials from community college libraries across North Carolina for free, may be utilized.

Netflix for Educators

Did you know that you can show select educational documentaries on Netflix in class?

To browse documentaries, or to find out if a particular program is available for a one-time educational screening, visit media.netflix.com and select "All Alphabetical" (top right). You can also use the search bar at the top of the page to look up a specific documentary.

Any documentary that is available for classroom use will include "GRANT OF PERMISSION FOR EDUCATIONAL SCREENINGS" (and specific terms) below the program description. Only documentaries with this label eligible for screening in class.

Netflix specifies that, while these select films may not be shown repeatedly in the same day or week, it is permissible to use the same film "once per semester over multiple semesters."

The above information more can be found on the Educational Screening of Documentaries page of the Netflix Help Center.

If you would like a librarian to visit your classroom to assist with showing one of these available documentaries, please contact a library staff member.

Printing & Copying

Huskins Library (Statesville)

• All faculty and staff should print from the work station in the workroom (Room 212, main floor) using the correct department code. 

Mooresville Campus Library

• No staff computers are available at this location. All faculty and staff should print from a staff computer (in an office, or from a staff laptop) or from a printer using the correct department code.

The computer stations listed above are configured for faculty and staff use, and will credit printing appropriately. Using a station intended for student or public use will not prompt users to enter a department code, as users are expected to pay out of pocket for printed pages. This will cause a discrepancy in printing accounts.

Faculty and staff printer features include but are not limited to:

• Stapling
• Staple-free stapling (the upper left corner documents are crimped together, which allows them to be easily pulled apart; convenient for packets of information that need to be filled out and then scanned)
• Hole punch (2-hole top and 3-hole side)
• Color printing (available at Huskins Library only)
• Scan to USB
• Scan to email
• Document editing

If you need assistance with printing, please see a Library staff member.

Note:  Fax is currently unavailable at both library locations. Faculty and staff may send faxes related to college business at the Student Services building on the Statesville Campus.

Research Guide Request

Research guides (like this one), sometimes referred to by their brand name "LibGuides," are customizable web pages that can be used as an instructional tool, to promote events, and more.

Please use the form below to request a new research guide for use by faculty, staff, and/or students of Mitchell Community College. The time required to complete a new research varies, but in most cases a draft can be completed within 1-2 weeks.

If you would like to request revisions of an existing research guide, or if you have any other questions, please contact Sarah Sowa, Mooresville Campus Librarian, at (704) 978-1356 or ssowa@mitchellcc.edu.

Room Reservations

To view available spaces and make reservations at either campus Library, click here.

To reserve the Rotary Auditorium (pictured below), located on the lower level of Huskins Library, please contact Carolyn Gray at (704) 878-3281 or cgray@mitchellcc.edu. Library staff cannot approve reservation requests for the Rotary Auditorium.