Policies

• To borrow materials, currently enrolled students and current employees must possess and display a current Indiana Tech ID card. Patrons are responsible for all items checked out with their Indiana Tech ID card.
• Community members, alumni, etc. not currently enrolled at Indiana Tech cannot use library equipment or borrow material.

Physical Access

• To use library computers, printers, and scanners, patrons must have their Indiana Tech Personal User Credentials.
• To access library computers, printers, and scanners outside library business hours, patrons must swipe their ID card at the library doors on the second floor. For current library hours please consult library homepage.
• Patrons must use their own Personal User Login and/or Student ID. Sharing of usernames/passwords and/or Student IDs is not permitted.
• Any currently enrolled student at Indiana Tech is eligible for a Student ID card, which can be obtained from the Security Office in Andorfer Commons. Online students must complete the CPS Student ID Request Form.

Remote Access

• All currently enrolled students are issued a campus username and password. This is the same login a student uses to access all university resources. The username and password will also grant students access to McMillen Library’s online databases and eBooks.

McMillen Library resources, services, and facilities are provided to support the academic mission of Indiana Tech and create a place where students can gather.

All staff, students, and faculty members have the right to use the Library for academic purposes in an environment that is safe, comfortable, and respectful and that allows quiet study and research.

This general library and patron behavior policy is in line with the University’s Student Conduct Policy – https://www.indianatech.edu/about/policies/general-policies/, and is enforced.

Library staff and/or Campus Security personnel will act to maintain or restore the quiet academic environment and will address any activity that disturbs others, interferes with library operations, damages the building or its contents, or any other behavior generally considered inappropriate in a public space.

Patrons are encouraged to bring any concerns to the attention of Library staff. Causing a disturbance, failing to comply with a request to restore order, and/or showing disrespect for fellow patrons or Library staff may result in the removal from the Library and/or the restriction of library privileges.

• Patrons must use their own Personal User Login and/or Student ID. Sharing of usernames/passwords and/or Student IDs is not permitted.
• Indiana Tech credentials are required to check out materials and to access library computers, printers, and scanners. Anyone without valid credentials cannot use these tools.
• Food/drinks are allowed in the library. Drinks must have a lid and patrons should clean up any trash/crumbs left behind before they leave their area. Any dishes from the cafeteria must be returned to their proper location.
• Patrons are expected to clean up any trash or messes at their workstation. If you’re unable to clean up the mess, tell a library staff member.
• Do not leave personal property unattended to prevent theft or damage. McMillen Library’s staff is not responsible for theft or damage left to unattended items.
• Do not store personal property in empty chairs or spaces if it prevents a waiting patron from using the space.
• Only approved signs may be placed in the library. Please see a library staff member for approval. No flyers will be approved from entities outside the university.
• Patrons will be required to wear shirts, bottoms, and footwear in the library at all times.
• The only animals allowed in the library are documented service/assistance animals.
• For safety reasons, bicycles, skateboards, electric-powered vehicles, scooters, etc., cannot be stored or charged in the library.
• Any personal items found by librarians or turned in by other patrons will be turned into Lost and Found, located within the Safety & Security Office in Andorfer Commons.
• Loud, unreasonable, and/or disturbing noises are not permitted in the library. This includes but is not limited to loud, continuing conversations with others in person or on the phone, in monologues, the playing of audio equipment, etc.
• All children/minors under 18 must be always accompanied by an adult. The adult is responsible for the child’s actions and behavior while in the library.
• Weapons are not allowed on the Indiana Tech campus.
• All Indiana Tech buildings are smoke, vape, alcohol, and illegal drug free. Patrons cannot possess or consume these items or be under the influence in the library.

This policy statement does not address every specific behavior because it is impossible to produce a comprehensive list of all the possible disturbances that may occur. The objective is to maintain the integrity of the library. Acceptable behavior maintains a safe, comfortable, and respectful environment that allows quiet study and research.

Unacceptable behaviors are those that, in the assessment of the Library staff, impair the safe and effective use of the library and its shared resources. Examples include:

• • Misusing library facilities or property.
  • Damages or theft inflicted on any library property through any activities such as roughhousing or blatant destruction will result in fines/fees to replace the item(s).
  • Interfering with another person’s use of the library or with the library staff’s performance of their duties.
  • Disrespect upon being asked to modify problematic behaviors.
  • Behaving in a manner that can reasonably disturb other patrons.
  • Obscene, rude, or abusive acts and/or language.
  • Harassing others by uninvited conversation, stalking, or staring at another person. This also includes physically harming, verbally abusing, or other types of harassment towards staff or patrons.
  • Obstructing or interfering with the flow of traffic within the library. All walkways must be kept clear.
  • Intentionally damaging, destroying, or stealing any library property or a patron’s or employee’s property.
  • Disorderly conduct, fighting or challenging to fight, or using offensive words that are likely to provoke violence.
  • Excessive displays of affection or inappropriate sexual behavior.
  • Using emergency exits or setting off fire and/or exit door alarms when no emergency exists.
  • Any other illegal acts or conduct in violation of federal, state, or local law, ordinance, or regulation.

Patron is told that he/she/they are in violation of the policy and how to correct behavior.

If violation continues, and corrective behavior is not taken, the patron will be asked to leave the library. If the patron refuses to leave, Campus Security will be contacted to escort the patron out of the library. A report may be filed and given to appropriate campus offices, to determine if further disciplinary actions are required.

If it is determined that the misconduct is an extreme case of policy violation, including repeated warnings over a period of time, Campus Security will be called immediately without giving notice to the patron.

• • Renewals are available on 3-week checkouts only. Items can be renewed for a maximum of 3 times, except when it is already past the due date, or another patron has a hold on the item.
  • Physical books can be mailed to patrons if they are unable to pick up a circulating title in Fort Wayne. The patron is responsible for the cost of mailing the book back before the due date and is responsible for the book until it arrives back to McMillen Library. A trackable method of shipping is highly recommended. If an eBook is also available, a physical book can not be mailed.
  • If a patron is unable to access the book in Fort Wayne, a small number of pages can be copied as sent to the patron instead of mailing the book. The number of pages varies for each item due to copyright restrictions.
  • For all items, as soon as an item is overdue, borrowing privileges will be suspended. Patron can return the item at any time before it is considered lost to have their privileges restored (see “Aged to Lost Status and Replacement Fee” column above)
  • Replacement fees are determined by the cost of the same or similar item, and will include any shipping and handling costs incurred by McMillen Library.
  • Borrowing privileges will be restored once all fees/fines have been paid through the Student Financial Services Office.
  • Items returned with damage (including but not limited to: water/smoke damage, broken/torn/in a condition determined not to be loanable to another student), or missing pieces will be assessed a replacement fee.

• If a patron claims to have returned materials that still appear on their library account, library staff can update the status of these items to “Claimed-Returned.”
• From the date an item is “Claimed-Returned,” patrons will be given 4 weeks to locate the materials and return them to the library. During the 4 week period, library staff will also conduct three searches within the library’s collections to ensure that materials were not returned without being checked it. At the of the 4-week period, if the materials still have not been located, the patron will still be billed the replacement cost. Patron privileges will be suspended until the replacement cost is paid.

• Books
• Copies of book chapters
• Journal articles

• A physical book if McMillen Library has the electronic version of the title
• Textbooks or copies of textbook chapters that students are required to purchase for their courses. This includes required, recommended, and supplemental textbooks.
• Items under publisher embargo or certain copyright restrictions (we usually don’t know this until we place a request).

Once an ILL request has been submitted on your behalf, the fulfillment time is unknown, as it depends on how quickly a lending library responds. Most schools advertise a 4-business day turnaround for articles. Books requests will take much longer because they need to be physically mailed. We have had some books take more than a month to arrive to Indiana Tech. 

• All due dates and renewal policies for physical materials borrowed through Interlibrary Loan services are set by the lending institution. McMillen Library does not know what these terms are until the lending library agrees to send us the item.
• Renewals are not guaranteed and are at the discretion of the lending library. Once an item is overdue, it cannot be renewed. Once the lending library has responded to the renewal request, the patron will be notified.
• If the patron is unable to pick up a physical item in Fort Wayne, the book can be mailed to the patron. The patron is responsible for the cost of mailing the book back before the due date and is responsible for the book until it arrives back at McMillen Library. A trackable method of shipping is highly recommended, and all shipping time must be factored into the loan period to avoid item replacement fees.

The Collection Development Policy states the principles and guidelines that McMillen Library follows in the selection and acquisition of library materials. The purpose of the policy is to provide consistency among the people responsible for collection development and to communicate library policy to faculty, staff, students, and the community. The McMillen Library selects materials primary for students, faculty, and staff of Indiana Tech to support their curricular, instructional, research, programmatic, and leisure reading needs. Materials selected can be in a physical or electronic format.

The policies presented here are official guidelines. They are by no means a static set of principles and are subject to ongoing review and revision. As the University grows, needs and ideas change. Collection Development Policies must change likewise to serve changing times and situations. The principles presented in this policy apply to the library in general; specific applications may vary depending on the individual campus needs.

Selection of library materials for adults is not limited by the possibility that children may come in contact with the items. McMillen Library does not act in loco parentis and is not responsible for inadvertent viewing at the library.

The McMillen Library at Indiana Tech supports the American Library Association’s (ALA’s) Bill of Rights Library Bill of Rights , Freedom to Read Statement, and the American Film and Video Association’s Freedom to View Statement. McMillen Library also follows the Intellectual Freedom Principles for Academic Libraries, which is approved by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL). The general principles set forth in these documents form an indispensable framework for building collections, services, and policies that serve the entire academic community.

A strong intellectual freedom perspective is critical to the development of academic library collections and services that dispassionately meet the education and research needs of a college or university community. The purpose of this statement is to outline how and where intellectual freedom principles fit into an academic library setting, thereby raising consciousness of the intellectual freedom context within which academic librarians work. The following principles outlined in this policy are reflected in all relevant library policy documents.

The development of library collections in support of an institution’s instruction and research programs should transcend the personal values of the selector. In the interests of research and learning, it is essential that collections contain materials representing a variety of accurate perspectives on subjects that may be considered controversial.

A service philosophy should be promoted that affords equal access to information for all in the academic community with no discrimination based on race, values, gender, sexual orientation, cultural or ethnic background, physical or learning disability, economic status, religious beliefs, or ideologies.

The McMillen Library supports the free exchange of ideas with collections that provide access to a selection of materials on all subjects that support the University’s mission. McMillen Library provides access in accordance with the American Library Association’s (ALA’s) Bill of Rights Library Bill of Rights and Freedom to Read Statement and the American Film and Video Association’s Freedom to View Statement.

McMillen Library strives to balance access to, and ownership of, information resources offering the widest possible viewpoints. Materials will not be excluded because of the frankness of language or controversial approach, the political, moral, religious, sexual, social economic, or scientific views expressed, or because of the author’s or publisher’s race or national origin, politics, or religion. The primary purpose of the McMillen Library is to support the educational and research programs of Indiana Tech.

The primary subject areas collected are those that serve to support the curricular, instructional, research, and programmatic needs of Indiana Tech. The majority of materials are organized by the Library of Congress classification system.

Selection Responsibility:

Ultimate responsibility for the development and maintenance of the library’s collection rests with the Library Director. While library staff routinely consult with faculty on materials to be added, all decisions about the library’s collection are made by library staff.

Suggestions and Materials Requests:

Suggestions for the purchase of specific titles may be submitted using the electronic  Purchase Request Form. Requests for materials submitted by faculty, students, and staff, and are reviewed by the Library Director. Orders for materials that are designated as supporting the curricular, instruction, research, and programmatic needs of Indiana Tech will be given “Highest Priority.” The Director will determine if the material request fills a gap in the library collection and will determine if funds are available.

The McMillen Library welcomes gifts of materials which are appropriate to Library’s collections. We appreciate our donor’s intention to enhance the quality and variety of the library’s resources through their gifts. Especially welcome are items that supplement the Indiana Tech curriculum and that will benefit student and faculty research. The library is subject to space, staff, and resource limitations which will impact our ability to accept gifts of some materials, therefore, the library reserves the right to determine whether or not to add donated materials to the collection. Donations are evaluated using the same selection criteria that are used for the purchase of library materials.

In general, the library does not accept the following as gifts: materials that duplicate existing holdings, textbooks, newspapers or magazines, outdated media formats (such as VHS, cassettes, etc.), materials in poor physical condition, items that appear to be scholarly but are self-published, materials that have been heavily marked with pen, pencil, or highlighters, materials that do not support the Indiana Tech curriculum, photocopied materials or copies or original audio/video productions, and/or gifts on which the donor has placed restrictions that will negatively affect access to and use of the materials. The library does not accept materials which are not outright gifts.

If the donor wishes, all materials received as gifts can be appropriately marked inside the front cover with a sticker denoting the donor.

If you are interested in donating materials to the McMillen Library, please contact the Library Director by email/phone, prior to delivering materials to the library. For large collections, the library requests a list of items to be submitted for review before accepting any materials. The library does not have the ability to retrieve donations from the donor, so the donor must make arrangements for the transport of donated materials to the library. Donated items become property of the McMillen Library and will be shelved in the collection where they are most useful, rather than on separate shelves that take them out of logical sequence.

Items that do not fall within the scope of the library’s collection and/or are later weeded from the collection will be donated, recycled, or offered to another library without informing the donor.

Collection review is an important aspect of collection management. The collection is continually monitored, and removal of worn, outdated, or unnecessary materials increases the convenience of the patron, allows for a higher proportion of immediately useful materials, allows library staff to work more efficiently in maintaining good shelf order, and increase the availability of shelf space for useful items. Items which are physically damaged, deteriorated, or embrittled must be repaired, replaced, or withdrawn. Materials which are no longer relevant to the University’s programs, which are redundant in the collection, and have not been circulated recently may also be candidates for deselection or weeding. Items deselected or weeded from the collection may or may not be replaced.

To facilitate the identification, evaluation, and selection of materials purchased for the library’s collection, librarians regularly use a variety of professional selection aids. Standard review sources are routinely consulted, and include scholarly journals, bibliographies published on certain topics, and faculty teaching in assigned topic areas.

• Support and enrich all subjects of the curricula, taking into consideration the varied interests, abilities, and maturity levels of the student population.
• Present the many racial, ethnic, and cultural groups and portray the role of their contributions to the development of society.
• Support and be consistent with objectives and goals of specific courses and curricula offered by the University.
• Present issues and topics in the most appropriate format for evaluation and understanding.
• Stimulate growth in knowledge, literary appreciation, aesthetic values, and ethical standards.
• Offer students an opportunity to develop an awareness of social order which values freedom and allows for the fullest development of the individual.
• Develop life-long habits of reading which foster freedom in the exchange of ideas.
• Items meant to be seen as scholarly sources are obtained from reputable publishers with editors, peer reviewers, and editorial boards to help guarantee quality.

Policies by Type and Format of Materials

Books/Monographs

Monographs are acquired with first priority given to supporting the curriculum. The most readily available format (physical or electronic) for monographs is acquired. Acquisitions are acquired on the availability of funds.

Serials, Journals, and Newspapers

Electronic access is the preferred format for serials, journals, and newspapers when available. McMillen library will acquire serial and journal titles when affordable. Print items are acquired on a highly selective basis.

Audio-Visual Materials

Audio-visual materials are acquired with priority given to curriculum and research support. Considerations of suitability of format, quality of production, availability of equipment, and facilities assist in the selection. Considerations in the selection of audio-visual materials include, but are not limited to, curriculum, individual needs of faculty, quality of production, region codes, viewing facilities, availability of equipment, and technical support.

Textbooks

Since all textbooks are provided to the students through their tuition, McMillen Library does not acquire textbooks routinely. Textbooks are either mailed to the students or available for pick up at the Book Room in the Warrior Fieldhouse. Other textbooks are not acquired unless they are considered as definitive sources in the subject area and are not being used in the course. Textbooks are quickly outdated and acquiring them would take funding away for the purchase of other materials needed to build a lasting research collection.

Interlibrary Loans

In the instances where the cost of the item is high and demand is low among the student population, the use of Interlibrary Loan may be considered as an option over acquisition. Items can be requested through the Interlibrary Loan Form.

Budget

The materials budget supports the purchase of all formats designated in the collection development policy. The budget supports expenditures for the following:

• Approval plans, firm orders, and continuing resources to the extent that funding is available, with first consideration given to continuing obligations,
• Cooperative programs with other libraries (Interlibrary Loan consortiums),
• Access to and preservation of purchased and donated library materials,

The budget is administered by the Library Director, in consultation with the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs.

The materials budget is allocated according to available funds and established institutional policies.

Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed at the end of each fiscal year by the staff of the McMillen Library.