LIBRARY POLICY

POLICY STATEMENT

The School provides quality information resources and services for teaching, learning and research activities of the school in accordance with its approved strategic plan. This policy provides guidelines for effective management and operations of activities related to user information services, collection, staff and management development information, provision of information literacy, library information technology services, disaster prevention and management and quality assurance. It further serves as a guide to library users in their pursuit for excellence in teaching, learning and research.

SPPED’s library vision is to become a world class library that provides user-friendly information resources and services. Its mission is to empower library users with quality information solutions in support of teaching and learning, research and service to the community

LIBRARY OBJECTIVES

To serve as a center for academic collection, archives, manuscripts, electronic resources, literary works, audio-visual resources, and artifacts of historic and cultural significance;
To provide information resources to support academic, research and community needs;
To facilitate access and literacy in the utilization of information resources;
To process and provide access to intellectual output of the School;
To provide a conducive environment for study and research; and
To participate in community social responsibility activities.

THE SPPED LIBRARY SYSTEM

System Coverage

This policy shall be cited as the School of Public Policy and Entrepreneurship Development Library Policy. Any future expansion of campuses and libraries shall be managed under the SPPED library department. The budget of the library department shall be determined as part of the annual budgeting process of the school and enough allocations shall be made to ensure effective and efficient management and achievement of the library objectives.

Library and Bookshop Committee

The Library and Bookshop Committee shall be responsible to provide advice, support, and liaison for faculty, individual departments, and the University Librarian on matters of the role of the Library in academic learning, budgeting, collection development, bibliographic instruction, automation, circulation, and reference services. Academic departments have responsibility for the quality of their collections.

The composition of the Committee shall include elected faculty members, the University Librarian, and one student member appointed by the Student Representative Council (SRC). The School Librarian may constitute adhoc library committees as may become needed

USER SERVICES

This policy will provide interactive relationship between the user and the library for mutual benefit and in the pursuit of achieving the vision of SPPED. Specifically, the policy will (i) facilitate access and use of information resources in a timely manner; (ii) provide guidance on the use and interaction with library resources and services; (iii) respond promptly to users information needs; (iv) provide user training for better access to information resources in all formats; and (v) provide a congenial environment for study through shelving and production of guides to the information resources and services.

Users of library resources will be classified according to the underlisted categories and this policy will apply to all the categories.

Category 1: Students

Category 2: Faculty

Category 3: Non-Teaching staff

Persons with Disability (PWDs) will have full access to library services and the Librarian shall ensure that such relevant services are provided to PWDs including the physically and visually challenged.

All category of users who leave the School earlier than completion of studies or end of appointment contract shall be required to clear with the library

LIBRARY OPENING HOURS

The opening hours of the library shall be determined by the School Librarian in consultation with the Library and Bookshop Committee. Generally, the opening hours will be as follows:

Monday to Friday: 8 am-8 pm

Saturday: 9 am-6 pm

Sunday: 12 am-6 pm

Public holidays: Closed.

LIBRARY BOOK LOANS

There will be three types of library loans for print books – long, short and overnight loans. The duration of each loan will be dependent on the category of the user.

Long loan books include books not on high demand. The maximum number of books issued per loan to different categories of users and the duration will be determined by the Librarian and published on the library information board. All borrowed library books must be stamped with the date the user is expected to return them.

Short loan books include books on high demand and can be borrowed only for a few hours determined by the Librarian.

Overnight loan may include short loan books and can be borrowed and returned the next day at the opening of the library as determined by the School Librarian.

Part-time lecturers can borrow books subject to approval of the Chairperson of the relevant department and the Librarian.

Alumni may be permitted to use the library upon payment of approved and published fees determined by the Library and Bookshop Committee.

External users including students of other tertiary institutions may be permitted to use the library only subject to payment of approved fees and a letter from their various institutions.

Library charges and overdue fines as determined by the Librarian must be paid at the School’s Finance Department.

Replacement charges for lost library items: Lost items including books must be replaced at market value plus 20 percent administrative charges. The Librarian will manage the replacement process to ensure replacement of lost books with same version of books is acceptable.

Photocopying and printing charges must be provided at market value and the Librarian ultimately be responsible for ensuring value for money and prudent use of copying and printing facilities.

Protection of intellectual property: The library shall protect intellectual property and adhere to copyright laws of Ghana and the international community. This means also among other things that no user will be allowed to photocopy more than what is permissible under national and international copyright laws.

USER EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY

All new students, faculty and staff shall be given user orientation on the use of library resources, services and facilities. New students will normally go through orientation on the use of digital and non-digital library resources and services and benefit from information literacy and competency. The Library will provide continuous user education to members of SPPED community.

The library will market its collections and information services to stakeholders through (i) Library website; (ii) Library bulletins, brochures, leaflets and publications; (iii) social media; (iv) and other appropriate fora.

OFF-SITE USERS

This Library policy will provide access, use and interaction with library resources and services to all registers distant/virtual learning students and to establish reliable online information services to them. Off-site library users will be eligible for book loans, access to electronic resources including software to allow remote access to online electronic collections and online training tutorials.

COLLECTION DEVELOPMENT

SPPED’s collection development policy will be guided by academic and research programs to ensure it meets the information needs of faculty, students, staff and all other registered library users. Diversified sources of library and information materials will be identified and current print, electronic and multimedia information materials for academic programs will be acquired. In-house electronic and hard copy databases of institutional information resources, catalogues and statistics on library collection for academic programs will be done regularly. This policy will evaluate regularly library collections, weeding of information materials and ensure effective conservation and preservation of information materials. The bulk of the collection will be at the undergraduate and post-graduate levels to support the curriculum and research needs of students and faculty.

The selection process for electronic and print information materials will involve the relevant faculty. Subscriptions to journals will be reviewed regularly to ensure the library is endowed with most recent journals and publications including on-line resources. Suggestions from students and non-teaching staff will be considered.

Selection aids will include (i) On-line bookshops and subject-specific bibliographies; (ii) Publishers and booksellers’ catalogues; (iii) Catalogues from national bibliographies; and (iv) Faculty, student and staff recommendations.

Electronic information resources will include e-books, e-journals, e-daily newspapers, magazines, web pages and other electronic formats.

Print resources shall include hard copy books, hard copy journals and hard copy newspapers and periodicals.

Audiovisual information resources that will be acquired for academic and research purposes will include videos, DVDs and CDs, flashcards, charts and maps.

Procurement of information resources including hard and soft copies will be in accordance with the School’s recommended procurement procedures. The library will acquire two copies per title of the first three recommended core text books in print format. This number will be reviewed by the Library Committee regularly. General reading books will be procured as recommended by the Library Committee.

Interested students and staff will be facilitated to buy personal books through the school’s procurement process. Any student or faculty interested to use this process will be required to pay the full cost of the book and administrative fee not exceeding 5 percent of the cost of the book. The Library will notify the student or faculty member upon receipt of the purchased book which must be collected within 4 months after which the book and money paid will be forfeited to the School library.

Donations and gift items – the library shall source for donations of relevant books and other information materials from various sources. The Librarian shall receive such gifts and donations on behalf of the School library.

MAINTENANCE AND DISPOSAL OF LIBRARY MATERIALS

Maintenance of print library resources will be carried out regularly and will include (i) Weeding of library resources; (ii) Book repairs carried out internally in the Library department or outsourced; and (iii) annual stock taking of library collection.

Disposal of information materials and other library resources – Hard copies of newspapers older than six months will be disposed in accordance with the disposal policy of the School. Obsolete equipment will be disposed in accordance with the disposal policy of the School.

ICT RESOURCES AND DIGITAL LIBRARY SERVICES

ICT Resources and Services: The following guidelines will be implemented for the use of ICT in the library:

ICT resources and digital library services are open to all authorized and registered users of the library;
The library will utilize appropriate ICT resources and equipment to provide access to electronic information sources and services;
All library software and data will be under the management of the library in consultation with ICT department;
The library will liaise with ICT department for technical support and maintenance of all ICT equipment and software;
The library shall have a web page within the School’s website for purposes of marketing and disseminating library resources and services;
The library will be fully responsible for its online content development and management in consultation with the School’s web manager;
The Library will utilize social media platforms for the benefit of the user; and
All ICT hardware and software in the library are to be used for educational purposes and not for personal use.

Digital Library Services: The following guidelines will be implemented to ensure effective management of digital library sources and services:

The School will establish a fully equipped and well-staffed digital library unit to manage and provide access to online and multimedia electronic information resources and services;
The digital library services will be supervised by a Systems and Digital Specialist;
Online information assistance and guides will be provided to library users to ensure ready help for information needs and inquiries; and
Appropriate cyber management software may be used for effective management of time slots for each user.

INSTITUTIONAL DIGITAL REPOSITORY

An institutional digital repository is a centralized digital collection of the intellectual output of the SPPED. The Digital Repository policy provides guidelines relating to the software, content, content formats, content collection methods, access, use, retention, withdrawal and preservation measures as well as quality control. Its objectives include:

Centralization of the School’s intellectual output for easier access, sharing and usage;
Ensuring appropriate use and open access software for the creation and development of the digital repository;
Facilitating research process through marketing and dissemination of the School’s research findings;
Ensuring adequate contribution to the body of scholarly content through the web;
Providing visibility to author(s) scholarly works individually or collectively;
Ensuring full preservation of intellectual content; and
Providing comprehensive guidelines for the collection/submission, access, use, standards, copyright and quality control of the digital repository content.

Digital repository content shall include: (i) Electronic theses; (ii) Journal articles; (iii) Conference proceedings and presentations; (iv) Books and book chapters; (v) Policy documents; (vi) Past papers; (vii) Lecture notes; (viii) Speeches; (ix) Sermons; (x) technical reports; (xi) Research reports; and (xii) Videos.

Content collection and submission: (i) The library will designate appropriate personnel to collect and accept submissions of information items in various formats; (ii) The Library requires electronic submission of theses and dissertations to enable their inclusion in the digital repository; (iii) The Library will digitize scholarly research works for the digital repository; and (iv) The School will develop an open access policy for its intellectual and scholarly content.

INFORMATION LITERACY

Information literacy policy provides guidance for content and mode of delivery of information literacy skills. The policy seeks to assist the library and faculty to train students on electronic and print information resources including procedures for access and use for study, research, scholarship and lifelong learning.

The library will implement short courses and work with faculty to integrate the information literacy skills program within the curriculum to meet the objectives of the information literacy skills training. The library department will coordinate stakeholders and lead the planning and formulation of information literacy. The department will monitor national and international trends in information literacy training, appropriately benchmark information literacy programs and ensure quality delivery of training in partnership with faculty.

STAFFING

A competent and experienced staff complement will be deployed to effectively and efficiently manage information services delivery. The School library will work in collaboration with the Human Resource Department to recruit and retain qualified and competent staff for the library.

Library Staff Structure at full capacity will comprise the Librarian, deputy Librarian and Assistant Librarians. All Library staff shall be appointed on merit through a competitive process. Their career trajectory welfare and conditions of service will be guided by the human resource policy of the School.

Library Meetings will be held as determined by the Librarian but in the case of meetings of the Bookshop and Library Committee, meeting dates and agenda will be determined in consultation with the Chairperson of the Committee. Minutes of all meetings will be approved by the Librarian and appropriately stored.

DISASTER MANAGEMENT AND BUSINESS CONTINUITY

The library will adhere to the provisions of the disaster management and business continuity policy of the School and follow all guidelines essential for safety and re-assumption of normal operations when disaster occurs. Disaster preparedness will include (i) Installation of relevant firefighting equipment, smoke detectors and water sensors; (ii) Conduct fire drills consistent with the School’s policy; (iii) Adherence to evacuation procedures and guidelines on fire exits and safety pathways in the library building; (iv) Installation of up-to-date security surveillance including CCTV cameras; (v) Training of library staff in disaster management and representation on the Disaster Management Committee.

Business Continuity at the School will be permitted only upon thorough investigation and assessment of the disaster situation and clearance has been given by the Disaster Management Committee. All students, faculty and staff will undergo counseling prior to resumption of normal work.

QUALITY ASSURANCE

There shall be established a Quality Assurance Committee responsible for monitoring and making recommendations for improvement in the quality of information resources and services. The quality assurance responsibility will cover (i) Information literacy competence; (ii) Library operations and information services; (iii) Access and retrieval tools; (iv) ICT equipment; (v) Performance of library staff; (vi) Interdepartmental relations; and (vii) Community social responsibility activities.

REVISION OF THIS POLICY

This library policy will be reviewed as may be decided by the Board of Governors of the school on advice of the Library and Bookshop Committee