Sec. 13b.02.02.18. Library/Learning Resource Center

A. General.

(1) A library/learning resource center shall provide print and nonprint materials, services, media, and related equipment and facilities designed to facilitate and improve learning and to foster inquiry.

(2) A library/learning resource center's program and services shall:

(a) Be available to students, faculty, and the community as appropriate; and

(b) Include functions as the mission and goals of the institution may require.

B. Collection Adequacy.

(1) An in-State institution shall have an accessible library materials collection adequate to support the educational program. The type and variety of books and materials depend upon the nature of the institution, and they shall relate realistically to the institution's educational goals, curricula, size, complexity, or degree level, and the diversity of its teaching, learning, and research requirements.

(2) For institutions seeking initial approval, the minimum number of bound volume equivalents (BVEs), as defined by national library associations, required to be accessible on the date when the first students are enrolled is calculated according to the following cumulative formula:

	Associate Degree- Granting	Baccalaureate or Higher Degree-Granting
(a) Basic collection	5,000 BVEs	10,000 BVEs
(b) Additional to the basic collection, for each:
(i) FTE faculty member	100 BVEs	100 BVEs
(ii) FTE student	12 BVEs	15 BVEs
(iii) Undergraduate program	350 BVEs	350 BVEs
(iv) Master's degree program		3,000 BVEs
(v) Doctoral degree program		25,000 BVEs

(3) Waiver.

(a) In extraordinary circumstances, an institution may request a waiver of the minimum collection required by §B(2) of this regulation.

(b) The request for a waiver shall be placed on the agenda of a regularly scheduled public meeting of the Education Policy Committee. The Chairman of the Education Policy Committee shall present the Committee's findings to the Commission at its next regularly scheduled public meeting. The decision of the Commission is considered final and not subject to further review.

(c) A waiver may be granted if the waiver is justified by:

(i) The specialized or technical nature of the institution's curriculum; or

(ii) An executed contract or contracts with another library or libraries ensuring students adequate access to another appropriate collection either through location or through information technology.

(4) In determining the adequacy of the library collection of an existing institution, the Secretary shall consider relevant guidelines of professional associations and library associations.

C. Library/learning resource center professionals shall:

(1) Be sufficient in number; and

(2) Have appropriate professional education to perform the functions required by the institution's mission and goals.

D. Library/learning resource center professionals shall have faculty status or appropriate administrative professional status.

E. Faculty and student usage statistics shall be kept to determine to what extent the library/learning resource center's resources are available and accessible. In addition to monitoring activities, the in-State institution shall use these statistics to identify additional resources required to meet the needs of the faculty and students and estimate the strengths of the current resources.

F. An in-State institution shall include in its operating budget adequate funds to provide library services on its campus and for off-campus instruction.

G. An in-State institution offering off-campus programs within the State shall provide adequate and appropriate library resources within State boundaries and within reasonable distance of the instructional site. The institution shall keep usage statistics to determine to what extent these resources are available and accessible.

H. The Secretary shall approve executed contracts providing for library resources to supplement, and not to substitute for, the holdings of the institution's library/learning resource center, if the in-State institution ensures adequacy and accessibility. The institution shall maintain evidence of the extent of student usage of the supplemental resources.