Library Services for Faculty

Information Literacy

One of the fundamental services provided by academic libraries is the teaching of information literacy. Information literacy is a set of skills and concepts which include the ability to locate, analyze, evaluate, synthesize and use information from a variety of sources: books, journals, databases, government documents, and the internet. Information literacy is essential for students to function in our information-based society. Academic librarians are committed to providing students with the research skills necessary for them to become lifelong information consumers and learners.

Instruction Sessions

The primary method by which librarians teach information literacy is through course-integrated instruction. After consultation with a faculty member, a librarian designs an in-class session that meets the specific needs of the students in the course. Emphasis is placed on distinguishing scholarly, refereed journals from non-scholarly, popular journals, comprehending the purpose of an annotated bibliography and its components, and applying the appropriate citation style.

For each information literacy session, librarians create a course guide available on the Web. Please call the Reference Desk at 610.902.8537 to arrange a session. 

Liaison Program

A liaison is a librarian formally designated as the primary contact between Holy Spirit Library and a specific academic department. The intention is to provide faculty and students with the name of at least one person who can act as a starting point for questions about any service or issue.

The liaisons:

• Develop and maintain knowledge of information resources within a given subject area(s)
• Initiate orders for materials
• Select, evaluate, and monitor electronic resources
• Notify faculty about new library services and materials of potential interest
• Maintain ongoing review of print and electronic subscriptions and options for alternative access
• Provide support for accreditation review processes, new academic programs, and grant proposals
• Evaluate collection strengths and weaknesses

Borrowing Privileges

Holy Spirit Library

Faculty have a loan period of one academic semester for regularly circulating materials and one week for multimedia materials. There is no limit to the number of regularly circulating items that faculty may borrow.

Contact the Circulation Department at 610.902.8538.

Other Libraries

In addition to borrowing privileges at Cabrini, faculty may borrow materials in person from SEPCHE and other TCLC (Tri-state College Library Cooperative) institutions. In all cases, faculty must present proof of Cabrini affiliation and must request a letter of introduction from a Cabrini librarian for use at TCLC libraries.

Course Reserves

Instructors are encouraged to put items on reserve in order to ensure access for all students. Personal copies of materials are accepted for reserve. Barcodes, labels, and security stickers will be affixed to items. The Library is not responsible for damage or loss of such materials. Please allow two working days to process the materials.

All materials will be removed from the Reserve shelves at the end of each semester. Personal items should be picked up by the instructor. The Library Director reserves the right to refuse items for reserve if items do not meet the fair use provisions set forth in the United States Copyright Act of 1976 (Section 107). Please note that materials not meeting the criteria for fair use may be accepted for the Reserve Desk if permission has been granted by the copyright holder.

Materials accepted for the Reserve Desk:

• Books, periodicals, DVDs
• Portions of books (up to 15% of total pages) Please include copies of title and verso pages.
• Photocopies of journal articles with complete bibliographic information.
• Materials created by the Instructor for the course, e.g., syllabi, class notes, tests, presentations, etc.
• Student-created materials accompanied by a signed consent form.
• Materials accompanied by a permission letter from the copyright holder, such as:
  • Large portions of books, (more than 15%)
  • Portions of books used for more than one semester
  • Journal articles used for more than one semester

To hold material for your class, please contact Chris at cbj722@cabrini.edu

Purchase Requests

Holy Spirit Library welcomes purchase requests for Library materials from faculty, students and staff. Requests are reviewed by Library Liaisons. Within budget constraints and adhering to our collection development policy, we make every attempt to acquire the requested items.

To suggest materials for purchase, please contact the director via email, aschwelm@cabrini.edu, or campus mail with the following information: 

•  type of material, e.g., book, journal subscription, database, CD, DVD
•  author
•  title
•  publisher (if known)
•  ISBN/ISSN# (if known)
• your name
• your department
• your university status