This guide will help faculty and instructors navigate some of the WKU Library Policies and Procedures more easily. New faculty often are unsure of procedures at their new school's library from checking out a book, using Reserves, to how to set up a library instruction session. This guide should make it easier to locate the answer from the easy access listing below.
If you have questions or need help, contact Jack Montgomery, at jack.montgomery@wku.edu.
Scheduling a Class (Library Instruction)
To schedule a Library Instruction Class for English, please email Jack Montgomery, at jack.montgomery@wku.edu.
Please provide:
I will tailor my presentation (and create handouts specific) to your class if you let me know your needs are. Please give at least 48 hours notice. Please try and let us know the class size so we have enough handouts available. I can make the demonstration as short as is necessary for the time you have to give me (I know time is at a premium in some classes), so the library instruction component does not have to take up an hour (I will need at least 20 minutes). The classes are held in a small computer lab, so the class can resume normal mode after the demo, or the students can have hands-on time to work on their research there in the lab.
To schedule a class in the library with a subject specialist librarian, use the Research Guides to determine which librarian is the subject specialist for your area. Then contact them using email to request setting up a class at the library. Please specify date and time. We are very flexible and will try and meet your needs. We can do very short demonstrations, or work with your classes for the extended periods. We can just do a demonstration of the databases and the catalog, or just give a tour of the library buildings (or both). We will be happy to create handouts specifically for your class needs and assignments, please just let us know in advance.
Checking Out Books
Faculty may check out books from WKU Libraries using their WKU ID. Faculty default checkout period is for the whole semester. All other English Staff, Students and Instructors have a one month check out period. If a book is kept past the due date, fines of ten cents per day will begin to accrue until the book is returned or declared lost (after 60 days). If a book is lost, you will be responsible for paying for replacing the book, plus a nominal fee. Please contact Circulation (270 745-3951) for more information in such an eventuality.
Renewing Checked Out Books Online
Faculty (and students) may renew their library books online by going to the Library Home page (www.wku.edu/library) and clicking on the My Account link under the Services list. You can log in with your NetID and Password to access your record. You will be able to see what you have out, when it is due, and will allow you to renew your books.
Book (Materials) Ordering Process
Send an email Jack Montgomery, at jack.montgomery@wku.edu.The body of the email should state:
Please order the book/following books:
Or you can just send me the Amazon or URL link to page of the book ordering information.
If the library already owns a book you think we should have in an e-book format, please let me know. Not everything is available in an e-book.
Remember a library is more than just books. Please let us know if there is any other kind of item we should have which will make teaching your course easier. We will be happy to order dvds, cds, streaming video, kits, and an assortment of other materials besides books. Just send us a request and we will try and make it happen!
Questions, Concerns? Send me an email!
Book (Materials) Ordering Policy
Anything you need for your classes or your own personal research, we will get (within reason, some budgetary constraints may apply). Just ask. We are here to support you and your classes. Tell us what you need. Please remember: If, due to extreme cost, an item can't be purchased for you for the library, you can still have access to the item via ILL.
We will do our best to order books in the format you prefer. If you prefer paper or e-book formats, please let your librarian know The current policy for English is to order books of a critical or analytical nature in e-book format if it is available in order to serve the faculty and students at WKU most efficiently. At present, only about a third of books are available in e-book format. Fiction, poetry, and nonfiction is still mainly ordered in physical format for the comfort of users ( and often because it is not available in e-book format). Should you want a book to be added to the collection, in any format, please let me know. We are encouraging the growth of our e-book collection.
The library budget for purchasing materials has undergone a change this year. In order for us to purchase materials for the library at the moment, we have to provide necessity. The materials purchased MUST be tied to support a current or forthcoming course. Or, if a faculty member or instructor wants a specific book for their research, they can request it . We will still be able to get those items for you. Using TOPNet, I have looked at all English course offerings for Fall and Spring this year, noting books/materials/subjects being taught (in a long list!). I am using these as a guideline for books that can be added to the collection, as I come across them. But Faculty and Instructor requests are encouraged too!
Reserves
Reserves are located in the VPAL location of the Libraries (2nd Floor, Cravens). You can put materials on Reserve for use by your students every semester. You set the amount of time a student can check out an item from Reserves. This means, should a book/item/dvd be in high demand, but only one or two available for the whole class to use, you can set up a very short time loan period in Reserves so that more students in your class will have access to the material. Library materials and your own personal materials can be put on Reserves. Please try and anticipate need, or the item to go on Reserves may get checked out before we can pull it to put on Reserves.
Here is the Form you can fill out if you need to put materials on Reserves:
https://www.wku.edu/library/services/access/reserverequestform.php
InterLibrary Loan
Items can be requested from InterLibrary Loan online from the Library Home Page (www.wku.edu/library). Scroll down below Services and look for the Document Services & InterLibrary Loan tab.
Or go directly to ILL here: https://www.wku.edu/library/services/access/ill/
Many items/articles are available electronically, and the material will be sent directly into your email from ILL when it arrives. Items which need to be picked up in person (books and other materials) are now kept behind the Circulation Desk for easy retrieval.
Please see the Handouts and Tutorials Tab for a step-by-step handout on how to use InterLibrary Loan.
New Course Proposals
New Course Proposals require a Library Form to be filled out. Should you be proposing a new course, please make sure to include a bibliography with your New Course Proposal Form. WKU Libraries wants to ensure that we have adequate materials to support your classes, and providing us with a bibliography for your course helps us ensure that we do that. It is the current policy for English, that I will order all the materials listed in the bibliography which WKU Libraries does not already have to ensure our collection can support your course (unless there is something prohibitively costly - in which case I will be in touch to discuss what is wanted and what we can do about it). Signatures from the English Librarian and the Head of Collection Development are required on the New Course Proposal Forms, so please plan accordingly.
Here is the Library Resources Form (New Course Proposal Form):
https://www.wku.edu/library/_resources/documents/libresourcerev.docx
