Information Agency Report
This is my Information Agency Report for LIS 600. This beginner course required that students visit an information agency and create a blog or website. This allowed students to either get to know more about their concentration or better yet, expand their horizons. In my case, I was pleased to find that I could be happy in an academic library, as well as a school library as is my focus. I have also since learned that I could be happy working in a public library as a children/young adult librarian. I would encourage students in the LIS program to visit other places where information is organized to see how versatile this degree is and to widen your own horizons. Without this project, I would have never considered another library or information agency. This project was an interesting way to gain insight into an academic library. My visit to the library and exploring their structure was an informative experience. Even while I experienced this particular academic library as an undergraduate, I had no idea of the services and operational details of Atkins Library. I felt both nostalgic and awed at visiting my old college library!
Going back reminded me of my experiences going there a few years ago as an undergraduate. But approaching this visit with a different perspective, I learned, frankly, how big of an operation it is! I never realized how many librarians and staff there are and what their responsibilities entail. Since I am focused on school librarianship, I expect there to be only one in a school, even to have a subject librarian for each undergraduate department is a significant number comparatively. It was very informative to see the hierarchy of academic affairs. I was pleased to find a strong relationship between faculty and librarians is encouraged. Providing the appropriate material for students is important and faculty is the best choice for partnering with librarians. I am still looking forward to working in a school library, but an academic library is a tempting choice and would be satisfying.
The principles of collection ensure and promote the responsibility of the Library to provide useful and updated material and services. I was relieved to find the principles of operation had a focus on the students/faculty/patrons and let others realize that libraries do have a budget to keep, which I believe most people do not realize that even university libraries have taken a cut in the budget department. I was surprised to find that the books arrived shelf ready, but considering the number of books, it now makes sense to pay for this service. I found the special collections department more extensive than I originally thought. The services offered, especially to the students, were appropriate, such as the option to borrow a laptop for 24 hours and study rooms. Just looking at the online booking shows that they are being utilized daily. The copyright guidelines help, especially for faculty and students, is a much-needed resource, considering they have a section entitled “what can I put on my Moodle course?”
( http://copyright.uncc.edu/ ). The hours of operation are appropriate for busy or procrastinating college students. The option of having books delivered to staff and faculty offices is appropriate for busy faculty/staff. Book drop off points throughout the campus promotes the library as well as offers added convenience to patrons. The online presence is also very appropriate for an academic library. The Digital Scholarship Lab is a way for the library and those who use it to stay up-to-date with technology while enhancing their research. The media studios are a unique service. The usage statistics of online databases is a great tool to manage the collections of databases and allows for effective budgeting. J. Murrey Atkins Library provides the material and services to promote educational advancement for students, faculty and staff of higher education.

Front View of Library
The J. Murrey Atkins Library at the University of North Carolina Charlotte advances intellectual discovery by connecting people with knowledge.
(http://library.uncc.edu/ourmission)

The Library aspires to imagine and realize the full potential of a 21st century research library. As the intellectual and physical commons of a great urban University, the Library facilitates the growth of knowledge. The Library anticipates and meets the information needs of its diverse communities, at any time and in any place. It prepares students for success in their studies, and in their lives as global citizens.
(http://library.uncc.edu/ourmission)
Focus on Higher Education
The Academic Library for UNC Charlotte is geared towards students and faculty of higher education.
Their collections are representations of the degrees offered at the University of North
Carolina at Charlotte.
While the emphasis is centered on the undergraduate programs, higher degree programs and guests of the library are considered.
UNC-Charlotte offers 90 undergraduate degree programs and 80 graduate programs
Some of the colleges at UNC-Charlotte include Architecture, Business, Computing and
Informatics, Education, Engineering, Health and Human Services, and Liberal Arts and
Sciences.

Outside Back View of the Library
The Library opens Sunday at 11am and continues to stay open 24 hours .
Summer schedule and Holiday schedules differ but a calendar is available on the website with “today’s hours” on almost every page.

Information Desk
Main Floor
Patron Services
Inter-library loans with article delivery for faculty and staff
Study rooms by appointment
Book delivery for faculty and staff (to their office)

Study Room
Materials can be mailed or emailed
Book retrieval for students
Placement of holds that are not in circulation
Copy and Print for nominal cost
Scanning available for free
Wireless access for all patrons and guests, or non-University patrons
Computers (including those for guests)
Book drop off points throughout campus
Borrow a laptop for 24 hours
Online catalog and databases
Research Guides by Subject Libguides
Copyright and Scholarly Communication: Guidance with copyright issues
Digital Scholarship Lab: A digital learning facility for faculty and staff to share new and emerging tools that aid in research with the help of librarians
Digital Media Studio: Provides resources for students to include digital media components to their research
Digital Media Sound Studio: A room to help students with sound media technology and provides an environment in which ambient noises are minimized.
Distance Education for faculty and students:

 Research Assistance (also for off campus students): students can contact their
 subject librarian for assistance
Make a request through Inter-Library Loan Service
Disability Services:
 “The Library partners with the Office of Disability Services to ensure that all UNC
Charlotte students have access to the tools, reasonable accommodation, and support services to participate fully in their academic endeavors.” (http://library.uncc.edu/disabilityservices)
White Board for Study
White boards for student/faculty study
Coffee shop on ground level with outside seating Computer stations and cubicles
Comfortable seating
Designated "quiet areas" where whispers and no cell phones are appreciated

Pleasing pictures throughout the library:

 Member of the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries (ASERL)
 The only full U.S. Patent and Trademark Depository in western North Carolina.
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• Access to 216 computer workstations and 60 lending laptops which have productivity software.
Wireless access on all floors.

 The Writing Resource Center satellite office opened in October, 2008.
 Key statistics for the 2010/11 academic year:
- over 1,330,000 visitors (...and growing).
- over 135,000 items circulated.
- over 40,000 research questions answered (32 in-person; 8 digital)
- taught 4350 bibliographic instruction sessions to 9,030 students.
- 17 Group Study Rooms used by 96,000 students.
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Online catalogs and databases
Research guides by subject libguides
Librarian blogs
Ask a librarian live chat
Availability of Study rooms and option to make an appointment

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Websites for most of the services offered
 Online tutorials
Updates on computer availability throughout the library on most webpages:
Computers in the Library
Operational
Details (http://library.uncc.edu/collectiondevelopment/approvalplans) Atkins Library uses YBP as their book vendor. YBP, Atkins Library, and the UNC Charlotte community have several book approval plans.
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The books are supplied based on prior arrangements and arrive shelf-ready: labeled and cataloged.
Books are put on the New Books Shelves on the first floor for 2-4 weeks then are sent to the regular collections.

New Book Shelf on Main Level
Floor Guide posted throughout Library

Usage statistics of electronic databases arranged alphabetically are located on their website under collection development.
Atkins Library has 10 principles for their collection management
(http://library.uncc.edu/collectiondevelopment):
Principle #1: The library is ultimately responsible for collection development and providing access to information resources.
 All library programs, including collection development, must be consistent with the academic goals and budgetary constraints of the University.
 The Faculty Advisory Library Committee (FALC), which is a standing committee of the Faculty Council, advises and consults with the Associate Vice Chancellor for Library and Information Services about matters pertaining to the operation of the University
Library.
Principle #2: The library will define, develop, and manage its collections in cooperation with each academic unit through a mutually acceptable mechanism.
 Faculty participation is encouraged
 At present, each academic department has a library representative
Principle #3: The library will retain state-allocated funds for the departments’ use within the Library. Guidelines governing the expenditure of funds from the stateallocated library materials budget will be based on factors approved by the Faculty
Advisory Library Committee (FALC).
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The library uses a formula to calculate collection management of departments.
The library must be flexible in utilizing funding to maintain constancy of the collection

Principle #4: The library will support and provide appropriate access to various formats of materials including print, non-print (e.g., audiovisual, microform), and electronic resources. It will retain its commitment to acquiring traditional forms of materials, while recognizing that resources available in electronic formats will absorb a larger portion of the Library’s materials budget.
 This includes guidelines from The Electronic Information Services Group (EISG) and recommendations and the UNC-Charlotte Information Technology Task Force (ITTF) for keeping up to date technology and products, communication with subject librarians, and keeping within the library’s budget.
Principle #5: In accordance with the University's emphasis on undergraduate education, the Library is responsible for providing materials necessary to support this mission. The Library also has an obligation to provide materials necessary to support approved graduate programs in a manner consistent with the priorities set by academic areas and available funding.
Principle #6: The library will work cooperatively with units of the University to identify realistic costs and advise on funding options for new programs.
 While there is a formal request made for new Ph.D. programs, “this principle encourages continued cooperation between the departments and the Library in the process of initiating new programs at all levels.” The Library takes an active role in finding additional funding for resources.
Principle #7: Continuing funding is required to support continuing obligations.
Currently this includes state allocations and income generated from significantly large endowments.

Principle #8: The library will purchase only products and services that can be budgeted from library funds or for which specific arrangements for payment are negotiated with academic units.
 Recommendation: The Library will explore collaborative arrangements with colleges/ departments, which encourage negotiated arrangements for sharing funding and costs of needed products and services
Principle #9: The Library will assume the cost of accessing approved electronic resources and Interlibrary Loan, including document delivery of articles from canceled serial titles. Colleges, departments, and individuals will be responsible for other document delivery costs except in the case of negotiated agreements.
 This principle is another attempt to address new cost incurring services and to encourage cooperative agreements between the Library and departments.
Principle #10: Cooperative agreements for purchasing and provision of access to information resources should be pursued whenever appropriate and beneficial for
UNC-Charlotte’s academic programs.
 Recommendation: The Library will continue to pursue suggestions and opportunities in these areas as appropriate.
Principle #11: The library and the FALC will conduct regular reviews of these principles.
 Recommendation: The Head of Collection development will alert FALC about the need to conduct a partial or full review of the Collection Development Principles.

Special Collection Exhibit
(http://specialcollections.uncc.edu/specialcollections/about-us#mission)
Mission:
The Special Collections Unit, through its collections of rare books, manuscripts, university archives, oral histories, and local documents, contributes to the ability of the
Library and Information Services to create and share information by providing original research materials not otherwise available. This is achieved by appropriate collection development policies and cooperation with other institutions, exemplary services offered to a diverse clientele, commitment to teamwork and partnership, and the application of enabling technology.
About:
The collections now include almost 8,500 rare books, 1000 oral history interviews, more than 1,500,000 manuscripts items and approximately 1,400,000 items in the University
Archives. All materials are non-circulating and must be used in the Dalton Rare Book and Manuscript Room

Hours:
Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm
Closed Saturday & Sunday
Recent Additions:
 They are participating in the “Civil War in the American South” exhibit from the
Digital Library in Georgia, which links primary source materials from 29 libraries. (http://www.american-south.org/?Welcome)
 Feb 9th Atkins celebrated Black History Month with exhibits of African American art, words, songs, photographs, music, and books
(http://specialcollections.uncc.edu/node/979):
 Art i s represented through works by T.J. Reddy, William Arthur Cooper and
George Leary Love
 Songs focus on Negro spirituals, used not only as inspiration, but also for communication.
 Words are represented through a variety of works by African American writers and poets”
 Feb 2nd They added two new collections to their database: Sketches of Charlotte,
1904 and the Knox Family Papers, 1762-
1945 (http://specialcollections.uncc.edu/node/965)
 Sketches of Charlotte, 1904 is a book promoting "North Carolina's finest city, with 87 images of the city.
 Knox Family Papers, 1762-1945 are documents, mostly letters to and from family members, promissory notes documenting the settlement of estates of the deceased, and ownership of slaves and events during the Civil War of the Knox and related families.

 Feb. 23rd They also have Former Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory’s official documents, photos, and personal papers-over 40 linear feet.
 Boasts “Special Collections has been the city of Charlotte’s formal repository of mayoral papers since the 1960’s, beginning with former Mayor Stan Brookshire.”
(http://specialcollections.uncc.edu/node/989)
 They also have UNC Charlotte yearbooks available on DigitalNC . The volumes include 1966-1985. From Charlotte College from 1950-1965, and from Carver Junior
College from 1950-1966 (http://specialcollections.uncc.edu/node/645)
Center City Library: an off campus affiliate of Atkins Library where researchers, students, and faculty can have materials sent and gain help from a professional librarian. (http://library.uncc.edu/centercitylibrary)
Architecture Library: an on campus affiliate of Atkins Library located on the first floor Storrs Hall, with a primary focus of the collection is on 20th and 21st century design and architects (http://library.uncc.edu/arclibrary)