Teaching began at the onset of the academic year, 1995/1996. Students were admitted to the three functioning faculties: Sciences and Arts, Economics and Administrative Sciences, and Educational Sciences. Currently the HU has twelve faculties.
Faculty of Sciences;
Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences; Faculty of Educational Sciences;
Faculty of Engineering; Faculty of Arts; Faculty of Medicine;
Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences; Faculty of Allied Health Sciences;
Faculty of Nursing;
Faculty of Prince Al-Hussein Bin Abdallah II for Information Technology;
Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment; Faculty of Queen Rania for Childhood; and the Queen Rania Institute of Tourism and Heritage
M
ISSION ANDO
BJECTIVESHashemite University is a four year coeducational institution committed to excellence in teaching and research. Its main mission is to offer service and consultation to the local community as well as the larger society. Hashemite University‘s educational mission is based on the following pillars:
Provide the opportunity of studying and specializing in different fields and majors to both students and the community;
Increase general knowledge, concentrating on the levels and quality of teaching;
Conduct and encourage scientific research, intellectual independence, taking personal initiatives and team work;
Emphasize the humanities, sciences, arts, culture, and national and universal heritage;
Cultivate the Arabic culture and the Islamic faith by spreading their heritage, promoting their values and morals and fostering a sense of belonging and the spirit of responsibility towards one‘s homeland; Ensure a qualified staff of professors, technicians and administrative
personnel through study and evaluation, in accordance with the traditions of higher education in Jordan;
Help students develop a strong personality in all the academic, cultural and physical aspects of their personalities; and
59 THE HASHEMITE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
Maintain a strong belief in the principle of full cooperation and coordination with other universities and scientific institutions, both at home and abroad.
V
ISIONHashemite University will be the ―University of Choice‖ in Jordan; its graduates will be good citizens and qualified specialists who participate efficiently in developing Jordan and creating the opportunities that shape the future of their country. The Hashemite University will be a cornerstone in the accumulative efforts with other sister universities in Jordan to enhance academic cooperation between Jordan and Arab nations, and between Jordan and the world.
H
ASHEMITEU
NIVERSITYL
IBRARY3Since its establishment in 1995, the Hashemite University Library has received major attention and care from the university administration. This attention is represented through providing it with a qualified staff and the necessary financial support. More than 220,000 volumes of library materials are available in forms of books, periodicals, theses microfilms and audiovisual materials.
The library is currently subscribing to more than 25 databases and 7,000 electronic journals. The total area of the library to house materials and book shelves is 130,000 square feet. It has installed the HORIZON database management system, which manages acquisitions, catalogs, serials, and circulation.
The library offers a number of services for its university members, students, academic and administrative staff, as well as researchers from outside the university, and the local community, which range in numbers between 3,000 and 4,000 per day.
The library is a member of many associations and library institutions; such as the Consortium of Jordanian Public University Libraries (JoPULs), Jordan Library and Information Association, Arab Federation of University Libraries, and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), and the Center of Excellence (COE).
M
ISSIONS
TATEMENTThe mission of the Hashemite University Library is to provide access to information and research materials for the university community, as well as the
60 CHAPTER FOUR
local community. The library plays an intensive role in facilitating research and improving the teaching process by keeping the university staff abreast of new trends in their fields by supplying them with the printed and non-printed materials, along with the electronic resources. The main goals of the Hashemite University Library are:
To provide valuable means of instruction, research and indispensable opportunity to seek information;
To help students and academic staff develop their reading skills, enrich their knowledge, and improve the quality of academic research; To give advice and assistance to all library users, including those in the
local community;
To provide information resources (Paper and electronic versions) including books, periodicals, reports, theses, newspapers, etc.;
To provide a quiet and peaceful environment for studying with materials and suitable assistance;
To provide information technology tools that enrich the process of learning and teaching;
To provide timely access to information sources; and
To optimize resource sharing at local, national, regional and international levels.
S
ERVICESThe Hashemite University Library offers the following services:4
A. Circulation Services (including the short-loan service for the reserved collection):
Provide access to the general book collection in the library. Circulation would also answer questions pertaining to checking out books, such as renewing library items, the maximum number of items which can be checked out, and late charges for overdue books and other library materials;
Allow library materials to be borrowed upon presentation of a current university ID;
Allow staff members to borrow 15 publications for the duration of one semester, which must be returned or renewed at the end of each semester;
Allow undergraduate students to borrow up to three publications for a period of two weeks, renewable for a further two-week period only;
61 THE HASHEMITE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
Allow Post-graduate students to borrow up to seven publications for a period of four weeks renewable for a further four-week period only;
Allow university administrators to borrow up to three publications for the duration of four weeks;
Allow part time lecturers to borrow up to seven publications for the duration of four weeks, which must be returned or renewed at the end of each semester;
Do not allow reference, periodicals, special collections, and non- print materials such as microfilms, CDs, disks, orvideo tapes to be borrowed, except in very special cases, and for short periods (i.e. two to three days;
Circulate the reserved collection and heavily used titles for a period of twenty-four hours;
Charge a fine equivalent to U.S. $ 0.2 per book per day for late returns for ordinary circulation and U.S. $ 0.7 per book per day for late returns for the reserved collection. Charges should not exceed U.S. $15 per book; and
The Hashemite University Library Annual Report, 2008 (in Arabic).
B. Reference Services:
The library offers diverse electronic and printed resources to provide users support in finding information needed for completing assignments or doing research. Research assistance is conducted by the reference staff, who help library users find library resources and locate the information they need, either in print or electronic format. The reference area contains numerous networked computer workstations that access the online catalog and various other electronic information resources. Moreover, Reference Services houses a collection of non-circulating reference books.
C. Off-campus Access to Restricted Electronic Resources
This service is facilitated for and available to the university faculty and students, from any location, and at any time. Members of this group will have to use their university e-mail username and password for authentication.
D. Document Delivery
The Document Delivery service assists faculties with their scholarly research by obtaining library materials unavailable in the collections.
E. Book Reserve
To ensure that all students enrolled in a course are able to get assigned materials, the library puts materials on reserve for courses (Reserved Collection).
F. Photocopy Services.
62 CHAPTER FOUR
Division and the Library Internet Laboratory.
H. Training users on Information Services, Search Strategy, Online Search, Bibliographic Search, etc.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHART OF THE LIBRARY5
L
IBRARYD
EPARTMENTSA. The Technical Department
This Department is in charge of supplementing the library with new library materials and information sources such as books, e-books, (print and electronic, theses, dissertations, microforms). It catalogs, indexes and maintains these materials).
63 THE HASHEMITE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
The Technical Department consists of four main divisions: A.I. Acquisition Division
This Division is responsible for developing all library holdings of print and non-print materials through purchase, donations, and exchange of publications. All these processes have been computerized using the Horizon Information Management System.
In addition to print books, the library subscribes to some electronic book services, such as Ebrary: Academic Complete (E-library); and Computer Sciences and Engineering e-books.
These e-book services provide users with access to an additional 50,000 books. These services are heavily used by the HU community (staff and students).
All e-book services are remotely accessible by means of a remote access password or by access to the university proxy server. Acquisition staff do a constant analysis and selection of materials to help consistently improve the many different subjects that are housed in the library.
C
OLLECTIOND
EVELOPMENTP
OLICYIn general, the HUL is designed to serve the research and study needs of the university's student body and faculty, with collections representing the specialized curricula of the university and rests upon the learning needs of the university community (staff and students). The principle upon which the library collection is built is collection development, both in general and with respect to specific types of materials. This policy statement will be revised regularly by the librarians and the library committee, and recommendations for changes will be made to the library director. The goal is to develop a collection which reflects present needs and anticipates those of the future. These resources will serve both the research and general needs of students, faculty and staff.
As a member of the Consortium of Jordanian Public University Libraries (JoPULs), the Library has an obligation to serve other member libraries and to continue to serve future network involvements which may develop. Therefore the library supports cooperative resource sharing programs which provide users with resources otherwise unobtainable with existing funds. The library continues to cooperate in interlibrary loan throughout Jordan and will send photocopies and books to other members of the consortium.
A. II. Cataloging and Classification Division
The Cataloging and Classification Division is responsible for cataloging and classifying all the library items that the Acquisition Division provides according to international standards. The library uses the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules (AACR), MARC21, and the International Standards of Bibliographical
64 CHAPTER FOUR
Description (ISBD) for descriptive and subject cataloguing. The library also uses the Dewey Decimal Classification System (DDC) with some modifications to accommodate the Arabic Language, Arabic literature, and Islam. Cutter Numbers are added to classification number to constitute the Call Number by which books are arranged on the shelves.
The online catalog is the best and most efficient source of instruction that the library offers to everyone through the website. The HUL on-line catalog provides direct access to more than 220,000 documents available in the library. More than 100 online catalog terminals are available in the library to search the catalog. Library users may search the online catalog to determine the library's holdings, including print books, electronic books, print journals, multimedia items, and other holdings. The online catalog is part of a fully-integrated library system featuring a relational database Sybase powered by HORIZON, and is produced by Sirsi Dynix. Library users may use the catalog to check their own library records, including items currently checked out.
A. III. Periodicals and Databases Division
The Periodicals Division is responsible for the acquisition of both Arabic and English periodicals. This is performed through either purchasing or donations. The library currently subscribes to more than 300 print journals, magazines, newspapers, and other serial subscriptions (primarily Arabic). Together, with the full-text journals provided through individual e-journal subscriptions, the library provides the Hashemite University community with access to more than 15,000 e-journals, magazines, and serial publications available through electronic database subscription. These databases provide access to an enormous amount of information in a wide variety of formats.
A. IV. Computer Applications and Information Services Division This division is responsible for controlling and supervising all
computers in use in coordination with the University Computer Center. It provides help to users in case they face any difficulty while they either search for items or conduct research. Search service is available on the university network, either on CDs or through accessing the electronic databases via the Internet. In addition, this division is responsible for the preparation of the Hashemite University Library‘s website, which is found on the university‘s main website, and informs patrons of the hours of the library, and how to contact the library. It also explains all of the many different programs that the library offers to researchers and patrons. Researchers and patrons are able to access e-materials, as well as request inter-library loans through the website.
65 THE HASHEMITE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
The website allows access to the online catalog that helps researchers locate any book that they may be trying to locate.
B. Library Services Department
This department consists of two main divisions: B. I. Circulation Division
This division is responsible for lending books and other library materials. The service is completely computerized by the Horizon computer system (See Library Services Section).
B. II. References and Special Collections Division
The primary purpose of the reference services is to guide students, faculty, staff, and researchers to resources that accelerate the process of identifying and retrieving information for research study or personal use. Reference Division combines a reading hall, in which users can find essential references such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, catalogs, biographies, and other historical and geographical references. In addition, it combines specialized collections which include:
B. II. A Special Collections:
Princess Iman Bent Abdullah II for Childhood and Family Library (the Childhood and Family Library).6 The Childhood Library is a very
special library within the Department of Library Services. It houses a special collection on childhood, children, family and related subjects to serve the information needs of staff and students at the Faculty of Queen Rania for Childhood. The collection ranges from picture books to ―easy readers‖ and beyond. This collection is unique in Jordan among university libraries. The mission of the library is:
To support the process of learning to read, and to promote books and other media for children;
To provide special events for children, such as storytelling and activities related to the libraries services and resources;
To provide an opportunity for children to experience the enjoyment of reading and excitement of discovering knowledge and works of the imagination; and
To represent a reference library for students and faculty / Queen Rania for Childhood.
66 CHAPTER FOUR
Information;
Functional, visual, digital and media literacy; Cultural redevelopment;
Reader development; and Lifelong/learning.
To provide children with open access to all resources and media, the library includes more than 7,000 books, periodicals, media, learning games …etc. that focus on childhood, children family, and related subjects.
B. II. B. The American Studies Resource Center (American Corner) 7
The American Studies Corner (ASC) is an important resource on American Literature, heritage, and related subjects; including American policy, American economy, American society and cities, music and arts, famous American characters, guide books to international standard English language tests and skills such as TOEFL, GRE, SAT and GMAT tests.
The Goals of the ASC are:
To provide up–to-date information on the U.S.;
To access authoritative information about the U.S. by the Hashemite University students and faculty; and
To provide information on studying in the U.S., English language study, and American history, life and culture;
Resources: The collection includes a variety of print and electronic formats, and is continuously developed through the acquisition of resources supporting the Mission of the Corner. Currently, more than 700 resources in different subjects are available and openly accessible to users. The core collection consists of the following information resources:
General and subject reference: encyclopedias, dictionaries, atlases, directories, biographies
Practice test manuals: TOEFL, GRE, GMAT, SAT American literature and history
Management American culture Business and economics Politics and law
B. II. C. The British Studies Resource Center (British Corner)7
The holdings of the British Studies Corner include English literature, English language, and related subjects, including international English language tests such as IELTS. In addition, the
67 THE HASHEMITE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
Corner includes some of audio-visual materials related to English lLiterature (English novels, drama, theater, and authors).
S
ERVICESThe Corner offers the following library and information services: Circulation and Reserve
Reference/ Research
H
UMANR
ESOURCES8The library does not have an internal human resources unit; all correspondence and discussions regarding library staff recruitment is done in consultation with the main human resources department of the university. For any position advertised at the Hashemite University Library, a standing committee interviews the candidates for the selection panel. The committee consists of the vice president for administrative affairs, (Chairman), the director of the financial department, the director of human resources, and the director of the library.
The performance of each library staff is evaluated every year around November or December. These evaluations are tied to salary increases for the next fiscal year. Currently, the total number of library staff is 45, 55% of whom are professionals holding academic degrees in librarianship, information science or related subjects. Staff job titles include Director, Senior Librarian, Librarian and Library Assistants; however, the majority of the library‘s workforce are the student workers. The student workers shelve materials, work behind the desk, and help students with both reference and the online reference. The usefulness of the student worker is obvious.
P
HYSICALF
ACILITIES ANDB
UILDING8The new main library building opened in June 1999. The three-story building in the centre of campus, consisting of 130,000 square feet, has the capacity to hold more than 700,000 volumes, with seating for more than 1500 users. The building is fully air-conditioned and perfectly suited for the collections. The library building is modular with a central core area on the ground floor that contains the online catalog, special collections, and print periodicals.
The circulation desk is centrally positioned on the ground floor. The stacks, study tables and seating areas are designed in such a way that users have access
68 CHAPTER FOUR
to them on each floor. The library has sufficient artificial and natural lighting. Computer facilities are made available on each floor primarily to access the online catalog. An adequately sized staff lounge is available for daily use. The Internet lab, the academic reserve collection and the entire circulating collections encompass most of the first and second floors. The library has a fire- detection and security system. In addition, the library has wheelchair access into the building, followed by a large, open entry way into the main section of the library.
In May 2009, a medical library which has a total area of 13,000 square feet, was established in the complex of medical sciences, to serve the medical specialties at the university. The library hours vary during summer courses, and vacation periods; however, during the regular term, the library is open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm (Sunday thru Thursday), and from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm (Friday