ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


322

Access Policy Guidelines
Approved as policy by the Board of Direc­

tors of the Association of College and Research 
Libraries, July 3, 1975.

Introduction

The committee has developed the following 
guidelines to assist academic libraries, whether 
public or private, urban or rural, in codifying 
their policies with respect to access by persons 
other than their respective primary clientele. 
The guidelines are intended to deal primarily 
with on-site access, but they may be used as the 
basis to cover other means of community access 
such as written and telecommunications in­
quiries.

The goal of total access to information is a 
major concern of librarians as articulated by the 
ALA Goal and Objectives statement, the first 
objective of which is as follows:

Provision of library and information ser­
vices and resources for all the people of 
the United States of America in order to 
increase their opportunity to participate 
in society, to learn, to achieve self-ful­
fillment, to pursue careers, and to obtain 
information needed for research.1
In addition, the National Commission on Li­

braries and Information Science has stated in 
its report, Toward a National Program for Li­
brary and Information Services: Goals for Ac­
tion,

… the total library and information 
resource in the United States is a national 
resource which should be developed, 
strengthened, organized, and made avail­
able to the maximum degree possible in 
the public interest. This national resource 
represents the cumulated and growing rec­
ord of much of our nation’s, and indeed, 
much of the world’s, total cultural experi­
ence—intellectual, social, technological, 
and spiritual.2
While these two statements do not necessari­

ly imply on-site access, or the other forms dis­
cussed, many academic libraries are mindful of 
the need to articulate clearly their policies re­
lating to collections and services.

Institutional goals and circumstances are 
highly variable, making it both unworkable and 
undesirable to be prescriptive in approaching 
the question of community access to library col­
lections and services. Public and private aca­
demic libraries have an obligation to examine 
their particular institutional goals as well as 
specific educational and legal responsibilities 
preparatory to articulating a policy on commu­
nity access. The purpose of sharing library re­
sources consistent with such a policy is to en­

sure that appropriate use is made of all collec­
tions and services. The reader must be assisted 
in terms of where to go first for material and 
what steps are necessary to obtain the informa­
tion on material needed.

For the purposes of this document, “commu­
nity” is considered to include those individuals 
outside the library’s primary clientele who may 
have occasion to make personal use of its col­
lections and/or services.

Frequently libraries within the community 
have developed cooperative use agreements on 
the basis of the types of material collected and 
general, consequent strengths associated with 
the respective libraries. This development pro­
vides a reasonable basis for instructing a variety 
of users in the appropriateness of using various 
collections.

Whether or not formal cooperative agree­
ments exist, librarians are obligated to be well- 
informed about the policies and resources of 
other libraries in the area in order to make ap­
propriate referrals. All libraries, regardless of 
size or prestige, have something to contribute 
to total information resources, and informal co­
operation can help to alleviate the problems as­
sociated with community access to academic 
libraries.

It is recommended that the policy statement 
be made available to all users in an attractive 
format.

Outline

Consideration of the following outline may 
be helpful in arriving at and stating an access 
policy.
1.0 PURPOSE OF LIBRARY
2.0 COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 

CHARACTERISTICS
2.1 Location of library—urban, rural.
2.2 Source of library funding—public, pri­

vate.
2.3 Strength of library collections.
2.4 Number of persons constituting primary

clientele.
2.5 Space/seats available for users.
2.6 Service personnel available by function,

location, day and time.
2.7 Administrative services—where policy in­

quiries are to be directed.
2.8 Legal obligations and restrictions.
3.0 COMMUNITY FACTORS
3.1 Other libraries in the community.
3.1.1 Location.
3.1.2 Size.
3.1.3 Nature of collections.
3.1.4 Services.
3.1.5 Clientele.
3.1.6 Regulations for use.



323

3.1.7 Networking and cooperative arrange­
ments.

3.2 Social and political factors.
4.0 CHARACTERISTICS OF POTENTIAL

USERS AND USE
4.1 Size of groups.
4.2 Age and educational level.
4.3 Nature and purpose of use.
4.4 Types of material to be used.
4.5 Hours of use.
4.6 Services required.
4.6.1 Informational and directional assistance.
4.6.2 Reference assistance.
4.6.3 Borrowing: registration, notices, billing,

etc.
4.6.4 AV systems and equipment use.
4.6.5 Copying service.
4.6.6 Use of meeting space, display space.
4.6.7 Interlibrary loan.
4.6.8 Special fee-based services.

Note: Specific institutional policy statements 
should incorporate relevant factors from the 
foregoing outline. It is not intended that the 
outline itself prescribe the form and character 
of the resulting policy statement.

Sample Outline 
fob a Policy Statement

1 Definition of library purpose.
Statements of mission and goals im­
mediately establish the basis for pub­
lic expectations. For example, if users 
not immediately associated with the 
particular institution are told they do 
not constitute part of the primary 
clientele, they have modified expecta­
tions. This statement ought to be pre­
sented in positive language, briefly 
stating the nature of the library mis­
sion.
An example of such language follows: 

The library constitutes a vital in­
structional and research arm of the 
University o f _____ and exists pri­
marily to contribute to the univer­
sity’s teaching and research func­
tions. In addition, the library seeks 
to serve the citizens of the State of
----- , consistent with its primary
function and within the limits of its 
resources.

If liberal access and service are the 
norm, this can be reflected in the mis­
sion statement. A statement of how the 
library fits into a general plan of li­
brary services among libraries in the 
state or other organized service groups 
might also be included, if available.

2 Basis for community service.
2.1 Definition of community.
2.2 Categories of eligible users.

3 Specification of identification and types
of access.

3.1 I.D. cards, or introductory letters from
home institutions, consortia cards, or 
cooperative library cards, etc., re­
quired.

3.2 Non-fee access.
3.3 Fee access.
3.3.1 Identification of fee categories and

amounts.
3.3.2 Basis of valid fee period (i.e., semester,

quarter, fiscal or calendar year, etc.).
3.3.3 Payment details ( when and w here).
4 Services.
4.1 Circulation regulations.
4.1.1 Identification required of user.
4.1.2 Loan periods if applicable (specify gen­

eral-use materials not subject to loan 
and loan periods by type if applica­
ble).

4.1.3 Access to special collections or library
branches if not covered above.

4.1.4 Special distinctions among nonaffiliated
users if applicable (e.g., students from 
other colleges, schools, teachers, other 
professionals).

4.1.5 Sanctions (including fines and replace­
ment of lost or damaged material).

4.2 Security measures—exit control.
4.3 Information services.
4.3.1 Description of available services by broad

subject or type (e.g., humanities, doc­
uments, archives, maps, etc.) and lo­
cation.

4.3.2 Basis of access (in-person, phone, letter,
etc.).

4.3.3 Hours of service (noting special limita­
tions for community users).

4.4 Other services.
4.4.1 Reproduction services and costs.
4.4.2 AV equipment and personnel available.
4.4.3 Conference rooms/auditoriums (availabil­

ity and process for reserving).
4.4.4 Display space.
4.4.5 Special fee-based services (e.g., access

to computerized bibliographic data 
bases).

References

1. American Library Association, Goal and Ob­
jectives of the American Library Association, 
as adopted by the Council of the American 
Library Association, January 24, 1975.

2. U.S. National Commission on Libraries and 
Information Science, Toward a National Pro­
gram for Library and Information Services: 
Goals for Action (Washington, D.C.: 1975) 
p.x.

Reprints of this policy are available, upon 
request, from the ACRL Office, 50 E. Huron 
St., Chicago, IL  60611. ■ ■