ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries 294 / C&RL News ■ A p ril 1999 Guidelines for media resources in academic libraries Prepared by the ACRL Media Resources Committee Ed note: These guidelines were approved by the ACRL Board at the 1999 Midwin­ ter Meeting and by the ALA Standards Co mittee in March 1999. These guidelines were prepared by mem­ bers of the Media Resources Committee (for­ merly the Audiovisual Committee) of the As­ sociation of College and Research Libraries. They have been extensively revised and su­ persede the guidelines developed and pub­ lished by the Audiovisual Committee in 1987. Foreword Technology used in teaching, learning, and research has created new challenges and opportunities for managers of college and university library media resource collections and services. Faculty and students need tra­ ditional media formats—audiocassettes, au­ dio compact discs, videocassettes, laserdiscs, and so on—but librarians must also consider com puter technology and emerging digital formats. Within the library, the boundary between media collections and services and computer software collections and services has blurred. Academic librarians are also working closely with other agencies on campus to support faculty and student information needs. In some institutions, librarians have become true partners in the delivery of instruction, work­ ing with faculty, technologists, and instruc­ tional developers to create “new learning communities.” Studies show that most academic librar­ ies collect media materials, primarily audio and video formats. Indeed, media collections are as diverse and vital as any print collec­ tion in an academic library. An academic li­ brary media operation may encom pass a variety of activities, such as scheduling and m managing the delivery of audiovisual equip­ ment to classrooms, operating distance edu­ ­ cation television studios, offering instructional development and the production of audiovi­ sual materials, and supporting multimedia production. However, this docum ent will address only the core issues related to col­ lecting and maintaining media resources and their attendant services. Earlier versions of the guidelines (1968, 1987) could not have anticipated the rapid growth and the prevalence of digital media today. Digital media include digital formats, such as audio compact disc and digital ver­ satile disc (DVD), and interactive multime­ dia, such as CD-ROM and DVD-ROM. Media resources can now be delivered via the Web, digital satellite systems, and a host of rapidly developing technologies. In the past, media librarians were able to focus on a narrow array of formats. Today w e must w iden the scope of our collection develop­ ment activities, considering digital formats and multimedia along with traditional ana­ log formats. Media librarians should be advocates for viable new media technologies, expanding their knowledge base to include digital de­ livery systems. While supporting traditional formats, media librarians must assess rapidly evolving new formats and be ready to adopt them w hen they stabilize and w hen it has been determined that they meet content and programmatic needs within the institution. We must move more quickly than in the past to incorporate them into our collections. Li­ braries must plan for format adoption. Networked information is the future and many new digital library initiatives are offer­ ing media resources. At the same time, we must be sensitive to the needs of our users ACRL STANDARDS AN D GUIDELINES C&RL News ■ A p ril 1999 / 295 and to the pace o f institutional change. This can only be done within a context of collaborative relationship involving media librarians, library administrators, comput­ ing service personnel, and the users o f our media resource collections. The goal o f the 1999 “Guidelines for Media Resources in Academic Libraries” is to assist librarians and library administra­ tors who are developing media collections and services. Although the guidelines are not a practitioner’s manual, we hope that they will be helpful to librarians at all lev­ els o f the organization who want to im­ prove media resource collections and ser­ vices. A ssu m p tio n s For the first time, we prefaced the guide­ lines with a set o f assumptions. The au­ thors o f the 1967 guidelines wrote, “The philosophy o f library services that has evolved through the years can readily be applied to audio-visual m aterials. The librarian’s ability to select, organize, and service materials applies to all types o f learning resources” (p. iv). We agree with these statements. Rather than dwelling on the similarities betw een print and media collections, we covered those points in the assumptions. In the guidelines themselves, we focused on the differences. Furthermore, research and ex ­ perience over the past 30 years have taught us that some practices are more effective than others in building useful collections and meeting our users’ needs for media- related services. The guidelines reflect this knowledge. The recommended guidelines represent best practices for an academ ic library media program. Collectively, they describe a model media resources pro­ gram. In this document, “media resources program” refers to all aspects o f media resource collections and services in the library. A ssu m p tion 1: All academ ic libraries will collect media resources. Some aca­ demic libraries exclude some or all media formats from their collections. However, ACRL standards fo r acad em ic libraries specify that the library shall select and acquire materials in all formats. If only one media collection exists on a college or university campus, that collection and its attendant services should be part o f the library. The library staff is uniquely quali­ fied to provide the best access to that col­ lection, both physical and bibliographic. The library is also the most qualified to build planned collections, responsive to both immediate and anticipated program­ matic needs. If another administrative unit on campus also collects media, it is as­ sumed that the library will coordinate its efforts with that unit. A ssu m ption 2 : All media resources will be cataloged in accordance with current national standards and practices, includ­ ing full subject access and classification. Som e academ ic libraries exclude media resources from the online catalog or pro­ vide only minimal-level cataloging. Many academ ic libraries do not classify media resources. These practices result in inad­ equate access to media collections. Some media materials require more timely cata­ loging and, thus, should be eligible for rush cataloging and processing. A ssum ption 3: All academic libraries will provide adequate funding for media ser­ vices and collections; “adequate funding” is determined by the library’s goals and objectives for media services and collec­ tions. ACRL standards provide evaluative measures for the adequacy o f the budget. These measures should be applied to fund­ ing for media collections and services. A ssu m ption 4: The principles o f collec­ tion management that apply to print and o th er library co lle ctio n s also apply to media resources. Media collections require policies and procedures for purchase, leas­ ing, renting, deselection, resource sharing, and licensing. A ssu m ption 5: The principles o f collec­ tion preservation that apply to print and other library collections also apply to me­ dia resources. The library program for con­ servation and preservation should encom ­ pass both archival and access media co l­ lection s.1 A ssu m ption 6: The principles o f library service that apply to other library services also apply to media services. Reference and instruction programs should include locating and using appropriate media re­ sources for instruction and research. 2 9 6 / C&RL News ■ A p ril 1999 Background on Audiovisual/Media Resources Guidelines The 1999 “Guidelines for Media Resources in Academic Libraries” are only the third set of guidelines for audiovisual materials or media resources adopted by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL). The Audio-Visual Committee of ACRL published the first Guidelines f o r Audio-Visual Services in A cad em ic Libraries in 1968 (reprinted in 1969). You will not find it listed in Library Literature because the guidelines were pub­ lished as a 24-page monograph. The purpose of the guidelines was “to supply basis assis­ tance to those academic libraries that will as­ sume all or a major portion of an audiovisual program” (p. iv). Since few academic librar­ ies had audiovisual collections at that time, the authors emphasized the demonstrated ef­ fectiveness of using audiovisual materials in instruction and provided practical suggestions for developing and maintaining these collec­ tions. Early audiovisual collections in academic libraries typically included 16mm films, slides, reel-to-reel audio recordings, and phonograph records. Nearly 20 years later, the authors of the 1987 “Guidelines for Audiovisual Services in Academic Libraries” noted the extraordinary technological changes that had occurred since the adoption of the 1968 guidelines. By 1987 it was no longer necessary to convince librar­ ians that audiovisual materials are valuable resources for instruction. The forward to the 1987 guidelines noted the potential of audio­ visual materials to support research, as well as instruction. The authors of this revision had seen the advent of new formats, such as VHS videocassettes, audiocassettes, laserdiscs, and audio compact discs, which had brought au­ diovisual materials into a majority of academic libraries. The emerging issues in 1987 were related to adopting new formats and provid­ ing equipment and technical support for them. Although CD-ROMs were becoming popular in academic libraries, they were text-only at this time and not a concern to media librar­ ians; multimedia CD-ROMs made their debut around 1990. The years between 1987 and 1999 marked a revolution in media resource collections and services. During this time media librarians grappled with a major technological devel­ opment, the introduction of multimedia CD- ROMs. Until the early 1990s, media resource collections, both analog (magnetic tape and phonograph records) and digital (optical discs), were played on a single-use machine. Multimedia CD-ROMs introduced interactive media to the mix. Users require an expen­ sive computer, equipped with a CD-ROM drive, a sound card, and a video card to use most software. Just as media librarians were beginning to grapple with questions regard­ ing where these materials fit into library col­ lections, the Web changed everything. CD- ROM development seems to be waning be­ cause users want everything delivered on the Web. Despite the tremendous technological barriers to multimedia delivery via the Web, commercial and academic forces are work­ ing to bring networked digital multimedia into our homes and classrooms. Academic media librarians must be prepared to meet these challenges. We know the content and we know our users. We must use what we al­ ready know to help create the systems to bring multimedia resources to the students and fac­ ulty we serve. Developing th e 1999 guidelines The 1999 “Guidelines for Media Resources in Academic Libraries” were developed by the 1995-1997 ACRL Media Resources Com­ mittee, with input from a variety of media and library professionals. The draft guide­ lines went through numerous revisions, based upon input from many librarians. The members of the Media Resources Commit­ tee sought input from other librarians at many points in the process within ALA and via mail lists. We also sought input from media specialists and administrators in higher education. The committee mounted the Web-based version, then distributed the URL to several mail lists and to related ACRL committees. The 1997-1998 Media Resources Committee revised and refined the document based on the resulting comments. This draft was published in the May 1998 issue of C&RL News. The committee held a hearing at the Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. and (c o n tin u ed on n ext p a g e ) C&RL News ■ A p ril 1999 / 297 ( con tin u ed fr o m previou s p a g e ) committee revised the guidelines based upon comments received at the hearing. This draft was submitted to the ACRL Standards and Accreditation Committee, which also offered suggestions. The final guidelines represent the work of many individuals over several years. In addition to the members of the Media Resources Committee listed below, I would like to acknowledge the valuable as­ sistance we received from Barton Lessin, who was our liaison to the Standards and Accredi­ tation Committee and then Chair during the final stages of the approval process. I would also like to thank Michael Godow, our ACRL staff liaison. Members of the Media Resources Com­ mittee, 1995-1997: Luella E. Allen, Univer­ sity of Delaware; Phillip Arndt, South Ar­ kansas Community College; Doris Bowers, Community College of Allegheny County; Kristine R. Brancolini, Indiana University (Chair, 1997-99); Foster Flint, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College; Carleton Jackson, University of Maryland; Gary A. Lare, University of Cincinnati; Paula Murphy, Dominican University; Mary Konkel, Uni­ versity of Akron; Jill Ortner, State Univer­ sity of New York; Francis C. Poole, Univer­ sity of Delaware and Rick E. Provine, Uni­ v ersity o f V irginia (C hair, 1 9 9 5 - 9 7 ) . — Kristine Brancolini, brancoli@ indiana.edu GUIDELINES Given the stated assumptions, the specific guidelines for media resource collections and services will assist academ ic libraries in strengthening their media resources pro­ grams. The ACRL G u ide to P olicies a n d P ro­ ced u res states: “Guidelines consist of procedures that will prove useful in meeting the standards. In order for a document to be classified as a guideline, it must: 1. Be specific to programs, service, or staffing. 2. Identify a framework for developing services policies and procedures.” O bjectives 1.0 Librarians should develop a m is sion statem ent fo r th e m edia resou rces p ro g ram based u pon the m ission state­ m en t o f th e library. C o m m e n t a r y : A clear, unambiguous state­ ment of the role of the media resources pro­ gram is essential for planning and evalua­ tion regardless of the organizational struc­ ture of the library. Whether or not there is a separate media department within the library, a mission statement is essential to an effec­ tive media program. O rganization/adm inistration 2.0 The responsibilities and functions o f th e m edia reso u rces p rog ram should be clearly defined within th e organizational structure o f the library. The adm inistra­ tion o f th e library should assign re sp o n ­ sibility fo r the m edia reso u rces p rogram to a librarian. C o m m e n t a r y : In order to develop an effec­ tive media resources program, a librarian must be responsible for planning collections and services. Depending upon the organiza­ tional structure of the library, this librarian may manage a separate media resources unit or department, may work within another li­ brary unit, or coordinate the activities of li­ brarians (for example, subject specialists) and other staff from several units. 2.1 The librarian responsible fo r th e m e­ dia resou rces p rog ram should take a p ro ­ ­ active role within the institution, beyond the library, w orking coop eratively and collaboratively with p erson nel in oth er media-related units on cam pus. C o m m e n t a r y : Most colleges and universi­ ties have more than one unit delivering me­ dia services. The media resources librarian should actively promote the library’s collec­ tions and services among these personnel and plan cooperative ventures with them as appropriate. These relationships might also include computing center personnel, particu­ larly those involved with multimedia. Staff 3.0 The librarian responsible for the m e­ dia re s o u rc e s p ro g ra m sh ould have a mailto:brancoli@indiana.edu 2 9 8 / C&RL News ■ A p ril 1999 graduate degree from an ALA-accredited p ro g ram in lib rary o r in fo rm atio n sci­ e n ce . C o m m e n t a r y : While we recognize that li­ brary staff with other media-related degrees may bring expertise to a library’s media re­ so u rces program , the program will be strengthened if managed by a qualified li­ b ra ria n . T h is lib ra ria n sh o u ld have coursework and/or experience in working with academic library media resources. This coursework may include film studies, mass communications or related fields, depend­ ing upon the scope of the librarian’s respon­ sibilities. 3.1 The librarian resp on sib le fo r the m e­ dia reso u rces p ro g ram should be en co u r­ aged to belong to and particip ate in m e­ dia-related professional association s and o th e r p rofession al d ev elop m en t activi­ ties. C o m m e n t a r y : It is likely that the media li­ brarian will be the only professional within the library working predominantly with me­ dia resources. Because of the issues inherent to collecting and delivering media resources, other media librarians are often the only source of professional support and special­ ized information. 3 .2 L ib ra rie s sh o u ld fu n d c o n tin u in g education op portu nities and co n feren ce atten d an ce fo r th e librarian responsible fo r th e m edia p rogram . C o m m e n t a r y : The changing nature o f me­ dia re s o u r c e s p ro g ram s and o n g o in g changes in technology mandate participa­ tion in continuing education that may e x ­ ceed the expectations for all library staff. Most acad em ic libraries have only one media librarian; thus, conferences afford important opportunities to share ideas with other media librarians and attend relevant meetings. 3 .3 Support staff fo r th e m edia resou rces p ro g ram should have specialized media train in g and tech n ical exp ertise. C o m m e n t a r y : The media librarian cannot provide all o f the necessary support for an effective media resources program. The spe­ cific support staff needed and their expertise will vary according to the program at each library. However, the skills and responsibili­ ties of the staff should be defined clearly and be updated regularly. Budget 4 .0 The m edia re so u rce s m ission state­ m en t should fo rm th e basis fo r th e p ro ­ g ram budget and be p art o f th e library plan nin g p rocess. C o m m e n t a r y : The media resources mission statement and annual objectives form the basis for the program budget. Stable and consistent funding for acquisitions based on an approved collection development policy is necessary for effective service. 4.1 An am ple and stable budget fo r th e acquisition o f m edia reso u rces should be based eith e r o n a p ercen tage o f th e total lib rary acquisitions budget o r o n a fo r­ m u la related to co lle ctio n use as m ea­ su red by circu latio n statistics. C o m m e n t a r y : Basing the media resources materials budget on a percentage o f the ac­ quisitions budget assures that large academic libraries allocate a reasonable amount of fund­ ing to building media resources collections. Using circulation statistics to determine fund­ ing levels for the purchase of media resources assures that a high-use collection will be able to meet the demand for new titles, additional copies o f popular titles, and replacement of worn materials. Materials budgets should also be large and flexible enough to support the exploration of new media formats along with traditional formats. 4 .2 Media equipm ent is essen tial to p ro ­ viding access to m edia re so u rces. The li­ b r a r y sh o u ld e sta b lish a n a m p le an d stable budget fo r th e m ain ten an ce and p u rch ase o f m edia equipm ent. The ad­ d ition an d re p la c e m e n t o f eq u ip m en t should be based u p on a w ritten plan. C o m m e n t a r y : Libraries cannot provide ac­ cess to media resources without sufficient and well-maintained equipment. The level of funding should be based upon the life ex­ pectancy for equipment and in-house use of the collection. A budget plan for media equip­ ment should include the repair and replace­ ment of worn equipment, the need to pro­ vide upgrades to existing equipment, and the purchase of additional equipment as user demand increases. The plan should also an­ ticipate the adoption of new technologies and the need to expand support for new kinds of equipment. Equipment maintenance and replacement have a major impact on the lon­ gevity of collections. C&RL News ■ A p ril 1999 / 299 User services 5.0 The m edia reso u rces p ro g ram should provide a variety o f services th at su pp ort and exp an d th e m edia reso u rces co llec­ tion. C o m m e n t a r y : It is expected that libraries will provide circulation and other typical collec­ tion services for media collections. However, media resources require services particular to media collections, such as a centralized distri­ bution system, group viewing facilities, me­ dia booking, off-satellite videotaping, telecon­ ference downlinking, and so on. 5.1 Media resou rces should be accessible th rou gh reso u rce sharing, in acco rd an ce w ith th e ALA V ideo R o u n d Table G u id e­ lines f o r th e In terlib ra ry L oan o f A u d io ­ v isu a l F o rm a ts. C o m m e n t a r y : Many libraries treat media collections as special collections and prohibit their interlibrary loan. However, library us­ ers benefit when media collections are in­ cluded in resource-sharing programs. No li­ brary can meet all of its users’ needs for media resources, but libraries are reluctant to lend to our users if we do not lend to their users. The guidelines recognize that some materi­ als may be excluded, but in general, there is no reason to exclude entire formats from interlibrary lending. 5.2 Specialized m edia-related referen ce services, su pp orted by ap p ro p riate p rin t and electro n ic referen ce so u rces, should be available to assist th e students, fac­ ulty, and staff in m eeting th eir in struc­ ti o n a l , in f o r m a t i o n a l , a n d r e s e a r c h n eeds. C o m m e n t a r y : Users may need assistance in identifying relevant media resources to use in instruction and research. Instructors may need assistance in developing instruction using media resources. General reference li­ brarians often do not have the necessary train­ ing to provide these information services. 5.3 The n ecessary equipm ent to access m edia reso u rces should be available and m aintain ed to provide read y a ccess to collection s. C o m m e n t a r y : Media collections cannot be used without the necessary playback equip­ ment. While some media collections circu­ late outside the library, many do not or por­ tions of the collection do not. Some users do not own or have other access to playback equipment. It must be available in the library. 5.4 In struction p rogram s should in co r­ p o rate th e use o f m edia reso u rces as in­ fo rm a tio n so u rce s fo r in stru ctio n and re se a rch . C o m m e n t a r y : Just as instruction programs have now incorporated information available on the Web, locating and using media re­ sources should also be a part o f library in­ struction. Library courses and instruction in information literacy should include visual lit­ eracy and media literacy. 5.5 The m edia resou rces librarian should offer assistance to ed ucators w h o w ant to integrate th e use o f m edia resou rces in to th e ir co u rs e s , e ith e r as a p a rt o f classro o m in struction o r as supp lem en ­ tal study in the library. C o m m e n t a r y : The media resources librar­ ian should actively promote use of the col­ lection in teaching by offering services to faculty in locating local media resources for a new or revised course, suggesting ways in which these materials might be used, locat­ ing resources available at other libraries or for purchase, and generally assisting in the use of these materials. Media librarians should be included on collaborative teams develop­ ing new courses, as many faculty are unfa­ miliar with the tools needed to locate and evaluate media resources. Collections 6 .0 The media reso u rces p ro g ram should m ake available an organized collection o f m aterials and inform ation in diverse fo rm ats. 6.1 The library should have a sep arate, w ritten co lle ctio n d evelop m en t p olicy statem en t to serve as th e basis fo r selec­ tion and acquisition o f media resou rces. C o m m e n t a r y : The library’s overall collection development policy will include media re­ sources, but a separate policy is needed to establish priorities and guide selections. Se­ lection decisions are different from format to format. These differences must be described in the collection development and selection policies. 6 .2 The selection o f m edia resou rces m a­ terials should be th e sh ared resp on sib il­ ity o f librarians specifically charged with building th e m edia reso u rces collection and th e subject selectors. 300 / C&RL News ■ A p ril 1999 C o m m e n t a r y : The selection of media re­ sources is different from the selection o f print materials. Media selection requires the use o f specialized review sources and may in­ clude previewing o f materials under consid­ eration or purchasing on approval. Media selectors need special training and skills. However, subject selectors provide necessary content expertise when considering more specialized media resources. 6 .3 Obsolete, w orn out m aterials should be system atically rem oved fro m th e c o l­ lection and rep laced if n ecessary. C o m m e n t a r y : Worn materials represent a hazard to equipment. Most academic librar­ ies, including research libraries, do not main­ tain archival media collections on site, due to the need to maintain outdated equipment. These materials are usually housed in sepa­ rate archival collections. See 7.2 below for amplification. Access collections require a vigorous program of weeding and replace­ ment. 6 .4 Libraries should develop p roced ures to address m edia reso u rces o n dying and ob solete fo rm ats, in o rd e r to p reserv e access to co n te n t that is jeopardized by ch anging technologies. C o m m e n t a r y : A s equipment becomes ob­ solete and unavailable, the media librarian should have a plan for preserving the con­ tent of the software. The procedures for de­ cision making should consider whether the materials are in an archival collection or in an access collection and whether they should be replaced or reformatted. Permission to reformat may need to be secured from the copyright holder. However, the 1998 D igital M illennium Copyright Act permits the refor­ matting of materials from obsolete formats without permission. See the revisions to Sec­ tion 108 for specific provisions (United States C od e 17). 6 .5 The m edia reso u rces referen ce co l­ lection should include a wide selection o f standard w orks and specialized refer­ en ce tools in all form ats. C o m m e n t a r y : In addition to publications designed specifically to aid in the use of media resources, bibliographic utilities pro­ vide information available in no other source. Bibliographic utilities should be readily avail­ able to both the media librarian and library users, as important sources of information about media materials. Library Web sites should include links to the vast array of online resources available to librarians for collec­ tion building and reference. Most media ref­ erence work focuses on finding appropriate media resources on a specific topic and de­ termining their availability. Print tools are in­ adequate to satisfy many of these queries. Facilities 7.0 The media reso u rces p ro g ram should provide adequate sp ace fo r h ousing co l­ lection s and fo r use o f th e m aterials. Any ren o vation o f m edia sp ace should c o n ­ sid er th e rapidly evolving w orld o f digi­ tal m edia and th e attend an t netw orking re q u ire m e n ts. M agnetic m aterials and optical storage m edia req u ire specialized storage fo r co n serv atio n an d p reserv a­ tion. A rchival collection s should receive special treatm en t and handling. C o m m en ta r y: Recommended storage and han­ dling practices vary by type of material and by intended use. Access collections should be treated differently from archival collections. Libraries should have policies for all the variations in their particular collection. 7.1 Media resou rces should be available in a v ariety o f p layback situations, in­ cluding a m ix tu re o f individual, sm all group, and large group viewing facilities. C o m m e n t a r y : While most other information sources are designed to be used by individual users, many media resources are designed to be used in groups. Others are designed to be used by individuals. Libraries must ac­ commodate all types of users in a variety of settings 7.2 Archival m edia reso u rces collection s require specialized storage and handling. The library should establish a p ro gram fo r arch ivin g m edia re so u rce s, even if housed in a sep arate sp ecial collection . C o m m e n t a r y : While most media resources collections are access collections, some may require more long-term environmental con­ siderations. Bibliographic access and cataloging 8.0 Bibliographic and holdings in form a­ tio n ab out m ed ia re s o u rc e s sh ould be m ad e accessib le th ro u g h th e sam e r e ­ trieval m ech an ism s available fo r o th er library m aterials. C&RL News ■ A p ril 1999 / 301 C o m m e n t a r y : Library catalogs should rep­ resent the complete holdings of the library regardless o f format. Media resources may be unique information sources— oral/visual histories, classroom observations, simulations, clinical diagnostic techniques. These materi­ als could be overlooked without proper bib­ liographic access in library catalogs. 8.1 Media reso u rces should be cataloged in accord an ce with cu rren t national stan­ dards and p ractices, including full sub­ ject access, d escription, system req u ire­ m e n ts , an d c la s s if ic a tio n to p ro v id e m axim u m inform ation to th e u ser o f the library catalog. C o m m e n t a r y : Following national standards for cataloging media resources will uphold the quality of our library catalogs, enhance bibliographic retrieval, and provide neces­ sary information to users about subject con­ tent and equipment requirements. Biblio­ graphic access points should incorporate subjects, alternate titles, subtides, translations of titles, series, and persons or bodies re­ sponsible for the performance or the primary content of the media resource. Full catalog­ ing provides the user with optimal retrieval opportunities. 8.2 Media resou rces should be cataloged in a tim ely fashion, with a sufficient level o f su p p o rt fo r ca ta lo g e rs, eq uipm ent, and training to en sure that the m ateri­ als will n ot be backlogged. C o m m e n t a r y : Media resources generally require more complex cataloging routines and lengthier bibliographic descriptions. They also have physical characteristics that require unique processing. Therefore, media re­ sources take more time to catalog and pro­ cess than most print resources. Trained pro­ fessional catalogers with media expertise re­ quire access to appropriate cataloging and indexing tools, playback equipment in all formats represented in the collection, and the Web. 8.3 Sum mary statem ents in bibliographic reco rd s should supply u sers w ith im p o r­ tan t in form ation about th e co n ten t and purpose o f m edia resou rces and not sim ­ ply rep eat publicity statem ents found on packaging. C o m m e n t a r y : Su m m ary s ta te m e n ts should provide the user with descriptive information about the content o f media resources and their intended use, if avail­ able. This assists the users in determining whether the resource is likely to meet their needs. When the content requires subject expertise, the summary should be written with the assistance o f appropriate subject specialists. References ALA Video R ou n d T able G uidelines f o r the In terlibrary L oan o f A u d iov isu al Form ats. January 1998. URL: http://www.lib.virginia. edu/dmmc/VRT/illguide.html. G u id elin es f o r A u d io-V isu al S ervices in A c a d e m ic L ibraries. Prepared by the Au- dio-visual Committee o f the ACRL. Chi­ cago: ACRL, American Library Association, 1 968 . “Guidelines for Audiovisual Services in Academic Libraries.” Prepared by the ACRL A udiovisual Com m ittee, M argaret Ann Johnson, chair. C&RL News 48 (October 1987): 533-536. United States Code. Title 17—Copyrights. Legal Information Institute. URL: http:// www.law. Cornell.edu/uscode/17/. Media bibliography A u d io v isu a l P olicies in ARL Libraries. SPEC Kit 162, March 1990. W ashington, D.C.: O ffice o f M anagem ent Studies, A ssocia­ tion o f R esearch Libraries. D ocum ents co m p ile d and SPEC fly er by K ristin e B rancolini. A u diovisu al P olicies in College Libraries. CLIP Note #14. C om piled by K ristine Brancolini. Chicago: ACRL, American Library Association, 1991. Brancolini, Kristine and Provine, Rick E. Video C ollections a n d M ultim edia in ARL Li­ braries: C han gin g Technologies. OMS Occa­ sional Paper #19. Washington, D.C.: Office of Management Services, Association of Re­ search Libraries, April 1997. G u idelin es f o r B ib liog rap h ic Description o f In teractiv e M ultim edia. Interactive Multi- media Guidelines Review Task Force. Lau­ rel Jizba, Chair. Chicago: American Library Association, 1994. Intner, Sheila and Studwell, William E. Subject Access to Films a n d Videos. Lake Crys­ tal, Minn.: Soldier Creek Press, 1992. Olson, Nancy B. 1 9 9 6 Update to C ata­ loging Motion P ictures a n d V ideorecordings. http://www.lib.virginia 302 / C&RL News ■ A p ril 1999 Lake Crystal, Minn.: Soldier Creek Press, 1996. O lson, Nancy B. C a ta lo g in g o f A u d io ­ v is u a l M a t e r ia ls . Fourth edition, revised. D ek alb , I l l .: M edia M arketing G roup, 1997. Van Bogart, John W. C. M agnetic Tape Storage a n d H an dlin g: A G u ide f o r L ibraries a n d Archives. Washington, D.C.: The Com­ mission on Preservation and Access, 1995. V ideo a n d M u ltim e d ia C o lle c tio n s in ARL L ib ra ries. SPEC Kit 199, D ecem ber 19 9 3 . Washington, D.C.: Office o f Manage­ ment Studies, Association o f Research Li­ braries. Documents com piled and SPEC flyer by Kristine Brancolini and Rick E. Provine. Video C ollection D evelopm ent in Multi­ type Libraries: A H a n d b o o k ‚ edited by Gary Handman, Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1994. ACRL guidelines and standards consulted These guidelines and standards are also avail­ able on the ACRL Web site. URL: http:// www.ala.org/acrl/guides/index.html. “Guidelines for Extended Academic Li­ brary Services: A Draft,” C&RL News 58 (Feb­ ruary 1997): 98-102. “Guidelines for Instruction Programs in Academic Libraries,” C&RL News 58 (April 1997): 264-266. “Guidelines for University Undergradu­ ate Libraries,” C&RL News 58 (May 1997): 330-333+. “Standards for College Libraries,” C&RL News 56 (April 1995): 245-257. “Standards for Community, Junior, and Technical College Learning Resources Pro­ grams,” C&RL News 55 (October 1994): 572- 585. “Standards for Faculty Status for College and University Librarians,” C&RL News 53 (May 1992): 317-318. Note 1. Archival collections contain unique or rare materials and should be preserved as long as possible. Access collections con­ taining materials needed for immediate use and for magnetic media usually have a functional lifetime o f approximately ten years. ■ http://www.ala.org/acrl/guides/index.html C&RL News ■ A p ril 1999 / 303