Policy No. 104
5/27/04
Library Services
POLICY
The Scientific Library provides bibliographic research assistance through a program of monographic and serial collection development and maintenance, manual and computer assisted reference services, and interlibrary loan and networking liaison.
PROCEDURE
Library staff will be available to assist patrons during standard NCI-Frederick office hours and at additional times as flexible working hours permit.
Within the availability of funds, the library will fill all reasonable requests for new books and journals to become part of the library's circulating and reference collections. A justification for purchase is required, providing reasons why a specific title is needed; included would be what specifically makes it more pertinent than other similar titles and why it would be relevant to a majority of programs at the Center. A request will be returned for more information when insufficient justification is provided. In those instances where judgment is necessary (such as large quantity, high unit cost, or relevance to the NCI-Frederick contract performance), the Library Manager will resolve the request situation with the assistance of the Associate Director/Project Officer.
Books and journals, which are needed in offices on a regular basis for daily operations, must be funded by the individual project area. Likewise, provision and maintenance of laboratory notebooks and related record keeping is the obligation of the individual laboratory, subject to guidelines established by the Director of the respective program.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Scientific Library Contractor:
- Provides standard library operations and services, including, but not necessarily limited to, acquisition, cataloging, reference, and interlibrary loan.
- Suspends borrowing privileges of those employees who do not return or renew library items when due, notifying NCI-Frederick program areas of this action.
- Maintains a continuing list of library serial holdings.
- Verifies and processes requests for purchase of all books, journals, and audiovisuals required by the NCI-Frederick regardless of source of funding, including those items purchased with project funds. All materials ordered become the property of the NCI-Frederick.
- Tracks claims, receipts, and payments, and generates receiving reports for all books ordered, disseminating them upon receipt.
- Serves as the intermediary between the project and requestor when temporary access to a project-funded book or journal is needed, referring patrons to the project office for items ordered within the previous twelve months. Maintains an annual directory of all books and journals purchased by the NCI-Frederick.
- Submits the journal subscriptions listing to all programs for review prior to annual renewal.
- Circulates to all programs a list of items considered surplus prior to disposal of materials purchased with funds appropriated for library support services.
NCI-Frederick Contractors/and Government:
- Familiarize their employees with the procedures and responsibilities delineated herein, impressing upon them their accountability for loss or damage of materials borrowed from the library.
- Upon annual request, verify the whereabouts of items assigned to projects on extended loan. An "extended loan" is a single copy of a unique book title, being the only copy owned by the Scientific Library, which was checked out for an indefinite loan period prior to September 26, 1985. The project assumes responsibility for assuring the items continued proper use and handling, maintenance, and physical presence at the Center.
- Offer project-funded books, journals, and audiovisuals to the Scientific Library when no longer needed on-site and when a project is discontinued.
- Donate to the Scientific Library single journal issues from office holdings, which duplicate its own to fill gaps in binding the archival collection.
- Afford to the Scientific Library the privilege of borrowing project-funded books and journals on occasion to fulfill the information needs of NCI-Frederick library patrons, with the stipulation that said material will not be loaned to other libraries.
- Withhold the amount owed for library materials from the final paycheck to the extent permitted by law in the event that their employees lose or fail to return books assigned to them upon their termination of employment, to assure that the Scientific Library is reimbursed for replacement costs.
- Become financially responsible for items not returned and are billed accordingly, should an employee leave NCI-Frederick without going through the Library's termination checkout process, or should said funds not be recoverable from the employee for any reason.
- The NCI-Frederick Property Accountability Department of the Operations and Technical Support Contractor, handles disposal of all excess books. (See NCI-Frederick Property Plan).
Borrowers
- Assume total responsibility for any materials borrowed from the Library, being held personally accountable for its loss or damage. Should an item be damaged or lost while it is checked out of the Scientific Library, it is the responsibility of the borrower to reimburse the Scientific Library for its replacement cost. The borrower's signature on the barcode application form serves as their understanding and acceptance of these terms.
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