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Faculty Services

In brief, Top 10 Things for Faculty to know about Penrose Library

Library Instruction

As detailed in the Penrose Library Mission and Guiding Principles and our teaching philosophy and learning goals, the Instructional and Research Services department guides students through the research process, helping them develop critical thinking skills to conduct research, synthesize information, and communicate the results of intellectual inquiry.

Scheduling an Instructional Session

You may request an instructional session for your class. We work with students to help them develop search strategies, find and evaluate resources, and use resources effectively in coursework. And we will work with you to tailor our instruction to meet your specific course needs. Our program of instruction is developed in collaboration with classroom faculty to build general information literacy skills and is designed to fit into the framework of your course. Instruction provides students with

  • Information tailored to course projects and assignments
  • Exposure to discipline-specific research tools
  • Hands-on experience with relevant print and electronic resources
  • Experience with research strategies and information literacy skills

Instruction includes presentations and hands-on active learning components, as well as class discussion. You may schedule an instruction session in the Center for Teaching and Learning, college classrooms or college computer labs. Please contact Emily Pearson ([email protected]; 509-527-5918), Instruction Coordinator, to schedule your session.

Library Liaisons

Departmental liaisons are available to share information about library resources and services and discuss course-related library instruction. We are currently re-assigning our liaison assignments. For questions on the following, please do not hesitate to contact the respective librarian.

Course Reserves

The purpose of placing materials on reserve is to make common readings readily available to students for a short amount of time. Reserves also allow a faculty member to provide students with controlled access to items not in the Library’s own collection, such as personal copies. Faculty members may place items on either print reserve or electronic reserve (e-reserves).

How to place an item on reserve

Please complete a Reserve Request Form or Video Streaming Request Form online, listing all items you will be placing on reserve. You can choose to place items on reserve for the following loan periods:

  • 3 hours (library use only)
  • 24 hours (items can be taken out of the library)
  • 6 days
  • Electronic Reserves (articles/video digitized or linked)

To guarantee that your materials are available for the beginning of the semester, submit them no later than two weeks before the first day of classes. Once the semester has begun, allow at least four days for processing. Materials to be placed on e-reserve that are already in electronic format may be emailed to Access Services. Materials to be scanned, or put on reserve in their original format, should be accompanied by a Reserve Request Form, brought to the circulation desk and given to the Circulation Supervisor on duty.

What can be put on reserve?

  • Library books, videos, CDs, and DVDs

Please gather together the library materials you would like on reserve for your courses. Reference books and periodicals do no circulate outside the library and are not normally placed on reserve.

  • Streaming medias

Portions of or entire media can be put on course reserves if certain conditions are met. Please refer to our video streaming course reserve policy for details. Video Streaming course reserves request form can be filled out online for request processing.

  • Books not owned by the library

The Library will attempt to purchase books needed for reserve use. You may request them by contacting the Acquisitions Department. Please be sure to indicate that the item is for reserve, and provide the course number.

  • Personal books, videos, CDs, and DVDs

Personal copies may be placed on reserve if the Library does not own the item. Please mark these with your name. Note: Personal copies must be marked and barcoded for use with our circulation system. The Library cannot assume liability for materials that are worn, torn, mutilated, or stolen.

  • Photocopies

Faculty are responsible for providing clean, single-sided, unstapled photocopies. Photocopies must be accompanied by a Reserve Request Form and a full bibliographic citation. The Library subscribes to a number of databases that allow durable links to journal and newspaper articles. The Library will link to materials through library databases when possible.

  • Required vs. Recommended Reading

Space is limited on reserve shelves, so only those materials that are required reading, viewing, or listening for coursework are put on reserve. Items which are recommended but not required should not be placed on reserve.

  • Summit and ILL materials will not be placed on reserve–no exceptions!
  • Textbooks

Textbooks will be placed on reserve only when the Bookstore has insufficient copies to meet demand and additional copies are on order.

  • Items may not remain on reserve indefinitely.

All items are removed from reserve at the end of each term.

View a Reserve List

You can view or search for your reserve lists on the Course Reserves page. As soon as items are placed on reserve, they will be available for check-out. It may take up to 48 hours before they appear in Sherlock.

Note that putting copies of articles or chapters on reserve may violate U.S. copyright laws. In some cases, faculty members should request permission from the publisher, who is usually the copyright holder.Addresses of the publisher are usually listed in the front of the copyrighted material. If you need help determining copyright owner or publisher address, please ask a librarian. Permission should usually be requested in the following situations:

  • The copyrighted material placed on Reserve is being used for more than one semester.
  • If you wish to put more than a brief amount of copyrighted material on reserve.

Questions? Please contact Access Services.

Honors Thesis FAQ for Faculty

Changes have been made to the faculty code in regard to what is required for submission to the library. Honors thesis students are only required to submit a digital copy of the thesis. Students who choose to allow worldwide (open) access to their thesis may elect to also deposit a paper copy of their thesis that will be bound and shelved in the Allen Reading Room and can circulate on campus and through Interlibrary Loan. Students who have completed an honors project are required to deposit a report on that project. For faculty, key points include the following:

Where can I find thesis submission guidelines?

Here you could find Complete guidelines on formatting and submission.

When is the deadline?

Both digital and (where relevant) print theses are due in the library no later than Reading Day. Signed certificates of approval and non exclusive distribution licenses also must be turned in no later than this date.

How do students submit digital copies?

Students will attach a digital copy of their thesis (in PDF/A format for long-term storage and preservation by the library) to the thesis submission form. Students may find instructions via the library website for formatting and submitting their theses as PDF/A.

Where are theses submitted?

For those students who choose to make their digital theses available worldwide and want to make a print copy available in the library, print copies are to be turned in to the Penrose Library Administrative Assistant. All students must turn in their signed forms to the Penrose Library Administrative Assistant.

What do I need to sign?

Faculty advisors must sign the certificate of approval form for the print copies of the thesis. In addition to submitting their PDF/A thesis, honors thesis students and faculty advisors must sign a Non-Exclusive Distribution License. On this form, students and faculty must indicate whether they would like the thesis to be accessible via the Internet and Interlibrary Loan to users unaffiliated with Whitman, or to limit access to Whitman affiliated patrons (students, faculty and staff). This form also allows a hold (or embargo period) to be placed on access to the thesis if the author(s) or advisors plan to publish or seek a patent based on work in the thesis. Students will be responsible for bringing this form to faculty to sign, but it is a good idea to begin conversations about the level of access that will be assigned to the thesis.

Granting the College (and the Library) the right to provide electronic access to the thesis does not transfer copyright; the student author(s) retain the rights to their work.

How can students learn more?

The library will offering a workshop for students on these submission guidelines. Times and locations will be announced through the library website.

Who do I contact with questions?

Amy Blau, Scholarly Communications Librarian (509-527-5905)

Emily Pearson, Instruction Coordinator and Outreach Librarian (509-527-5918)

Collection Development

Suggest a Purchase

Tell us if there’s something we should have in our collection. We have access to Choice Reviews Online to help you keep up with what’s being published in your field. Or sign up for GOBI Notifications and find out when new books in your field are published.

How to sign-up for GOBI notifications:

The library’s primary book vendor is YBP (Yankee Book Peddler). As books are published, they are added to YBP’s online database, GOBI (Global Online Bibliographic Information). In some instances, books are sent automatically to the library “on approval” while others are designated for notification. The GOBI system allows faculty the option of reviewing notification slips of recently published material. A profile detailing the faculty member’s specific areas of interest serves as the basis for this service. The alerts are generated by YBP every Saturday morning and appear in your email inbox. Just click on the link embedded in the email to access the list of new titles. Then select the titles that you want to recommend for purchase. Once you have chosen all of the titles that you want to select, click Recommend to send the selections to the Collection Management librarian. Orders for the titles are generated and the material arrives at the library in a few weeks. If you are interested in establishing a profile for the GOBI Notification service, please contact Roger Stelk, Collection Management librarian, at [email protected], or by phone at 509-527-5909.

gobi notification

Data Management

What is a Data Management Plan?

Since 2011, researchers applying for NSF grants have been required to submit a supplementary Data Management Plan (DMP) of no more than two pages with their grant applications. The Data Management Plan outlines how data will be gathered, preserved, and shared, in accordance with NSF policies.

What is the NSF data sharing policy?

The National Science Foundation stipulates that “investigators are expected to share with other researchers, at no more than incremental cost and within a reasonable time, the primary data, samples, physical collections, and other supporting materials created or gathered in the course of the work under NSF grants.”

What should the Data Management Plan include?

The NSF lays out the requirements for the DMP in their Grant Proposal Guide. The DMP should include information explaining:

  1. The types of data, samples, physical collections, software, curriculum materials, and other materials to be produced in the course of the project.
  2. The standards to be used for data and metadata format and content.
  3. Policies for access and sharing, including provisions for appropriate protection of privacy, confidentiality, security, intellectual property, and other rights or requirements.
  4. Policies and provisions for re-use, re-distribution, and the production of derivatives.
  5. Plans for archiving data, samples, and other research products, and for preservation of and access to them.

Some Directorates, Offices, Divisions, and Programs have specific requirements beyond those outlined above. Please check the NSF website to find out whether your grant proposal will require additional components.

Some questions to consider

  1. What types of data will be produced? How much data, and how often will it be changed or updated? Will versions need to be tracked?
  2. What identifiers will be used for the data? What file formats will be produced, and will special software or tools be required to create or view the data? What metadata standards will be used to organize the data?
  3. Who is responsible for managing and controlling the data? Who owns the data? If private and confidential data is being collected, what provisions are in place to protect that information?
  4. Where will the data be stored? How secure is the data, and what back up procedures exist?
  5. For whom is the data intended? How long must it be retained?
  6. How will you make the necessary data publicly accessible? How do you intend to publish or distribute the data?

What resources are available to help write a Data Management Plan, and to make data publicly available?

There are links to questionnaires and other tools that can be helpful in preparing a Data Management Plan on the Penrose Library Data Resources LibGuide. Data Services librarian Amy Blau (509-527-4905) is available to discuss various aspects of data management. If you are planning to submit an NSF grant, please contact Rachna Sinnott (509-527-5990) or Stevie Sanchez (509) 527-5226 in the Office of Grants & Foundation Relations at least one month before the due date. They can provide guidance on grant submission procedures and compliance with College and federal requirements, including the Data Management Plan. For more information on Whitman’s policies and procedures regarding grant submission, please visit the Grants & Foundation Relations website.

Copyright @ Whitman

We’ve put together a guide on copyright to help you navigate copyright in your academic and personal life, including fair use analysis tools and sample copyright request forms. The Whitman College Copyright Policy and procedures for use of copyrighted materials are also available.