(includes: archives, prints, pamphlets, kits, oral history and in-house)
The library has a substantial audio collection which covers a wide array of genres including classical, country, rock and popular music. There is a limited selection of audiobooks and a couple of foreign language CDs. Circulation for the audio collection has been on the decline since 2012.
As the graph to the left demonstrates, the use of the library's book collection has been on a steady decline since 2009. Despite this, the library continues to update its book collection and regularly seeks input from faculty, patrons and through the use of professional journals, websites and book reviews. While requests from faculty have been heaviest in science, culinary and humanities, we have had a growing interest from our patrons in acquiring literature for casual and recreational use.
One of the most popular resources the library has to offer is our collection of course reserves. We have approximately 99% of the textbooks available for students to use in the library for a two-hour period, although there are a select few that can be checked out overnight, for three days or one week. As the graph to the left demonstrates, this resource remains very popular with the students and continues to receive heavy use each year.
The library subscribes to a variety of print magazines. Some support the curriculum needs of the various classes, while others are simply a fun read for patrons. Most patrons opt to read the magazines in the library rather than check them out. The library no longer catalogs magazines.
The library's movie collection continues to be a big draw for our patrons. We add to this collection regularly, with our focus remaining on adding award winning movies and documentaries.
The term "other materials," is used to describe library materials such as archives, prints, pamphlets, kits, oral history and in-house use items. These items generally receive minimum use therefore they are grouped together. Since 2012 these materials have received steady use, although most of the use has been with in-house items such as graphing calculators.
As the graph to the left demonstrates the library's total circulation has been on a steady decline since 2011. There are a number of factors at work that may be contributing to this including a decline in enrollment and patrons' increasing reliance on databases and websites to meet their information and research needs.