Oklahoma City Community College’s Keith Leftwich Memorial Library will support the mission of the College through the following goals: Provide exemplary services that foster information literacy and enhance teaching and learning, and by developing, organizing, and maintaining resources that provide for diverse perspectives and styles of learning and that support the instructional programs, research efforts and social responsibilities of the College.
The Library actively supports the professional standards of practice adopted by the American Library Association and the Oklahoma Library Association. Those standards of practice are: ALA Library Bill of Rights, ALA Freedom to Read Statement, ALA Freedom to View Statement, ALA/OLA Intellectual Freedom Handbook, and Oklahoma Confidentiality of Library Records Law. The librarians and staff at the Library strongly support freedom of speech in accordance with the Constitution of the United States and following the guidelines of the American Library Association. The materials in the Library have been selected using well-established criteria; however, some materials may be offensive to some people. Any challenges to the inclusion of any materials will be judged according to our primary responsibility to intellectual freedom.
In 1990, Leftwich won election to the State Senate, representing District 44. He served as the Chairman of the Transportation Committee and Chairman of the General Government and Transportation Subcommittee on Appropriations, as well as being a member of Appropriations, the Business and Labor Committee, the Human Resources Committee, the Retirement and Group Health Committee, and the Rules Committee. He was a Majority Whip in the Senate.
A love of books, a love of education, a love of politics, a love for south (OR South) Oklahoma City, and a love for Oklahoma City Community College. These sentiments of Keith Leftwich led the Oklahoma City Community College Board of Regents to name the College Library after the late senator in 2004. Senator Leftwich, 49, passed away Friday, September 19, 2003 after a valiant battle with cancer.
Senator Debbe Leftwich said her late husband wanted others to enjoy reading as much as he did. “He was a virtual knowledge sponge. He knew knowledge was power. I hope this memorial serves to inspire students present and future to inquire about the man the library is named after.”
College President Robert P. Todd said Senator Leftwich advocated legislation that provided $6.2 million of initial funding for the construction of the College’s Library, which opened in 1996.
“Senator Leftwich continually sponsored legislation throughout the years that enabled Oklahoma City Community College to grow in service to its community,” said Oklahoma City Community College Board of Regents Chair Darrel Lanier. The legislative initiatives allowed the College to expand facilities, offer new and innovative programs, and increase the number of students it served.
Oklahoma State Senator President Pro Tempore Cal Hobson said Leftwich was devoted to South Oklahoma City and his friends, neighbors, and constituents, including the students at the Oklahoma City Community College. “Affixing his name to this library is a great honor and fitting tribute to one of the greatest supporters the College has ever known.”
Senator Leftwich served the people of South Oklahoma City for more than 21 years. He served from 1982-1988 in the State House of Representatives for District 91, and from 1990-2003 in the State Senate representing District 44.
The 109,000 square foot Library offers information services and computer resources for students and the community. The facility also houses the Division of Information Technology and Cooperative Alliances.
| Gate Count | 41,714 |
| Help Guides Views | 40,803 |
| Library Webpage Views | 137,276 |
| Computer Sessions | 4,985 |
| Pages Printed | 142,128 |
| Study Room Reservations | 22 |
| Instruction Sessions | 0 |
| Students in Instruction Sessions | 0 |
| Reference Questions | 794 |
| Chat | 729 |
| Print Check Out | 2,282 |
| Print In-House Use | 614 |
| Non-Print/AV Check Out | 127 |
| Non-Print/AV In-House Use | 25 |
| eBook/eAudiobook Use | 4,047 |
| Streaming Video Views | 86,784 |
| EBSCOHost | Total searches |
4,563,937
|
| Total viewed | 205,981 | |
| A-Z the World | Total sessions | 930 |
| Total viewed | 18,874 | |
| Opposing Viewpoints | Total searches | 72,047 |
| Total viewed | 64,926 |
| Interlibrary Loan – Borrowed | 1,422 |
| Interlibrary Loan – Loaned | 415 |
| Print items | 419 |
| Nonprint items | 1 |
| eBooks/eAudio | 744 |
| Librarians | 4.5 |
| Support Staff | 2.5 |
| Students | 3.5 |
Accomplishments
Beginning in spring 2021, the library began an equipment checkout service for laptops and webcams. Twenty laptops were available initially and increased to 100 laptops by the end of FY 2021 due to the demand. This service has been an overwhelming success, with all laptops being claimed during each check out period. In order to further expand the equipment check out service and meet student needs, funds were secured for 25 hotspot devices through an initiative request for CARES Act funding. This will be fully implemented for the fall 2021 semester.
As another way to meet student needs, a study room was converted into a Zoom Room where students, in groups or individually, would be able to participate in web conferencing calls or record videos. This space is also available to the public. Additional equipment, such as a quality microphone and lighting, will be added for the fall 2021, which were also made available through an initiative request for CARES Act funding.
In the summer of 2020, the Circulation Librarian and liaison to the Division of Arts, English, and Humanities, created library guides for the English Composition I and English Composition II courses. These guides incorporate specific course assignments and provide guidance on research, evaluation, plagiarism, and MLA citations. For FY 2021, the English Composition I guide received 3701 views and the English Composition II guide received 2027 views.
Due to the COVID pandemic, the majority of OCCC courses were being taught online. In order to provide more instructional opportunities, new library overview videos and resource tutorial videos were created and shared with faculty to embed into their courses. These videos are also available on the Library YouTube page. Although students were primarily working online, librarians were still available in person and virtually for one-on-one consultations. There was also a significant increase in use of EBSCOhost databases, as well as interlibrary loan requests. Both of these services were key to student access during the COVID pandemic.
The Library Director participated in OER trainings and presentations and was admitted into the Open Education Network OER Librarian Certification program. This program began in the spring of 2021 and will conclude in the fall of 2021. Additionally, other courses at OCCC have adopted OER materials including Astronomy and US History.
EZProxy, a platform that authenticates campus users and allows off-campus access to Library resources, was moved to a hosted server. The cloud installation allows for continuity of operations, increased security, and reduced manpower to maintain.
Goals for FY 2022
In the Spring of 2021, a library survey was conducted and three services stood out as ones of most interest to respondents: color printing, hotspots, and additional ebooks. The library is regularly increasing ebook offerings, both through the EBSCOhost academic ebook collection as well as through Overdrive, which provides access to popular materials in both fiction and non-fiction. To address the need for hotspots, the library requested CARES Act funds in FY 2021 to pilot a hotspot program. Funds were awarded to obtain 25 hotspot devices. This service is expected to begin in the fall of 2021. The decision was also made to upgrade the black and white printer to a color printer in FY 2022. These goals are a direct response to the survey.
OCCC will be working for reaccreditation with the Higher Learning Commission in the fall of 2021. The Library Director served as a co-chair on a criterion committee in the spring of 2021 and the Systems Librarian, who has worked on reaccreditation in the past and has many years of institutional knowledge, will serve as the assurance argument writer going into the new fiscal year.
After the vast majority of OCCC courses moved online due to the pandemic and the expectation that online and hybrid course offerings will become a more permanent makeup of course offerings, the OCCC Library will explore new ways to engage with courses and students virtually. This may include but is not limited to new online tutorials, additional LibGuides, and integrating "Email-A-Librarian" options directly into Moodle courses.
As a way to better track study room usage and determine space needs, all study rooms will be available to reserve online. Students will still be able to request a room without a prior reservation, but the availability to submit advanced reservations for all study rooms will become the standard.
To continue to build OER and increase awareness, OER training for librarians will take place over the 2021-2022 academic year, as well as working with Academic Affairs on the development of potential OER faculty training opportunities.
Additionally, the decision has been made to move the library management system to the cloud. Moving the Sirsi LMS to a hosted (cloud) instance will improve security, allow for immediate and seamless updates, and reduce the amount of campus resources needed to maintain it. This migration is planned for late fall 2021.
COVID
COVID precautions that were put into place during FY 2020 are still in place, including socially distanced computers, study tables, and furniture, as well as plexiglass barriers and regular cleaning routines. Students have the option to work with a librarian in person, via chat, email, or through Zoom. Additional resources have been added, such as more eBooks and two new streaming services: Academic Video Online and PBS. With OCCC course offerings likely to remain heavily online, additional online article databases are being considered, allowing students access to even more online resources. These will likely be acquired during the 2021-2022 academic year.
| Gate Count | 172,769 |
| Help Guides Views | 25,081 |
| Library Webpage Views | 115,982 |
| Computer Sessions | 26,182 |
| Pages Printed | 271,245 |
| Study Room Reservations (Introduced in Jan 2020) | 193 |
| Instruction Sessions | 127 |
| Students in Instruction Sessions | 2313 |
| Reference Questions | 3,373 |
| Chat (Introduced in Nov 2019) | 424 |
| Print Check Out | 13,359 |
| Print In-House Use | 1,292 |
| Non-Print/AV Check Out | 1,019 |
| Non-Print/AV In-House Use | 55 |
| eBook/eAudiobook Use | 3,213 |
| Streaming Video Use | 325,143 |
| EBSCOHost | Total searches |
1,742,272
|
| Total viewed | 158,836 | |
| A-Z the World | Total Searches | — |
| Total viewed |
19,621 |
|
| Opposing Viewpoints | Total searches | 35,335 |
| Total viewed | 29,785 |
| Interlibrary Loan – Borrowed | 813 |
| Interlibrary Loan – Loaned | 383 |
| Print items | 1,311 |
| Nonprint items | 9 |
| eBooks/eAudio | 585 |
| Donations | 11 |
| Librarians | 4.5 |
| Support Staff | 4.0 |
| Students | 3.5 |
Accomplishments
Online chat and the ability to reserve study rooms and schedule library instruction were made available mid-year. These services were immediately utilized by students and faculty. The chat service proved to be an invaluable addition in light of the pandemic and allowed librarians to continue to easily connect with students.
Additional Huddle Stations were added to study rooms, which allow students to work collaboratively using technology. Two of the reserveable study rooms include Huddle Stations and two other Huddle Stations are available in study rooms that are first come, first served.
Librarians collaboratively formalized a Library Assessment Plan which included the development of library instruction surveys, an updated process for receiving faculty feedback, and identifying library usage reports, many of which were already being utilized, to assist the library when making decisions regarding services, electronic resources, and physical collections.
The Library continues to provide assistance to faculty transitioning to Open Educational Resources. The Library Director coordinated an OER training course. Ten faculty participated in the training, including English faculty, who then adopted and adapted OER materials for English Composition I and II. These classes are also now supported by library guides that were developed by the Arts, English, and Humanities Division library liaison.
As a response to the COVID pandemic, the library worked to continue to provide essential services to students. Temporary access to additional article and film databases were made available and new resource tutorials were created. During the campus closure, efforts were made to continue to provide access to the Library textbook collection, so that access for students was not greatly impacted. A library guide to COVID was also created, both to inform students about changes on campus and in the Library, as well as information about COVID in general. Once the Library reopened, the space was modified to provide distance between patrons, plexiglass and demarcations on the floor for where to stand were added, and a new cleaning process was created to mitigate the spread and provide a safe space to students and employees.
Goals for FY 2021
OER will continue to be a focus for the OCCC Library, offering support to faculty in located and adopted material for their courses. The Library Director will take advantage of opportunities to learn more about OER adoption and creation in order to be an informed advocate for Open Educational Resources.
The OCCC Library will focus on updating and creating new library instruction videos in order to have multiple means for OCCC students to learn about and engage with library resources.
| Gate Count | 246,676 |
| Help Guides Views | 16,872 |
| Library Webpage Views | 125,744 |
| Computer Sessions | 42,004 |
| Pages Printed | 457,145 |
| Instruction Sessions | 127 |
| Students in Instruction Sessions | 2,224 |
| Reference Questions | 2,253 |
| Print Check Out | 18,264 |
| Print In-House Use | 1,819 |
| Non-Print/AV Check Out | 947 |
| Non-Print/AV In-House Use | 354 |
| eBook/eAudiobook Use | 2,756 |
| Streaming Video Use | 169,467 |
| EBSCOHost | Total searches | 1,237,676 |
| Total viewed | 411,665 | |
| A-Z the World | Total Searches | — |
| Total viewed | 12,672 | |
| Opposing Viewpoints | Total searches | 29,992 |
| Total viewed | 23,966 | |
| ProQuest | Total searches | 3,253 |
| Total Viewed | 1,274 |
| Interlibrary Loan – Borrowed | 677 |
| Interlibrary Loan – Loaned | 581 |
| Print items | 1,965 |
| Nonprint items | 10 |
| eBooks/eAudio | 436 |
| Donations | 5 |
| Librarians | 3.5 |
| Support Staff | 4.0 |
| Students | 4.0 |
Accomplishments
- Hired new full time librarian
- Excel Series and Arbor Day
- ATD Conference
Looking Forward
- OER
- Chat
- Online Reservations
- Assessment
- Increase Huddle Stations
| Gate Count | 287,135 |
| Help Guides Views | 27,821 |
| Library Webpage Views | 163,273 |
| Computer Sessions | 52,416 |
| Pages Printed | 578,849 |
| Instruction Sessions | 135 |
| Students in Instruction Sessions | 2,679 |
| Reference Questions | 3,113 |
| Print Check Out | 23,065 |
| Print In-House Use | 1,794 |
| Non-Print/AV Check Out | 1,129 |
| Non-Print/AV In-House Use | 851 |
| eBook/eAudiobook Use | 3,395 |
| Streaming Video Use | 57,271 |
| EBSCOHost | Total searches | 1,462,754 |
| Total viewed | 69,137 | |
| A-Z the World | Total Searches | NA |
| Total viewed | NA | |
| Opposing Viewpoints | Total searches | 33,487 |
| Total viewed | 31,380 | |
| ProQuest | Total searches | 3,517 |
| Total Viewed | 2,451 |
| Interlibrary Loan – Borrowed | 849 |
| Interlibrary Loan – Loaned | 634 |
| Print items | 1,710 |
| Nonprint items | 31 |
| eBooks/eAudio | 622 |
| Donations | 14 |
| Librarians | 4.5 |
| Support Staff | 4.0 |
| Students | NA |
Library staff remain involved across campus by serving on committees and working to support the academic divisions and other departments on campus. A goal for the spring 2018 semester was for librarians to reach out to at least one other department to learn more about what they do and how the Library can offer support. Areas visited included TRiO, Veterans’ Services, Financial Aid, and Community Outreach and Education. Updates on Library services were provided and new materials for the collection were purchased that were recommended by these areas.
Three displays were created in collaboration with faculty or programs: Faculty Recommended Reads, a student art exhibit, and a program promotion for Child Development. For the Recommended Reads display, faculty submitted descriptions of books they would recommend to college students. The books, descriptions, and faculty photos were displayed and rotated throughout the entire spring semester. For the student art exhibit, students from a Foundations II class displayed student created 3D art. The exhibit was paired with information about the Art Program, as well as library books covering the medium of art the students were using for their creations. For the Child Development display, artwork created by children at the OCCC Child Development Center was displayed, along with information about the Child Development Program.
Librarians reached out to the Capitol Hill Library branch of the Metropolitan Library System, which is located directly behind the OCCC Capitol Hill Center. Librarians visited the library, met with the Capitol Hill Library Director, and discussed services the OCCC Library offers to the surrounding community. A handout was also created for OCCC students using the Capitol Hill Library, highlighting OCCC Library resources. The Director of the Capitol Hill Library also visited and toured the OCCC Library.
The Library is looking forward to the Circulation Librarian position being filled. One priority is to transition billing of lost or damaged materials to OCCC’s online billing system, allowing patrons to conveniently pay for lost or damaged materials online.
Librarians plan to evaluate and update all materials used for library sessions, as well as general library information handouts. The biennial Library survey is also due for FY 2019. This survey will evaluate patron satisfaction with customer service, library space, materials, technology, and resources, among other things. Feedback will be considered to meet the needs of library patrons.
Due to a retirement, the Reference Librarian position will be vacant at the start of FY2019. If this position is filled, it offers an opportunity to incorporate responsibilities from previously lost positions as well as challenge a new employee in this position to overhaul and update our reference and instruction approach. This position will be tasked with evaluating all processes with Reference and Instruction including content and materials used for library instruction sessions, ways to collect assessment data, and new strategies for outreach, among additional duties.
Students had often received library instruction during the Success in College and Life course. With the SCL redesign, which focuses less on databases and topic selection, there is now a need for students to receive that instruction in other courses, such as English Composition. For FY2019, Librarians will encourage English faculty to bring their students, though the large number of English Composition sections will make it difficult to see each one. In the future, unique ideas and techniques must be considered to be able to reach every student.
VISITORS
INSTRUCTION AND REFERENCE
COLLECTION USAGE
ELECTRONIC RESOURCES
INTERLIBRARY LOAN
LIBRARY ACQUISITIONS
PERSONNEL FTE