Introduction
Post ‧ Library
─ New Thought, New Service
The Shih Chien university library was established in 1959. As the school developed, the library expanded in 1993, set up its Kaohsiung branch in 1995.
So far the library has collected up to 450,000 volumes and over 2,000 periodicals. For more than ten years, the library has aimed at new services of electronic resources – about 400,000 volumes of Chinese and English e-books, over 150 kinds of electronic databases, and more than 30,000 kinds of electronic periodicals, which are available for students anytime, anywhere.
During the past 20 years the library has tied in closely with the school’s development and has paid close attention to changes in trends and developed cutting-edge services. For example, while the library expanded in 1993, a satellite antenna system was erected on rooftop of the university, integrating digital and analogue networks constructing a video integrated system to better serve the students. This is a new model for library service. In collaboration with education-industry/ community in 1997, the library integrated VOD and WebPAC. As a result the Shih Chien University’s library became an aspiration among libraries that were planning to offer such services. In 1999, the library held the “The Seminar of Reader Service” in a cultural perspective, which offers a new direction in a technique-oriented trend among the libraries sharing same interest. In 2004, the library held “The Seminar of Library Space Culture Construction” and received warm response from other libraries drawing their attention towards a cultural perspective of space planning. In 2006, the library blog system and wiki were constructed and integrated with an automatic system, ushering the library in a new era of Web 2.0 for library service. In 2009, the library held the “The Seminar of Original Township Road of Library”. The seminar revolved around the blog to explore the principal value of library in a global trend, especially in a network society.
In response to the school’s development, Chairman Xie Meng-xiong decided to build a new library, which broke ground in 2005 and completed in 5 years. In 2010, the school’s president Xie Zong-xing presided over an inauguration ceremony. This is a new library which was constructed on a modern cultural thinking. It implies new meanings and value in terms of architecture and internal service system.
The library’s main body construction consists of two L-shaped buildings which intersect one another. “L” refers to library. The L-shaped building from the second floor to the fifth floor on the ground and another L-shaped building which rises straight up intersect each other to construct the library building. On the far west side sits the gymnasium. The large-sized conference hall and the underground passage connect the two spaces which fulfill the chairman Xie’s idea of “university living space” and also a new milestone for the school’s development.
The Shih Chien University Library Offers the Following Services
Borrowing
Circulation staff members provide information on how users can borrow library materials from the Shih Chien University Libraries as well as from other libraries. They can explain loan, recall, and fine policies; allowing students and faculty to borrow materials, as well as providing similar services to staff from Shih Chien University and from institutions with which Shih Chien University has reciprocal borrowing privileges. In additions the library is able to search for books that cannot be found in the book stacks.
New Books
New books are regularly displayed for a certain length of time during which they may be borrowed.
Serials, Journals and Periodicals
Serials, journals and periodicals are not available for loan but may be used in the Library. The collection contains over 2000 titles, shelved alphabetically by title in the serials room on library basement level 2(B2).
Multimedia Services
Located in B2, Multimedia Services houses the Library’s video and audio collection. Faculty members can place their own or their department’s media materials on reserve here for their courses, as Multimedia services provides equipment that students can use to review most types of media.
Students who need to watch a video, listen to music or audio materials for a class, practice their presentation skills, evaluate instructional CD-ROMs, review foreign language materials, or use the English as a Second Language (ESL) Resource Center can do so in Multimedia Services. Also there are several areas available for group meeting or class use, including the four discussion rooms.
Reference Services
The mission of reference services is to support the research and information needs of the Shih Chien University community. Reference librarians are available in library to help you find information and provide research assistance, whether in person, email, online chatting or by telephone.
Course Reserves
The Shih Chien University Library offers a Course Reserves service for faculty, instructors and teaching assistants to place course material into a short loan collection which helps ensuring fair access to required readings for all students.
Inter-Library Loans Service
The Inter-Library Loans Service gives access to material from other libraries which is not held by the Shih Chien University. It covers all kinds of printed or other materials, including books, theses and journals.
Materials unavailable in the Shih Chien University Library often may be obtained from other libraries or document delivery sources. All faculty, students and staff may use the “Nationwide Document Delivery System (NDDS)” to access the “Interlibrary Loan Service” or contact the Reference Desk of Main Library for the “NDDS”.
Purchase Recommendations
The Shih Chien University Library actively encourages its users to recommend items films for purchase. Any recommendations will assist in the building and management of the Library collection, one of Shih Chien University’s greatest assets.