Library

Akhuwat College University, Kasur
Library Information Services Department

General Rules
Library patrons/participants are expected to observe the following rules while using the library facilities. Any violation may incur disciplinary action.

  • Leave your personal belongings (bags, briefcases, handbags Laptop, etc.) at the library entrance.
  • Take care of your belongings as library disclaims any responsibility for loss or damage.
  • Keep your cell phones on silent mode/switch off within library premises.
  • To make the library environment more conducive for reading and research, gossiping, cell phone calls, sleeping, eating, drinking, smoking, chatting, and disturbing the order of library furniture is strictly prohibited.
  • Submit library material(s) for inspection, if requested.
  • Underlining, marking, folding and tearing pages of library materials is prohibited.
  • Leave the library materials on tables after consulting/reading.
  • Observe IT rules while using library computing facilities.
  • Library membership could be suspended or canceled along with a penalty in the following cases:
    • Nonpayment of library fine(s)
    • Theft of library material(s)
    • Nonpayment of damage fine
    • Non returning of the temporary issued material within due time
    • Any kind of disturbance in library
    • Misconduct with the library staff
    • Breaching of established library rules and norms
  • Photo copying facility is available in the library within copyright provisions.
  • Patrons may get photocopy card from the library circulation desk @PKR60 that is valid for 40 copies.

Book Borrowing & Returning Policy
All registered members with valid ACK ID are entitled to borrow library materials. The borrowing privileges may differ depending upon the membership category. The borrowing privileges for different membership categories are:

Category

Borrowing Books

Time Period

Faculty

6

4-Week

Staff

2

01-Week

Students

2

01-Week
  • Valid ACK identification card is necessary to borrow library materials.
  • Books borrowed by any patron can be reserved.
  • Reserved books may be collected within 3 days from the circulation desk.
  • Book(s) borrowed by any patron can be renewed for a period of 07 days as long as the same is not reserved by another patron.
  • Non-circulating materials such as reference books, CAD collection, CD-ROMs, annual reports, current journals, journals and newspaper archives, audio/video materials, text books, and research projects cannot be borrowed.
  • Non-circulating materials can only be used within library premises.
  • Any of the borrowed library materials is subject to recall as and when needed by the library.
  • If the patrons misplace any library material and is unable to find them, it is recommended to report at circulation desk immediately to avoid overdue fines.
  • Any of the library materials not returned within 30 days after the due date will be considered as lost.

Library Fine
Certain fines are charged for overdue (not returned on time) library materials. This is an effort to provide patrons an equal opportunity to make use of library materials and to maximize sharing of library collections.

  • Overdue fine is charged from the first overdue date/day.
  • Overdue fine on general books would be PKR10 per book per day.
  • Overdue fine on temporarily issued materials would be PKR50 per hour.
  • Loss of library materials would be charged three times the current price OR replacement of the material(s) with PKR100 additional as processing charges.
  • PKR5000 in addition to the current price would be charged in case of stealing library materials.
  • In case of any disciplinary violations PKR200 would be charged on the first violation and PKR500 on second violation. In case of continuation of violations, the issue may be referred to the disciplinary committee.

Acquisition Policy
The Library has developed subject profiles based on the major fields of study and research at ACK as a guide to selecting materials in different subject areas
POLICY STATEMENT
The mission of the ACK Library is to collect materials in all formats in support of the university’s teaching and research programs. Primary emphasis is on acquiring current materials.

COLLECTION LEVELS

The American Library Association has defined the following levels of collection as numerical values
to describe a library’s collecting activity and goals

  • Minimal level. A very limited collection of general materials, including monographs and reference works.
  • Basic level. A highly selective collection which serves to introduce and define the subject, to indicate the varieties of information available elsewhere, and to support the needs of general library users through the first two years of college.
  • Study level. A collection which supports undergraduate or graduate course work, or sustained independent study; that is, which is adequate to maintain knowledge of a subject required for limited or generalized purposes, or less than research intensity.
  •  Research level. A collection which includes the major published source materials required for dissertations and independent research, including materials containing research reporting, new findings, scientific experimental results, and other information useful to researchers.
  • Comprehensive level. A collection in which a library endeavors, so far as is reasonably possible, to include all significant works of recorded knowledge for a necessarily defined field.

While it may not be possible for us to achieve a level-5 collection due to limited resources, a level between 3 and 4 should be our target.
SELECTION RESPONSIBILITY
Subject specialists are subject experts who are responsible for collection development in one or more areas. Since the library does not have its own subject specialists, the liaison persons from academic departments will act as subject specialists. The acquisitions librarian designated for each college will work closely with the liaison persons of academic departments within the college in developing their respective subject collections. They will ensure that no areas of development proper to the collection are ignored and the collection as whole is developed objectively, consistently and thoroughly. The Librarian of Acquisition will prepare a directory of subject specialists with their full contact addresses and update it each semester. The directory may also include the names of subject specialists from the library, if any.

GUIDELINES FOR INITIATING PURCHASE REQUESTS

Users should observe the following guidelines for initiating library materials purchase requests

  • All library materials purchase requests related to the fields of study in the curriculum or general research of academic departments must be approved by the department Head or Head Academic before sending them to the Principal of Library Affairs.
  • The library will encourage the faculty, students, and staff to recommend library materials for purchase, however, the decision to approve or disapprove them will rest with the Principal of Library Affairs.
  •  Faculty may also recommend titles to be purchased from short course and research funds or to develop their own departmental resource collections from the department funds. Recommendations may be initiated by completing the purchase request form(acquisition) or by contacting the designated liaison person from the department.

The Librarian of Acquisitions will keep track of the collection growth in each subject area based on the collection statistics generated on regular basis. If he observes that the collection in any particular area is lagging behind the collections in other areas, he will take his own initiative in selecting materials in that area in consultation with the department liaison.

SELECTION CRITERIA

The general criteria to be used by the selectors for the acquisition of library materials are listed below in priority order:

  • Curriculum support. Materials related to the fields of study in the curriculum will form the core of the library collection
  • Research support. Materials related to the research conducted by faculty, researchers, and graduate students to be acquired.
  • Collection continuity. Updating of the collection with new titles and editions on a regular basis.
  • Reference materials. Bibliographies, catalogs, dictionaries, encyclopedias, indexes and abstracts, directories, and manuals fall under this category.
  • Audiovisual media. E-books, CDs, DVDs, videos (preferred medium will be DVD, if available, over videocassettes) and multimedia form a critical resource of a modern library. Microform reproductions will be limited to retrospective materials that are unavailable or very expensive in other media.

OTHER SELECTION CONSIDERATIONS

Form in general, the library should acquire materials in what it judges is the most appropriate format(s)when there is a choice? printed, microform, digital. Until electronic resources are judged to be completely secure and sustainable, most text-based materials will not be acquired in electronic only format when there is a choice. Some reference materials, however, such as abstracts and indexes, dictionaries and encyclopedias, directories, etc. may, because of their usefulness in this format, be acquired and retained in electronic only format. In addition, back files of periodicals in print format and large sets on microform should be replaced with their electronic version to ease pressure on the critical library space.

Cost

Cost of materials will also be a deciding factor in acquiring materials. Request for any item cost in more than $ 10 will be discouraged. The Acquisition librarian may contact the requester to inform him about the high cost of the material and to advise him to find an alternative title with a lower cost. If the requester insists on his request, the matter should be referred to the Dean of Library Affairs, who will have the final authority on acquiring expensive materials

Duplication

The acquisition of duplicate copies of books or any other library materials should be avoided unless the item is in great demand and acquiring the second copy will help the users in their studies.

Gift and exchange

The library welcomes gratis materials from individuals, government, and private organizations and departments to enhance the collection. However, any materials which are not relevant to the subject profiles or found to be below the accepted minimum academic level will not be added to the collection. The library regards mutually beneficial exchange agreements as an appropriate method of acquiring important materials which fall within the context of its subject profiles.

Textbooks

The library maintains a collection of textbooks prescribed in various courses offered at ACK. This collection will be updated each semester with the lists of textbooks received from the bookstore. For any questions regarding the list or a textbook, the respective department may be contacted.

Government publications

The library gets Saudi government publications free of charge. However, not all of them are received automatically. Considering their academic and research value, efforts should be made to acquire those missing publications through regular follow ups with the concerned departments. Reference librarians will be responsible for selecting and acquiring Saudi government publications of reference nature.

Theses and dissertations

The library as a policy collects one hard copy and one soft copy on CD-ROM of all Master’s theses and Ph. D dissertations accepted in various academic departments at ACK. The library also gets hundreds of theses and dissertations in English, Urdu, mostly on CD-ROM, from other universities in the Pakistan. Care should be taken in selecting only those theses and dissertations which fall within our subject profile. The rest should be brief listed and kept in a designated area. Acquisition of theses and dissertations from foreign universities should be discouraged as much as possible. Selected foreign theses and dissertations may be acquired with the approval of the Dean of Library Affairs.

Paperback vs hard cover editions

The library will prefer hard cover editions over paperbacks as they do not get mutilated quickly due to heavy use.

Solutions manuals

The library will not acquire any solutions manuals relevant to any courses taught at ACK unless requested by the academic departments for their own use. In such cases, the manuals will be sent to the departments without cataloging them.

Retention/Withdrawal

Materials which do not support the collections’ stated purposes and objectives may be withdrawn. Materials will be identified for withdrawal as they come to the attention of the library staff in the normal course of their job performance.

Damaged and lost materials

Damaged materials are repaired, rebound or replaced when they meet other selection criteria as described in our policies. Lost materials are replaced whenever possible, if they meet other selection criteria as described in our policies. Later edition or version will be preferred, if available.

Collection Evaluation and Assessment

The library collection needs continuous evaluation in order to be sure that the library is fulfilling its mission to provide materials in support of the university’s academic and research programs in a timely manner. Statistical tools, such as circulation reports, collection turnover rates, fill rates, reference filtrates, shelf allotments, and volume counts will be studied to determine how the collection is being used and how it should change to meet user needs. The input received from user surveys will also be used in evaluating the collection.

Book-Bank Scheme:

This is a Semester-Based scheme in which books are issued free of cost to all students.

A student has to apply in the prescribed form, available in the library.

Liquidate Damage and Fine Policy:
Liquidate Damage and Fine Policy on violation of terms and conditions of the Book Bank is appended below:

  1. If the borrower fails to return books on time, he shall be liable to pay fine of Rs.10/- per day for each book.
  2. In case of loss of book, the borrower is required to either replace the book or have to pay double cost as per prevailing market price.
  3. If any book found damaged, defaced, pages torn / turned or mutilated at the time of return of the book then such books will not be accepted and the member will have to replace the same or pay actual / current cost of the book.
  4. In case the lost / misplaced book is obsolete and not available from the market, then dual amount of the lost book is to be deposited in the Account Office.
  5. If any book found with loose binding at the time of return, then the student has to pay Rs.250/- as binding charges. The amount collected will be deposited in the Account Office.
  6. It is compulsory for the students to return all the books and get clearance from the Library, prior to leaving the University.

General Rules:
The general rules/regulations to be exercised for the Book bank are appended below:

  1. All the students of the Akhuwat University are entitled to become members and can draw books from the Book Bank for One Semester.
  2. Membership to the Book Bank will be granted upon completion of prescribed Book Bank application form.
  3. Depending upon the availability the books are issued on the bases of first come first serve.
  4. Books can be loaned for a period of whole semester.
  5. A delay fine will be charged from students keeping the book or books beyond the prescribed period at the rate of Rs. 10/- per day per book.
  6. Books issued to the members are non-transferable.
  7. If any student availing the facility loses or damages the book, he/she shall replace the Volume(s) with new book (or pay the current cost of the book plus fine, if any, as may be directed by authority).
  8. Correct e-mail address / Mobile Number & Home Address is to be provided while filling the Book Bank membership form.

Librarian
Khursheed Ahmad Zafar

Akhuwat University Kasur

Book Borrowing & Returning Policy

All registered members with valid ACK ID are entitled to borrow library materials. The borrowing privileges may differ depending upon the membership category. The borrowing privileges for different membership categories are:

Category

Borrowing Books

Time Period

Faculty

6

4-Week

Staff

2

01-Week

Students

2

01-Week
  • Valid ACK identification card is necessary to borrow library materials.
  • Books borrowed by any patron can be reserved.
  • Reserved books may be collected within 3 days from the circulation desk.
  • Book(s) borrowed by any patron can be renewed for a period of 07 days as long as the same is not reserved by another patron.
  • Non-circulating materials such as reference books, CAD collection, CD-ROMs, annual reports, current journals, journals and newspaper archives, audio/video materials, text books, and research projects cannot be borrowed.
  • Non-circulating materials can only be used within library premises.
  • Any of the borrowed library materials is subject to recall as and when needed by the library.
  • If the patrons misplace any library material and is unable to find them, it is recommended to report at circulation desk immediately to avoid overdue fines.
  • Any of the library materials not returned within 30 days after the due date will be considered as lost.

Library Fine
Certain fines are charged for overdue (not returned on time) library materials. This is an effort to provide patrons an equal opportunity to make use of library materials and to maximize sharing of library collections.

  • Overdue fine is charged from the first overdue date/day.
  • Overdue fine on general books would be PKR10 per book per day.
  • Overdue fine on temporarily issued materials would be PKR50 per hour.
  • Loss of library materials would be charged three times the current price OR replacement of the material(s) with PKR100 additional as processing charges.
  • PKR5000 in addition to the current price would be charged in case of stealing library materials.
  • In case of any disciplinary violations PKR200 would be charged on the first violation and PKR500 on second violation. In case of continuation of violations, the issue may be referred to the disciplinary committee.

Donation Policy

  • The Akhuwat College library selectively accepts print and electronic materials according to its subject profile. It accepts gifts and donations in the subject area of Economics, Information Technology, Finance, Accounting, Management, Marketing, Mathematics, Human Resources and Urdu, Islamic & English Literature.
  • The donor should present the typed list of materials he/she wants to donate in advance (in person, by mail, via e-mail).
  • The library does not usually accept duplicates of materials already in collection and the material in poor physical condition.
  • The library has a right to accept or reject presented or donated materials at the point of an offer or, if accepted initially for a review, — after the review process.
  • Materials, which the library decides to decline after the review process, might be discarded or given back to the donor, or gives to other needy user.
  • The donor is responsible to arrange the delivery or transfer of a donation / gift.
  • No special restrictions and requirements should be imposed by a donor as to the location and utilization of donated items.
  • Once offered and accepted, donations become the property of the library and cannot be returned to the donor.
  • Acknowledgement letters are sent to a donor, as the library appreciates the donor’s generosity in presenting a gift to the library. In this regard kindly share your name, Home address and e-mail address with library.

 

 

Librarian
Khursheed Ahmad Zafar
Akhuwat College Kasur

Annexure – G 3 – Acquisition Policy

Acquisition Policy
The Library has developed subject profiles based on the major fields of study and research at ACK as a guide to selecting materials in different subject areas.

POLICY STATEMENT
The mission of the ACK Library is to collect materials in all formats in support of the university’s teaching and research programs. Primary emphasis is on acquiring current materials.

COLLECTION LEVELS

The American Library Association has defined the following levels of collection as numerical values to describe a library’s collecting activity and goals.

  • Minimal level. A very limited collection of general materials, including monographs and reference works.
  • Basic level. A highly selective collection which serves to introduce and define the subject, to indicate the varieties of information available elsewhere, and to support the needs of general library users through the first two years of college.
  • Study level. A collection which supports undergraduate or graduate course work, or sustained independent study; that is, which is adequate to maintain knowledge of a subject required for limited or generalized purposes, or less than research intensity.
  •  Research level. A collection which includes the major published source materials required for dissertations and independent research, including materials containing research reporting, new findings, scientific experimental results, and other information useful to researchers.
  • Comprehensive level. A collection in which a library endeavors, so far as is reasonably possible, to include all significant works of recorded knowledge for a necessarily defined field.

While it may not be possible for us to achieve a level-5 collection due to limited resources, a level between 3 and 4 should be our target.

SELECTION RESPONSIBILITY

Subject specialists are subject experts who are responsible for collection development in one or more areas. Since the library does not have its own subject specialists, the liaison persons from academic departments will act as subject specialists. The acquisitions librarian designated for each college will work closely with the liaison persons of academic departments within the college in developing their respective subject collections. They will ensure that no areas of development proper to the collection are ignored and the collection as whole is developed objectively, consistently and thoroughly. The Librarian of Acquisition will prepare a directory of subject specialists with their full contact addresses and update it each semester. The directory may also include the names of subject specialists from the library, if any.

GUIDELINES FOR INITIATING PURCHASE REQUESTS

Users should observe the following guidelines for initiating library materials purchase requests

  • All library materials purchase requests related to the fields of study in the curriculum or general research of academic departments must be approved by the department Head or Head Academic before sending them to the Principal of Library Affairs.
  • The library will encourage the faculty, students, and staff to recommend library materials for purchase, however, the decision to approve or disapprove them will rest with the Principal of Library Affairs.
  •  Faculty may also recommend titles to be purchased from short course and research funds or to develop their own departmental resource collections from the department funds. Recommendations may be initiated by completing the purchase request form(acquisition) or by contacting the designated liaison person from the department.

The Librarian of Acquisitions will keep track of the collection growth in each subject area based on the collection statistics generated on regular basis. If he observes that the collection in any particular area is lagging behind the collections in other areas, he will take his own initiative in selecting materials in that area in consultation with the department liaison.

SELECTION CRITERIA

The general criteria to be used by the selectors for the acquisition of library materials are listed below in priority order:

  • Curriculum support. Materials related to the fields of study in the curriculum will form the core of the library collection
  • Research support. Materials related to the research conducted by faculty, researchers, and graduate students to be acquired.
  • Collection continuity. Updating of the collection with new titles and editions on a regular basis.
  • Reference materials. Bibliographies, catalogs, dictionaries, encyclopedias, indexes and abstracts, directories, and manuals fall under this category.
  • Audiovisual media. E-books, CDs, DVDs, videos (preferred medium will be DVD, if available, over videocassettes) and multimedia form a critical resource of a modern library. Microform reproductions will be limited to retrospective materials that are unavailable or very expensive in other media.

OTHER SELECTION CONSIDERATIONS

Format

In general, the library should acquire materials in what it judges is the most appropriate format(s)when there is a choice? printed, microform, digital. Until electronic resources are judged to be completely secure and sustainable, most text-based materials will not be acquired in electronic only format when there is a choice. Some reference materials, however, such as abstracts and indexes, dictionaries and encyclopedias, directories, etc. may, because of their usefulness in this format, be acquired and retained in electronic only format. In addition, back files of periodicals in print format and large sets on microform should be replaced with their electronic version to ease pressure on the critical library space.

Cost

Cost of materials will also be a deciding factor in acquiring materials. Request for any item cost in more than $ 10 will be discouraged. The Acquisition librarian may contact the requester to inform him about the high cost of the material and to advise him to find an alternative title with a lower cost. If the requester insists on his request, the matter should be referred to the Principal of Library Affairs, who will have the final authority on acquiring expensive materials.

Duplication

The acquisition of duplicate copies of books or any other library materials should be avoided unless the item is in great demand and acquiring the second copy will help the users in their studies.

Gift and exchange

The library welcomes gratis materials from individuals, government, and private organizations and departments to enhance the collection. However, any materials which are not relevant to the subject profiles or found to be below the accepted minimum academic level will not be added to the collection. The library regards mutually beneficial exchange agreements as an appropriate method of acquiring important materials which fall within the context of its subject profiles.

Textbooks

The library maintains a collection of textbooks prescribed in various courses offered at ACK. This collection will be updated each semester with the lists of textbooks received from the bookstore. For any questions regarding the list or a textbook, the respective department may be contacted.

Government publications

The library gets Pakistani government publications free of charge. However, not all of them are received automatically. Considering their academic and research value, efforts should be made to acquire those missing publications through regular follow ups with the concerned departments. Reference librarians will be responsible for selecting and acquiring Pakistani government publications of reference nature.

Theses and dissertations

The library as a policy collects one hard copy and one soft copy on CD-ROM of all Master’s theses and Ph. D dissertations accepted in various academic departments at ACK. The library also gets hundreds of theses and dissertations in English, Urdu, mostly on CD-ROM, from other universities in the Pakistan. Care should be taken in selecting only those theses and dissertations which fall within our subject profile. The rest should be brief listed and kept in a designated area. Acquisition of theses and dissertations from foreign universities should be discouraged as much as possible. Selected foreign theses and dissertations may be acquired with the approval of the Principal of Library Affairs.

Paperback vs hard cover editions

The library will prefer hard cover editions over paperbacks as they do not get mutilated quickly due to heavy use.

Solutions manuals

The library will not acquire any solutions manuals relevant to any courses taught at ACK unless requested by the academic departments for their own use. In such cases, the manuals will be sent to the departments without cataloging them.

Retention/Withdrawal

Materials which do not support the collections’ stated purposes and objectives may be withdrawn. Materials will be identified for withdrawal as they come to the attention of the library staff in the normal course of their job performance.

Damaged and lost materials

Damaged materials are repaired, rebound or replaced when they meet other selection criteria as described in our policies. Lost materials are replaced whenever possible, if they meet other selection criteria as described in our policies. Later edition or version will be preferred, if available.

COLLECTION EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT

The library collection needs continuous evaluation in order to be sure that the library is fulfilling its mission to provide materials in support of the university’s academic and research programs in a timely manner. Statistical tools, such as circulation reports, collection turnover rates, fill rates, reference filtrates, shelf allotments, and volume counts will be studied to determine how the collection is being used and how it should change to meet user needs. The input received from user surveys will also be used in evaluating the collection.