Issue date: 2/19/08 Section: Editorial

The library circulation policy changes reflect an awareness on the part of the library staff toward student and faculty needs. The old circulation policies badly needed updating: many of the resources of the library, such as the DVDs, went largely unused except by professors for specific classes, and lay dormant in the library during semesters in which the professors didn't use them.

While getting permission to take bound periodicals or reference materials out of the library wasn't difficult, it was formerly necessary to get the reference librarian's permission to take the books out of the library - which became problematic when there wasn't a reference librarian on duty. Now students can simply check out the reference materials or journals they need as they would any book from the general collection. The new video changes are also a positive change; instead of having to wait in the library for a station at which to watch the videos, students can take them home and watch them on their own televisions at their own leisure.

Changing the check out of the general collection books from 30 days to one semester caters to the needs of both the students and the University staff. Instead of spending time processing overdue fines on books, "most of which are returned at the end of the semester" according to the DePauw Libraries Web site, students and faculty can keep the books for as long as necessary, with significantly less processing and worries on all sides. The libraries are meant to be a resource for DePauw, meant to aid both students and faculty in the academic process. These new policies reflect a common goal of learning and improvement for all at DePauw.

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