Library

Portland Community College Library supports the College mission by providing access to resources, services, and learning opportunities that support student success.

Library policies are accessible on the website.

Library Buildings

The Library is dedicated to creating welcoming, inclusive environments for all patrons. The four campus libraries provide resources and services for PCC students, faculty, staff, and community members. Each library location offers study rooms, access to computers, and a variety of study and noise zones that accommodate different student needs. Library classrooms are reserved primarily for library instruction, in collaboration with other instructional faculty. 

Library spaces are monitored in accordance with all Public Safety policies and practices. Staff are trained to adhere to all current PCC safety standards. The library uses different methods to manage and secure resources. Electronic security is used on most physical items to ensure that they are properly checked out before they leave the building.

Library Collections 

Collections within the library include books, general and specialized databases, music, films, equipment and laptops, and course reserves (including anatomy models). Within the constraints of available funds, facilities, and staffing, the Library will acquire and make available materials in various formats.

Library faculty and staff have primary responsibility for the collection, but the selection and withdrawal of materials are activities shared with other members of the College community. Librarians with liaison responsibilities work with instructional faculty to ensure that materials that support the instructional programs of the College are added to the collection. 

Recommendations from instructional faculty are particularly important in building a collection that bolsters student success and aligns with PCC’s curriculum. 

All members of the College community are encouraged to suggest additions, primarily through the purchase request form. Librarians review requests with the same selection and withdrawal criteria, described in more detail in the PCC Library Collection Development Statement. The Library will not purchase items for office or laboratory collections.

Borrowing

Providing access to information is one of the primary functions of the Library. PCC students, employees, community patrons, and retired PCC employees can borrow most items owned by PCC Library. 

Community patrons and PCC retirees are able to use library spaces and collections, with some limitations.

Many more items can be borrowed from other libraries in the Orbis Cascade Alliance via Summit or from even more libraries worldwide via interlibrary loan. 

To encourage use of the PCC collection, overdue fines are not applied to most general collection materials including books, audiobooks, magazines, CDs, and DVDs. The Library may charge overdue fines for some high-demand collections and replacement fees for lost or damaged items. Patrons will be billed for these fees and the college may place a hold on their account until bills are paid. More information is available on the library website.

Library Instruction and Research Help 

Library faculty provide information literacy instruction for a large number of classes at PCC’s campuses, centers, and work sites. Librarians can provide synchronous instruction to face-to-face, online, and hybrid classes; develop asynchronous instructional tools like videos, tutorials, and research guides tailored to course assignments; or embed in online classrooms to support student research.

PCC librarians provide research help and teach information literacy skills to students individually both online and in person.

Library faculty support college-wide curriculum development by collaborating with instructors to integrate information literacy. They also support faculty's use of affordable learning materials, and creation and adoption of Open Educational Resources.

Library Guiding Principles 

Copyright

Portland Community College (PCC) is committed to compliance with copyright law and the preservation of the rights of copyright owners and users of copyrighted materials.

Patron Privacy

Patron information is not publicly available. Records of patrons’ use of Library items are routinely purged. Law enforcement personnel will only receive access to patron information when authorized by warrants and properly executed subpoenas.

Policy/Standard Name:  Library
Policy/Standard Identifier:  L401
Authority:
Units responsible for review and update:  Dean of Libraries
Approval: College President
Responsibility: Vice President for Academic Affairs
Date of Final Approval: April 2023
Effective Term: Fall 2023
Prior Versions: Yes