LRC FACT Book 
Data About the Palo Alto College Learning Resources Center
User Surveys |
Citation Software Survey
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INTRODUCTION
The Ozuna Learning Resources Center(LRC) is a research and resource library for community college students and also community residents. The large two-story building stands on the western part of campus between the original college plant and the gymnasium / natatorium and is easily accessible off Villaret Boulevard.
The LRC's collection supports the college curriculum and is organized according to the Library of Congress system. All materials on the same subject have similar classification numbers and are inter-shelved together - there are no separate reference or audiovisual sections - the circulating books, reference materials, government documents, videotapes, magazines and journals, etc., on the same subject are all shelved together.
The second floor Information Concourse has 74 computers. Students can use course-related software as well as Internet services. Printing is provided. Wireless access is available throughout the library. A mediated instruction room is also available.
The Learning Resources Center is an instructional component of Palo Alto College. It is composed of a progressive teaching library, technology facilities and services, and a self-contained Children's Library. The LRC selects, acquires and maintains library resources in print, electronic, and media formats. The LRC provides point of need, introductory, academic and certificate instruction for individuals and groups, and also offers a free series of classes on research (Information Research Certificates I and II--a total of eleven classes) as well as an academic degree and certificate program in Library Technology. The LRC also provides periodic Café events for students to get together and interact informally.
The LRC supports the mission statements of the Alamo Community College District and Palo Alto College. The library directly supports the college's curriculum.
The administration, faculty and staff of the LRC exhibit their professionalism and demonstrate a genuine commitment to the fostering of independent and lifelong learning through their quality programs, resources and services.
A Transfer Rate Comparison with Texas Peers, Fall 2005- Fall 2006, Showed that Palo Alto College ranked 2nd place for White and African-American students, 3rd place (by less than 1%) for Hispanic students, and 5th place for total students. 26 colleges were included in the study. (Source: ACCD Presentation, PAC Academic Affairs meeting 10/07).
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The Collection
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| --Academic Years--
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| 1997-1998
1998-1999
1999-2000
| 2000-2001
| 2001-2002
| 2002-2003
| 2003-2004
| 2004-2005
| 2005-2006
| 2006-2007
|
| Books on paper & equiv.
| 68,080 volumes
| 69,969 volumes
| 71,889 volumes
| 73,809 volumes
| 81,493 volumes
| 86,709 volumes
| 92,194 volumes
| 116,393 volumes
| 119,294 volumes
| 122,723 volumes
|
| eBooks full-text online
| n/a
| n/a
| n/a
| 5,000 titles
| 17,495 titles
| 24,297 titles
| 24,383 titles
| 28,383 titles
| 28,059 titles
| 28,059 titles
|
Electronic Databases
(Periodical Indexes)
| 2
| 3
| 3
| 105
| 90
| 116
| 111
| 114
| 116
| 94*
|
| Titles on microform
| n/a
| 3,045 titles
| 3,285 titles
| 3,285 titles
| 3,966 titles
| 3,966 titles
| 2,900 titles
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| Microform Book Equivalents
| 17,588 volumes
| 18,152 volumes
| 19,403 volumes
| being counted
| 22,909 volumes
| 34,816 volumes
| 35,804 volumes
| 37,303 volumes
| 38,035 volumes
| 38,320 volumes***
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| Serial Subscriptions
| 518 titles
| 518 titles
| 518 titles
| 455 titles
| 458 titles
| 383 titles
| 281 titles
| 284 titles
| 284 titles
| 275 titles
|
| Serials Online/CD
| n/a
| n/a
| n/a
| 1,757 titles
| 7,905 titles
| 7,905 titles
| 7,905 titles
| 8,527 titles
| 8,580 titles
| 17,801 titles**
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| Audiovisual materials
| 1,815 units
| 2,057 units
| 2,008 units
| 1,958 units
| 2,268 units
| 2,517 units
| 2,943 units
| 2,853 units
| 3,199 units
| 2,972 units
|
| Total Book Equivalents
| n/a
| 139,774
| 160,028
| 166,795
| 197,823
| 201,531
| 221,842
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* Hand-counted electronic databases.
** source = http://www.texshare.edu/programs/academicdb/databasecountfy2007.html plus ProQuest and NewsBank serials titles.
*** Microform book equivalent count is total microforms divided by 5 (includes serials and gov.docs in microform format).
NOTE: For a study of library holdings versus standards, see ACRL Standards Results--Collection.
Instruction Through Reference Questions
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| Fall
| Spring
| Summer
| Total
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| 1994-95
| 7,220
| 6,679
| 2,487
| 16,386
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| 1995-96
| 9,265
| 7,657
| 1,860
| 18,782
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| 1996-97
| 8,932
| 8,177
| 1,956
| 19,065
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| 1997-98
| 8,339
| 9,330
| 2,335
| 20,004
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| 1998-99
| 8,894
| 7,975
| 2,792
| 19,661
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| '99-2000
| 9,395
| 7,400
| 1,911
| 18,706
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| 2000-1
| 6,759
| 5,776
| 2,182
| 14,717
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| 2001-2
| 6,509
| 7,146
| 3,850
| 17,505
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| 2002-3
| 8,810
| 8,671
| 2,374*
| 19,855
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| 2003-4
| 8,373
| 8,858
| 2,981
| 20,212
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| 2004-5
| 9,159
| 9,671
| 3,483
| 22,313
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| 2005-6
| 8,895
| 7,058
| 3,037
| 18,990
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| 2006-7
| 7,778
| 5,922
| 2,122
| 15,822
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NB: Reference questions are not "answered." This is a teaching library; every student is taught how to find their own answers.
*Summer 2003 figures are low because the library schedule was reduced by one day a week (closed on Fridays)
Gate Count (Physical Visits)
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| People Entering LRC
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| 1995-6
| 209,835 visitors
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| 1996-7
| 260,993 visitors
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| 1997-8
| 141,929 visitors
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| 1998-9
| 169,912 visitors
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| 1999-0
| 154,540 visitors
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| 2000-1
| 129,741 visitors
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| 2001-2
| 137,331 visitors
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| 2002-3
| 189,029 visitors
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| 2003-4
| 221,718 visitors
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| 2004-5
| 208,811 visitors
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| 2005-6
| 261,589 visitors
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| 2006-7
| 245,087 visitors
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Classroom Instruction
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| 1997-1998
1998-1999
1999-2000
| 2000-2001
| 2001-2002
| 2002-2003
| 2003-2004
| 2004-2005
| 2005-2006
| 2006-2007
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| Number of sessions/classes taught last year
| 176
| 243
| *223
| *301
| *252
| **327
| 376
| 341
| 368
| 335
|
| Number of students in classes
| 3,316
| 4,349
| *4,211
| *4,946
| *4,153
| **5,407
| 4,163
| 4,355
| 4,941
| 4,714
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* Details available
** 2002-3 and subsequent year's numbers include the classes for the Information Research Certificate
Interlibrary Loan
|
| 1997-1998
1998-1999
1999-2000
2000-2001
2001-2002
2002-2003
2003-2004
2004-2005
| 2005-2006
| 2006-2007
|
| Materials loaned to other institutions
| 1,046 items
| 1,280 items
| 2,457 items
| 1,436 items
| 1,709 items
| 1,337 items
| 1,234 items
| 2,167 items
| 1,056 items
| 761 items
|
| Materials borrowed from other institutions
| 390 items
| 647 items
| 1,152 items
| 481 items
| 630 items
| 593 items
| 431 items
| 157 items
| 241 items
| 393 items
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Circulation
|
| 1997-1998
1998-1999
1999-2000
2000-2001
2001-2002
2002-2003
2003-2004
2004-2005
| 2005-2006
| 2006-2007
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| Materials checked out
| 28,376 items
| 34,713 items
| 18,720 items
| 20,066 items
| 20,592 items
| 23,956 items
| 25,265 items
| 22,417 items
| 33,298 items
| 20,195 items
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A Typical Week
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| 1997-1998
1998-1999
1999-2000
2000-2001
2001-2002
2002-2003
2003-2004
2004-2005
| 2005-2006
| 2006-2007
|
| Hours open in a typical week
| 82.25
| 82.25
| 82.25
| 82.25
| 82.25
| 82.25
| 82.25
| 82.25
| 82.25
| 82.25
|
| People passing through front door
| 3,548
| 4,248
| 3,864
| 3,244
| 3,433
| 4,725
| 5,542
| 5,220
| 6,540
| 6,059
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| Reference questions answered
| 500
| 492
| 468
| 368
| 438
| 497
| 505
| 558
| 475
| 487
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Children's Library Attendance
| Year
| Age 0-4
| Age 5-8
| Age 9-12
| Age 13+
| No age
| Total
| 1997-8
| 87
| 150
| 140
| 18
| 13
| 431
|
| 1998-9
| 73
| 241
| 273
| 54
| 20
| 624
|
| 1999-00
| 122
| 229
| 312
| 20
| 47
| 730
|
| 2000-01
| 158
| 340
| 663
| 10
| 21
| 1,192
|
| 2001-02
| 329
| 224
| 978
| 64
| 34
| 1,629
|
| 2002-03
| 287
| 472
| 1,032
| 58
| 45
| 1,849
|
| 2003-04
| 592
| 522
| 1,037
| 122
| 19
| 2,292
|
| 2004-05
| 344
| 741
| 947
| 231
| 29
| 2,292
|
| 2005-06
| 711
| 1,066
| 1,162
| 333
| 84
| 3,356
| |
| Year
| Age 0-3
| Age 4-5
| Age 6-7
| Age 8-11
| Age 12-13
| Age 14-18
| No age
| Total
| 2006-7
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| 2007-8
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Note that users tend to sign in only when there is an attendant in the room, which is about one third of the time it is open. Coverage improved drastically in 2006-7 with a Lead Youth Librarian coming on board. It improved even more in Fall 2008 with more work study students available to the CL.
Facility
| Net Assignable Space
| 50,736 sq. ft.
|
Note that the gross square footage of the library is 62,000... 7,008 sq. ft. are unusable areas such as storerooms and elevator shafts. 4,256 sq. ft. (8%) of the library's space is currently being used by other programs.
Users
Who uses the LRC? We did a survey on March 31 and April 1 of 2004 and got the following results:
At the Reference Desk
| PAC Students
| 67
| 63.2%
| PAC Faculty
| 9
| 8.5%
|
| PAC Staff
| 4
| 3.8%
| TAMUK Students
| 9
| 8.5%
|
| TAMUK Faculty
| 0
| 0%
| TAMUK Staff
| 0
| 0%
|
| Community Adult
| 11
| 10.4%
| Community Child
| 6
| 5.7%
|
Information Concourse
| PAC Students
| 293
| 67.5%
| PAC Faculty
| 1
| 0.2%
|
| PAC Staff
| 1
| 0.2%
| TAMUK Students
| 66
| 15.2%
|
| TAMUK Faculty
| 1
| 0.2%
| TAMUK Staff
| 0
| 0%
|
| Community Adult
| 55
| 12.7%
| Community Child
| 17
| 3.9%
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