This page provides information about library policies that have been established to guide operations and use of library spaces, collections, and services.
Library instruction sessions, in-person, online, and hybrid, are held in the Bernice Faber Baker Active Learning Classroom (Room 111), located on the main floor of Archer Library. This active learning space is equipped with flexible seating, collaborative work areas, and features technology resources, such as interactive whiteboards, ceiling mounted cameras and microphones, and a second display monitor ensuring full visibility – there’s not a bad seat in the room – and supporting an active and experiential learning environment.
Established in 2021, Archer Library's active learning classroom was funded by a donation from the Fauber family and the Bernice Fauber Baker Library Endowment, with a matching gift from the Bob and Jan Archer Challenge Grant. Classroom technology, equipment, and furnishings were funded by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), Library Services and Technology (LSTA) awarded by the State Library of Ohio.
Archer Library’s active learning classroom was designed and is used for librarian led course-related library instruction. Additional library uses include workshops and presentations by library faculty or staff, library faculty and staff training, credit library courses taught by library faculty, and library sponsored programs and outreach.
The needs of Archer Library’s Instruction Program take precedence over any potential use of the classroom. Library instruction session times cannot be predicted as they support professor instruction and course needs throughout the term. Library sessions are presented on the Library’s Event calendar.
Archer Library’s active learning classroom may be available on a limited basis for non-recurring educational programs such as fall and spring Faculty College, and to building partners, but not during the first four weeks and last four weeks of the semester. Sessions must be scheduled during library hours of operation.
Library instruction takes priority of any classroom use; therefore, usage may be displaced for instruction at any given time. Requests should be submitted to the Library Director or Head of Library Instruction for review. Notification will be sent via email to the requestor when or if requests are approved.
Archer Library’s active learning classroom is available on a limited basis from mid-May through July for non-recurring educational workshops, conferences, and presentations held during library hours of operation.
Requests should be submitted to the Library Director or Head of Library Instruction for review. Notification will be sent via email to the requestor when or if requests are approved.
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Archer Library Director |
Head of Library Instruction |
The XR/VR Conference Room and Learning Project is the result of an LSTA Grant awarded by the State Library of Ohio. It is supported in part by federal Institute of Museum and Library Services funds, granted through the State Library of Ohio. This conference room was a key component of Archer Library's 2023 main floor renovation. Learn more about the project here.
The XR/VR Conference room provides Ashland University faculty and students a flexible learning space in which to try out VR-based simulations using Microsoft HoloLens. The ability to use this technology with free Microsoft Apps and platforms such as Microsoft Teams, provides unique collaborative options for teaching and learning.
This area provides a space free of obstructions, permitting users to move about with ease. Tables and chairs are mobile, the area can be easily configured to support individual or small group experiences. Small group areas, with the potential of laptops, mobile monitors, and workstations, will support hybrid activities, including conference meetings.
VR/XR workshops, pop-up events, general technology introductions, and scheduled office hours with CITE/LearnAU instructional designers, take precedence over any potential use of the conference room.
The VR/XR conference room is available on a limited basis for non-recurring educational program use, such as fall and spring Faculty College, and to building partners. Any use of the conference room must be scheduled during library hours of operation.
Requests for VR/XR Conference room use are submitted to the Library Director or Head of Library Instruction for review. Note that any exception to conference room use must be presented to and approved by the Library Director. Notification will be sent via email to the requestor when or if requests are approved.
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Archer Library Director |
Head of Library Instruction |
Ask a Librarian is Archer Library's chat service. Widgets are available on the library website, Library Guides home page, the A-Z Database List, Library FAQs pages, and select Library Guides. The chat widget will open automatically when a librarian is on duty to answer questions.
Ask-A-Librarian chat is mainly for simple reference questions. We may be able to help with other library-related questions; if not, we will direct you to the person who can help. If the reference librarian feels the question is too complicated or long for Chat, they may request to contact you by email or schedule an appointment.
Ashland University students using Ask A Librarian chat are expected to adhere to Ashland University Student Conduct guidelines detailed in the student handbook.
Ask A Librarian chat will not tolerate inappropriate behavior including, but not limited to, actions that are threatening, obscene, objectionable, bullying, or illegal. Chats deemed inappropriate will be immediately terminated by the chat operator. Any failure to comply with this policy may result in users being blocked from chat.
This policy provides guidance for publication to OhioLINK’s Electronic Theses & Dissertation Center (ETD). Questions about this policy should be directed to Archer Library's Electronic Resources Librarian or Library Director.
Procedure: After a student has defended their work, they must incorporate suggestions they have received and get final approval from their thesis advisor. They must ensure that any information they would not like published online is edited or deleted prior to submitting the work for publication, and all material included in the document that is not their own original work has permission from the copyright holder to be used in the document . All signatures on the signature page should be removed prior to submitting for publication online. The final document should be saved as a PDF in preparation for submission.
It is up to each individual college to decide whether students are required to submit their work for publication on the ETD Center, although the library always encourages publication. Once a student has been cleared for publication by their program, the program director emails the ETD Center Administrator librarian and includes the student, indicating completion of the program and readiness for document publication. The ETD Center Administrator librarian then provides the link for the Permission and Copyright Licensing for ETD Publishing form (attached).
The current publication process has been designed to create the least amount of extra work for the student. By granting permissions contained in the form, the ETD Center Administrator librarian is allowed to:
If the ETD Center Administrator discovers issues with the submission, they will work with the student to correct them prior to publication.
If a college requires publication as a requirement for graduation and a student declines publication, the student must complete the permission form and choose the “no” option for all fields when available. This is so the library has on record the student has declined publication. Once a student graduates, if they have chosen not to publish, we will not go back and complete the process for the student if they change their mind.
If a student wishes to publish to the ETD but declines to provide permission for the ETD Center Administrator librarian to complete the process on their behalf, the student will be responsible for completing the submission process on their own.
Permission forms are downloaded and saved as PDF files in a shared library drive at the university so that the library has a record of the student's responses.
After a student’s work is successfully published on the ETD Center, the ETD Center Administrator librarian will contact the student and their program director with a congratulatory email that includes the permalink to the published work, as well as a hyperlink to the Thesis On Demand publication service should the student want to purchase a hardbound copy of their work. At this point, the student has completed the ETD submission process.
Prior to publishing works on the OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertation Center (ETD), completed theses were printed, bound, and stored within the Archer Library's Rowe Graduate/Thesis/Dissertations collection. If an alumnus contacts a college or the library requesting digitization of their work, the following procedure will be followed.
Upon request for digitization of a thesis, the library requires written permission and a signature from the creator/copyright holder of the work to create a digital copy for their personal use. A Digitization Permission Form must be completed and signed by the alumni.
The signed Digitization Permission Form is stored in a shared drive for the library, so that we have record of copyright holder permission to create the digital copy of the work, and attestation that the alumni who requested the work is the creator/copyright owner.
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Archer Library Director |
Electronic Resources Librarian |
OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD) contains over 58,000 theses and dissertations from students at 31 of Ohio’s world-renowned academic institutions. The collection includes a multitude of research fields, ranging from science and technology to music and art.