ATLANTA HEALTH SCIENCE LIBRARIES CONSORTIUM

MEMBERSHIP STANDARDS & RESPONSIBILITIES

Part I:            Eligibility Requirements for Membership

I.            Services

A.      Minimum services provided should include:

a)      factual information, referral, and ready reference;

b)      document delivery including interlibrary loan;

c)      photocopy facilities available to library users.

B.      At least two of the following services should also be provided:

a)      audiovisual services or coordination with the department handling audiovisuals;

b)      computerized bibliographic literature searching, which can be available from outside sources;

c)      user orientation and education.

II.            Collection

Minimum collection should include:

a)      Books

entire collection = 150 + titles

b)      Journals

current subscriptions = 25 + titles

journal backfile  = 5 + years for institution over 5 years old

c)      Indexes or a computerized database:

covering appropriate subject field(s) (Medline, CINAHL, Healthstar and so forth).

d)      Audiovisuals

as stated under Section IB, item a. above.

e)      Technical Services

automated or manual library systems for cataloging,

acquisitions, circulation, interlibrary loan, and serials control.

III.   Staff

The library shall have at least one part-time suitably trained library employee with assigned library hours of no less than 15 per week.  If the above-mentioned library employee is not a professional librarian, the institution should contract with a qualified professional librarian, preferably one who meets the standards set by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO) and/or the Medical Library Association (MLA).

Facility

Whenever possible, the area designated for the professional library is reserved for that purpose only.

PART 2:       Document Delivery Responsibilities of Full Members

Additional Responsibilities of Full Members.

I.                              Document Delivery:

A.      Member representatives shall comply with serials holdings information submission guidelines for AHSLC resource sharing systems (SERHOLD and / or GOLD).  Member representatives shall also maintain current document delivery policy information in the systems.

B.      New member representatives shall make available to all other members, within three months of membership acceptance:

1)      Serials holdings information

2)      Document Delivery policy information (if not included in, or if additional to) , Region 2 ILL policy compilation

3)      Mailing labels (if needed)

C,      Members shall provide document delivery service to other members and those consortia or institutions with which the AHSLC maintains special agreements.

D.     Members and their representatives shall comply with document delivery guidelines either recommended by AHSLC Collection Management committee, approved by a majority of members, or contained in inter-consortium agreements, including those on:

1)      Turnaround time

2)      DOCLINE routing table structure

II.                   Additional Responsibilities of Full Members:

Full Members and/or their representatives shall support AHSLC goals and objectives by fulfilling the following responsibilities annually:

A.  Attending no fewer than three of the regular AHSLC meetings,

B.   and one of the following:

1)      Hosting an AHSLC meeting

2)      Serving as an AHSLC committee member

3)      Serving as an AHSLC officer

4)      Actively participating in an AHSLC program.

May 2004

Supersedes all previous versions