Library Resources and Collection

Print Collection
The library print collection is cataloged and shelved using the Library of Congress Classification System. The library collection contains numerous print sources from a wide range of subjects which include but are not limited to business, computer technologies, nursing, humanities, social sciences, science, and math. Hardcover books are preferred due to their durability. Works of lasting value will be purchased in hardcover when available. Paperbacks will be purchased for rapidly changing topics or topics of low interests. The library will consider purchasing multiple copies of books that are of popular interest and high demand.

Reference

The library collection contains numerous print reference sources from a wide range of subjects, including business, nursing, humanities, social sciences, science and math, etc. Reference books do not circulate out of the library; they must be used in the library only.

Texas & Texas Reference

The Texas and Texas Reference Collection offer reference materials for research and popular reading relating to the state of Texas, the city of Clarendon, Donley County, and surrounding areas. Some materials are non-circulating.

Clarendon & Local History

This collection contains sources such as works of local and area authors, photographs, early maps, letters, diaries and more.

Faculty Reserve

Selected materials are placed on reserve by faculty and shelved at the Circulation desk. Students may check out two reserved items at a time. Circulation periods vary by instructor. Most items circulate for 2 hours and accrue a late fee of $1.00 per hour if other students are waiting for the material. Audiovisual material on reserve must be viewed in the library.

Textbooks

Some class textbooks are bought for the library for tutor use, or for the students waiting on their textbook order to come in. Professors may place their own textbook copies on reserve for student use. Current textbook use is for students to use in the library, not to replace students buying them. Textbooks on reserve may be used in the library or for copying up to Census Day (12^th class Day). Non class textbooks will be purchased only when they provide a good, general introduction to a topic or when no other general books can be found.

Periodicals

Journal, magazine, and newspaper subscriptions represent a continual and often large expense, thus added selectively. Electronic full-text availability from one of the subscription databases will be a factor in determining whether to subscribe to the print or electronic versions of a particular magazine.

Newspapers

The library subscribes to a select number of local and area newspapers.  Subscription is based upon request and availability of funds.

Reserve Books and Videos

The library has some material that faculty may assign to their students that are not to leave the library. These materials can be checked out and used in the library only. Students will need to ask the library staff for these items.    

DVDs

DVDs are purchased by recommendations from faculty and/or students. Guidelines for books are applied to videos.

Audio books and Music CD

Audio books and Music CDs are purchased by recommendations from faculty and/or students. Guidelines for books are applied to CDs.

Foreign Language Materials

The collection contains a small number of foreign language titles written in languages other than English; these titles are purchased when they support the Foreign Language curriculum as needed.

Popular Fiction (McNaughton Collection)

The library maintains a rental collection of Popular Fiction for patrons’ leisure reading. Popular fiction is purchased from the rental collection unless the book is considered of significant literary value or studied in a literature or reading course. This collection is frequently rotated and updated. Book requests for popular fiction may be made at the circulation desk.

Clarendon College Catalogs

The library keeps one catalog on the shelf for use any time and one in the library archives; ask library staff if you would like to view this material. Archrival items may be used in the library under staff supervision.

Rare

The mission of the Rare Book Special Collection is to acquire, to preserve, to provide access, and to promote the use of rare and archival materials. Materials collected include the archival records of the college, rare books, materials related to the college, heritage of Clarendon, Texas, and the United States. These materials are too rare or fragile to exist in the library's main collection; therefore, they are stored in a specially controlled, secure area. The materials do not circulate (Please see Library staff for assistance in the use of this collection). Special Collections materials must be used in the library under staff supervision. All titles in this collection are listed in the library's online catalog.

Equipment/Media Services

The library provides audiovisual equipment and resources to support classroom assignments. Most classrooms are equipped with an LCD projector, a document camera, and the capability to play a DVD or CD. The library has the following audiovisual equipment available for student use, TV, VCR player, DVD player, CD player, tablet, scanner, and more. Students wishing to borrow equipment outside the library must sign and agree that they are responsible for the equipment and will pay for any damage that may be done to the equipment while in their possession.

Online Catalog 

Students have access to the Online Catalog from any computer on and off campus. Through the online catalog students can look up any item in the Clarendon College Library as well items in all the libraries who are members of the Harrington Library Consortium (HLC). This service is available through the cooperative agreement with more than a hundred academic, public, and school libraries in the Texas Panhandle. In addition to the print collection, students have access to over 18,000 e-books (Electronic Resources) available through EBSCO Host. To gain access to e-books in the online catalog, off-campus students will need the username and password located within their Student Portal. E-books will automatically open within the library.

E-Books and Electronic Resources

The library has e-books also available through our databases and online catalog. EBSCO Host e-books are accessible from any computer on and off campus. There are over 27,000 e-books within the database; to gain access to the e-books off-campus, students will need the username and password located within their Student Portal. 

Electronic Databases
The library subscribes to several electronic databases that include a wide range of full-text magazines, journals, newspapers, images, and books, and government document resources, and more. This is very helpful to students because they do not have to see if the library owns the journal nor wait for an inter-library loan article to arrive. Many full text articles are also available in PDF (Portable Document Format) which show the article pages exactly the same as they would appear in the actual magazine article including illustrations, graphs and charts. Student scan access the databases from the library homepage. Many online vendors control access by a range of computer IP addresses. Anyone coming from a library IP address gains access, a user will need passwords to access from outside this IP address. Passwords for accessing the online databases are available within the Student Portal or in some cases, the instructor. Passwords are only to be given to students of Clarendon College. PowerPoint guides over the following databases are available on the library’s webpage.