LIBRARY SERVICES
The Dickerson-Johnson Library and Learning Resources Center contains the general reference,
Black heritage Collections, Media Center and Computer Lab. The library occupies the
second and third floors of the building.
The library is designed to facilitate student research and study with open stacks
and continuously available assistance from library staff. It offers a wide variety
of materials including over 45,000 bound volumes, nearly 400 periodicals in several
formats including full-text CD-ROM databases, over 2,000 microfilms, as well as current
issues of more than 125 magazines, journals and newspapers. Services provided include
a microfilm reader/printer, photocopier, typewriters, typing rooms, a large group
conference room which also serves as a viewing room, and a Media Center which houses
a collection books, audio-visual materials and equipment.
With the rapid technological advance in the area of information storage, retrieval
and delivery, it is possible to expand access to a world of information beyond the
library walls. The library has the capability of providing comprehensive searches
of the literature and students can access electronic databases to which the library
subscribes as well as those provided through Mississippi Alliance for Gaining New
Opportunities through Library Information Access (MAGNOLIA) Mississippi’s statewide
consortium which is funded by the Mississippi Legislature and Mississippi Electronic
Libraries On-Line (MELO) as well as the library’s on-line catalog. The online catalog
provides access to the collection and can be accessed at v1sh.vbj4.com/library.
The second floor of the library houses the reference collection along with the Black
Heritage Collection. Newspapers, journals, and magazines are also located on this
floor. The third floor houses the circulating books and Media Center.
The library provides access to print and non-print materials necessary to support
all programs of the institution. These materials include essential references and
specialized program resources. Selection of these materials is a continuous process
involving administrators, faculty, students, and staff. The basic factor in the selection
process is the curriculum. Faculty and staff members with specific fields of interest
and experience are asked to make recommendations for materials in their respective
fields as well as general references. A list of new books and other materials, cataloged
and added to the collection is emailed campus wide at various intervals.
Faculty Information
Materials are selected to support the curriculum and provide recreational reading
for students and faculty. Faculty and staff members with specific fields of interest
and experience are asked to make recommendations for materials in their respective
fields as well as general references. A list of new books, cataloged, and added to
the library collection is given to each faculty member at regular intervals and is
also available through the online catalog.
Faculty and staff members are granted an extended loan privilege, which is based upon
the recognition of the special needs of faculty members for materials over a longer
period. However, these materials should be returned promptly when they are no longer
in use or at the end of each semester so that they can be available to others. Instructors
may place books on reserve at any time during the semester. The individual instructor
will inform his/her students of the books placed on reserve for their use and of regulations
regarding the use of these books.