The Library Learning Commons (LLC) values, respects, and celebrates a diverse community of LWTech students, staff, and faculty. We offer collections, resources, and services which encourage exploration and discovery in order to prepare lifelong learners for today’s careers and tomorrow’s opportunities. We aim to provide library materials to support the programs and disciplines of our school, as well as provide cultural representation of our student body. We refer to the Library Bill of Rights in thinking about and evolving our policies and procedures, which guide our everyday practice in the library.
View the full mission and vision statement on the LLC homepage.
Borrowing privileges are available to the LWTech community, specifically:
Non-LWTech community members may use print books and magazines while in the library only. They may use DVDs and headphones while in the library by leaving a photo ID with the Circulation Desk. A $1 printing credit may be obtained for free from the Circulation Desk.
Computer stations may be used by anyone in the library so long as the user:
For more details on the library's collections and loan periods, see Our Collections.
Alternate loan periods can be arranged between librarians and faculty/staff for the following items:
All library items can be renewed in person or online one time. Please note that all items are due on the last day of each quarter and cannot be renewed beyond this date without talking to library staff. We do allow renewals over the phone.
Laptop, DVD, calculator, and equipment policies must be signed by all patrons before initial checkout of these material types. Physical copies of the policies are available at the information desk.
As of Spring 2021, the library has removed overdue/late fines and fees. Damaged and lost policies are still in place (as described in Section 4, below). Overdue items at the end of a quarter will be assumed lost and treated as such. The ensuing fine(s) can be removed upon the return of the item(s) in good condition.
The following policies pertain to students, faculty, and staff.
The LWTech LLC reserves the right to assess items for damage upon their return.
Damage for books can include, but is not limited to:
Damage for equipment (including DVDs) can include, but is not limited to:
If a book or DVD is deemed to be damaged beyond usefulness, the patron must either:
If equipment (other than DVDs) is damaged, the patron can only pay the full replacement cost of the item plus a $5 processing fee. It is the responsibility of the student checking the item out to call attention to any previous damage to the item prior to the current checkout. Previous damage will be noted by a staff member.
For students, failure to pay the replacement cost or replace the item with a new copy and pay the $5 processing fee by the end of the quarter will result in a hold being placed on the student’s record with collection fees.
If a patron has lost a book or other item, they are responsible for informing the Library of this fact. If a book or DVD is lost, the patron must either:
If equipment is lost, the patron can only pay the full replacement cost of the item plus a $5 processing fee.
For students, failure to pay the replacement cost or replace the item with a new copy and pay the $5 processing fee by the end of the quarter will result in a hold being placed on the student’s record with collection fees.
Note: Any student with an outstanding bill at the college, including the coverage of lost/damaged items, will not be allowed to register for classes until the bill has been paid in full.
In support of intellectual freedom, the LLC respects and values the privacy of all library patrons. Therefore, the LLC seeks to reduce the amount of personally-identifiable information collected and only retains information relevant to library operations. Local safeguards, as well as federal and state policies, are in place to protect this personal information and library records. Any requests for such personal information or records must be made in writing and should be submitted to the librarians. Please contact Greg Bem (greg.bem@lwtech.edu), Katherine Kelley (katherine.kelley@lwtech.edu), or Sue Wozniak (sue.wozniak@lwtech.edu) for help.
Use of the LLC is consistent with LWTech Employee Ethical Conduct policy and Student Conduct Code. Patrons are responsible for their behavior and are expected to comply with campus rules and regulations, to use good judgment, common sense, and be considerate of others. Any individual violating this code or college policies may be denied use of the Library or its services. Further actions involving students will follow the procedures noted in the Student Handbook.
The primary goal of the LLC collection is to support the educational efforts of students, faculty, and staff at Lake Washington Institute of Technology. The collection will emphasize library resources which directly relate to the classes being offered. The purpose of this procedure is to guide the Library’s collection building efforts and improve the Library’s ability to assist the students, faculty, and staff of LWTech.
Section II of the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights states that “Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be prescribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.” The LLC will support this statement by making every effort to collect materials that cover opposing viewpoints on various topics.
If any Lake Washington Institute of Technology student, faculty, or staff member has a complaint regarding the LLC's materials, they can request a meeting with the librarians (library@lwtech.edu) to discuss the issue(s).
The LLC receives funding from the college to purchase or provide access to new print and electronic materials. No specific budget is allocated for individual disciplines. The Lake Washington College Foundation has provided support for specific library material collections, including the Indigenous People’s Collection, laptop computers, and an international collection to represent the diversity of ethnicities and countries of origin of our student population.
The LLC encourages all users to contact the Faculty Librarians to request any items that they feel will add value to the collection. The item(s) will be acquired if three criteria are met:
Ultimate responsibility for collection development lies with the Faculty Librarians.
Selection of LLC materials rests with the teaching faculty and Faculty Librarians,
and is followed via these guidelines:
In general, single copies of books are purchased. If a topic is very popular, the library will consider purchasing multiple copies.
Textbooks for specific courses will not normally be purchased. In rare cases, textbooks for specific courses may be purchased for the Reserves Collection, provided there is available funding and at the discretion of the Faculty Librarians.
Electronic Resources are defined as any material requiring a computer or digital device for access. The LLC shall choose to acquire, or access electronic resources based on the above selection guidelines. The Faculty Librarians strive to purchase multi-user licenses for digital format resources when available.
DVDs and Blu-Rays will be purchased on request basis only, upon the request of a faculty member, or if there are specific collections that could be supported. DVDs will be purchased upon the request of a faculty member if the video meets the guidelines established in this policy.
The LLC includes an archive, which is used to store high-value technology items and historic documents related to the library and college. Visit the Archive page for details about this collection and to learn how to submit materials to the library for inclusion.
Items written in languages other than English will be acquired when they support Foreign Language/ESL curriculum requirements.
Annually, Faculty Librarians will evaluate the collection to identify materials for withdrawal. The same guidelines apply to the existing collection as to new purchases, and materials that no longer meet the collection policy will be removed. For example, materials that are outdated, damaged, seldom circulated, or contain inaccurate information will be removed. Faculty members will be consulted when materials in their disciplines are being considered for withdrawal.
Items may be placed on reserve in the LLC by faculty and staff. A Reserve Request Form is available at the Information Desk. Duration for reserve items varies and is at the discretion of the faculty.
The library subscribes to databases to support students’ academic research, as well as other school assignments. Due to the cost of databases, subscriptions will be prioritized if they are supporting more than one academic program to allow for equitable treatment of disciplines at the college.
The library will regularly review current database subscriptions to ensure they are accessible, user-friendly, representative of diverse voices, and (in conjunction with other database subscriptions) offer multiple formats of content for supporting student engagement. Database subscriptions may be avoided or severed if vendors engage in unethical behavior, including but not limited to violating user (student) privacy.
If any academic program is interested in a database and the library cannot afford a subscription, the academic program may subscribe to the platform directly, or collaborate with the library to provide financial support. The library will work with the vendor to ensure the database is configured appropriately and the library will ensure visibility of the database on its website.
The Diversity and Social Justice (DSJ) Collection exists to support the learning and development of students and faculty at Lake Washington Institute of Technology.
The DSJ collection includes select materials that align with the categories found in the Diversity and Social Justice Finding Aid. The DSJ collection is curated by the LWTech librarians in consideration of the Diversity and Social Justice course requirement and to prepare students for working in a “culturally diverse global workforce” (Diversity and Social Justice Requirement). The audience for this collection is LWTech students, faculty, and staff.
The Diversity and Social Justice Collection ties into the strategic plan of the college by providing students access to diversity and social justice materials that will assist them to “lead with racial equity” (Strategic Vision, Mission, Vision, Core Values and Core Themes, 2021). Another goal of the collection is to support the diversity and social justice education of students, faculty, and staff by exposing them to multiple perspectives within the realm of diversity and social justice topics.
The LWTech librarians will engage in identifying and reviewing titles, authors, and topics. They will research criticisms and reviews.
If a patron wishes to challenge book or e-resource material in the collection, please state specific page numbers or details and email the librarians at library@lwtech.edu.
All gifts and donations are permanent property of the Lake Washington Institute of Technology. If you have requests for purchases, please email the librarians at library@lwtech.edu.
The following were adapted from Detroit Public Library.
If you have comment or feedback, please email the librarians: library@lwtech.edu. The librarians may follow up to request additional information.
As a college devoted to providing the highest level of instruction by its faculty and education for its students, LWTech respects the rights of content creators and facilitates compliance with the provisions of the United States Copyright Law (Title 17, United States Code, Sect. 101 et. seq). LWTech recognizes the Copyright Act of 1976, including the Fair Use doctrine (Section 107) and subsequent amendments including the TEACH Act, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998, and Guidelines for Off-the-Air Recording of Broadcast Programming for Education Purposes.
Specifically, the LWTech LLC:
The use of copyrighted material is allowable in each of the following instances:
Interlibrary loan (ILL) services are available for faculty, staff, and students who may need books or articles that are not available within the LWTech LLC.
Delivery times for interlibrary loan items are unique to each item and will be advised on an individual basis. Delivery of physical materials often takes 7-10 days, while electronic articles are often delivered within 1-2 days of the request.
Cost, if any, associated with interlibrary loan is determined on a case by case basis and any amount beyond postage will be paid by the patron requesting the item.
Requests for interlibrary loan can be placed on the LLC website.
In accordance with a reciprocal agreement between several Washington State Community and Technical Colleges, borrowing privileges may be extended to persons if they are an enrolled student or faculty member from another state community and technical college. To initiate reciprocal borrowing privileges, the student must present their college student ID card and demonstrate evidence of current enrollment at their college.
The list of colleges reciprocal borrowing is available upon request by emailing library@lwtech.edu.
The library's study rooms are intended to support academic pursuits, foster inclusivity, and be safe spaces for work and creativity. Usage is not to exceed capacity. Study rooms are available to students, faculty, staff, and non-LWTech community members. Priority use of the rooms will be given to students.
Our reservation system and study room availability are regularly changing due to needs at the college. Please visit the library Reserve Rooms page to learn about and make study room reservations.
Library staff may revoke access if violations of the following guidelines occur:
Business Hours
Mon-Fri, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Campus Hours
Mon-Thurs, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Friday, Closed to the public
Sat-Sun, Closed