8529 Cat.qxd - Immaculata University

Gabriele LibraryIn harmony with the goals of the university, the staff ofGabriele Library purchases, organizes, and makes accessiblethe print, audiovisual, and electronic resources needed bythe Immaculata community. The library’s mission statementreads: The role of the library is to support the educationalmission, goals, and curricula of Immaculata Universitythrough the effective organization of materials,technological resources, and services. The library’s missionis to provide print and non-print resources, instruction, andservices to meet the teaching, learning, and research needsof the faculty, students, alumnae/i, and Friends of theLibrary.Housed in a new building of award-winning architecturalgrace since March 1993, and open seven days a week,Gabriele Library accomplishes its mission by providing suchon-line resources as ERIC, PsycInfo, Academic Search,Science Direct, ProQuest Nursing, Business Source,CINAHL and Lexis-Nexis; on-line journal services such asJSTOR; an AV/computer room with stereo, VCR, laserdisc,and other audiovisual equipment as well as PCs, scanner,and printers; a fully equipped media classroom, closedcircuitTV room, and video-editing room; a digitizedmicroform reader/printer; and an integrated on-line catalogof the library’s holdings with Web access.Perhaps most vital to the success of the library’s missionis the dedication to service manifested by professional andparaprofessional staff alike. The reference librariansprovide bibliographic instruction, both to scheduledclassroom groups and to individuals at the point of service.The reference department also provides prompt interlibraryloan service. The circulation staff handles an extensivecollection of reserve materials, as well as the circulationtraffic of the library. Behind the scenes, other staff membersfacilitate the workings of the library by ordering, processing,and cataloging materials; keeping the accounts; andadministering the library’s computer system.Other noteworthy features of Gabriele Library includequiet study carrels, six group study rooms, and twophotocopying areas. The Immaculata Heritage Room withits collection of archival materials relating to the collegeincludes a complete microfilm collection of the collegenewspaper. Library holdings include approximately 134,000volumes, 2,600 audiovisual items, 1,400 microform items,and 755 periodical subscriptions, and resources organizedon the library website http://library.immaculata.edu. Thecollege is dedicated to the growth of the collection in printand non-print holdings.Special library collections include musical scores; thesesand dissertations; materials for curriculum development; andcollections of juvenile, Spanish-American, and Chicanoliterature. The library houses a collection of fine art thatincludes statues of Don Quixote from around the world.The library also provides a changing exhibit on topics thatare of current interest to the Immaculata community.Gabriele Library participates in TCLC (Tri-state CollegeLibrary Cooperative) and SEPCHE (SoutheasternPennsylvania Consortium for Higher Education). As amember of these cooperatives, the library shares ideas andexpertise, as well as informational resources with otherlibraries in the Delaware Valley and Central Pennsylvania.Also owing to its memberships, Immaculata students canborrow directly from seven SEPCHE college libraries andborrow reciprocally from 35 additional college, university,and special libraries in the region. Gabriele Library is also amember of CLA (Catholic Library Association) and PaLA(Pennsylvania Library Association).32