Library

Patrons and Policies

Library Policies

Censorship Statement

Academic institutions are predicated on the search for knowledge. In research and inquiry, espousal and refutation, there should be no prohibited topics. We subscribe to the ALA Library Bill of Rights, especially Article II: “Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.”

Collection Development Policy

Responsibility for the selection of materials lies with both Thiel faculty, who recommend additions for their disciplines, and library staff, who maintain reference, databases and general interest collections. The following factors are considerations in the recommendation of addition or removal of materials:

  • Relevance to the curriculum
  • Research needs of the students and of the faculty
  • Literary quality and/or critical recognition
  • Accuracy, validity, currency or timeliness, and reputation
  • Cost and condition
  • Diversity of opinion, global outlook
  • Appropriateness to anticipated users in level and format
  • Relationship to existing holdings

The Library holds primarily English language materials, although some items in other languages are available. Current textbooks may be added to the reserves collection at the request of an instructor.

Information Literacy Statement

Thiel College librarians actively support and promote the positions taken by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and the ACRL (Association of College and Research Libraries), a division of the American Library Association, dealing with information literacy and information literacy competency standards. 

Interlibrary Loan Policy

Langenheim Memorial Library will order no more than 5 books per student at a given time via Interlibrary Loan (ILL). The first five books will be requested in the order they are received. If we are unable to fill a request, another book may be requested.  If a student finishes and returns a book then another will be ordered to replace it. All book requests will be suspended for any student with overdue ILL books.  This policy does not apply to nonreturnable ILLs, which are comprised mainly of photocopies. Photocopy ILL must follow the fair use tenant of no more than 5 articles from a single journal title.

Interlibrary Loan is a privilege. The Director of the Library reserves the right to suspend individual ILL borrowing privileges if it is determined that the individual in question is placing Thiel College’s ILL standing in jeopardy.

Privacy Policy

Langenheim Library respects our patrons' right to privacy and observes state and federal laws regarding the disclosure of personal information from library records.

  • Confidential records include registration files, circulation records, reference (print and electronic) searches and interlibrary loan requests. Limited information may be shared with the Thiel Business Office.
  • “Records related to the circulation of library materials which contain the names or other personally identifying details regarding the users of the State Library or any local library which is established or maintained under any law of the Commonwealth or the library of any university, college or educational institution chartered by the Commonwealth or the library of any public school or branch reading room, deposit station or agency operated in connection therewith, shall be confidential and shall not be made available to anyone except by a court order in a criminal proceeding.”—Pennsylvania law, 24 PS, Section 428
  • Sections 214-216 of the USA Patriot Act allow the FBI to obtain search warrants for library circulation records, Internet use records, email, books, floppy disks and computer hard drives. They need only to claim the records may be relevant to an ongoing terrorism investigation. It is illegal for librarians to disclose the existence of such warrants. The Patriot Act currently overrides state law.

Community Patrons

Residents of Greenville and nearby communities are welcome to use the facilities and resources of the Langenheim Memorial Library at no charge. However, there is a $10 annual fee (no fee if parent or spouse is employed at Thiel) to checkout circulating materials. Application for a community card can be found at the circulation desk.

The Kearns Room

Representative Carroll Kearns (1900-1976) was responsible for designating the Langenheim Memorial Library as a Federal Depository Library, which occurred in 1963. Kearns engaged in educational work from 1924 to 1947, pursued a musical career as a concert artist and conductor, and was elected as a Republican to the 80th Congress and served from 1947 to 1963. He died in Meadville, Pa., on June 11, 1976. The Kearns room is in the first floor hallway, near Periodicals.

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Thiel College
75 College Ave
Greenville, PA 16125
1-800-248-4435