6.1 Resources Supporting the Academic Program

Listed in this section are a few of the primary facilities and resources available to members of the faculty for use in supporting their professional activities as teachers and scholars. In order to gain full familiarity with them, new members of the faculty are encouraged to visit them and discuss their individual needs.

6.1.1 Library and Information Services (LBIS)

Kenyon College's division of Library and Information Services (LBIS) supports the academic mission of the College by providing access to library and computing resources, facilities, and information essential to teaching, learning, research, and general scholarship. LBIS is housed primarily in Chalmers Library, and is responsible both for developing the physical and on-line collections and resources, and for providing access to them. In addition, LBIS maintains the infrastructure, facilities and resources of the campus network, computing labs, and computing services.

Chalmers Library contain a collection of approximately 350,000 volumes and 338,000 government documents. This collection is greatly expanded by our participation in CONSORT, a joint library catalog including the holdings of Denison University, Ohio Wesleyan University, and the College of Wooster and by our participation in OhioLINK, a statewide consortium of more than seventy-five colleges and universities. Together, these consortial arrangements increase our effective holdings to 10,000,000 titles. In addition to printed volumes, Kenyon also has on-line access to an increasing collection of electronic books, periodicals, and databases. The library subscribes to more than 4,500 periodicals, including more than 3,200 journals in electronic format. More than 125 major citation databases are available; wherever possible, these databases link directly to the electronic full-text of articles. The library also owns nearly 150,000 slides and more than 8,000 films and videos. The slide collection is supplemented with more than 50,000 digital images from the OhioLink Digital Media Center.

The libraries also house computing resources for general Kenyon use, including web-access stations for email and library research, full-service computers supporting a wide range of software applications, and the student-staffed computing Helpline, which responds to phone, email, or in-person questions. Support for campus classroom technology, including computer projection, audiovisual services and remote collaboration facilities, is provided by LBIS as well.

A librarian liaison is assigned to each academic department and is the primary contact for any faculty member. Faculty members are encouraged to meet with their liaison(s) to discuss library and computing resources available for courses or research interests. (A listing of current liaison assignments can be found at the LBIS website, kenyon.edu/lbis.

Library collection development and assessment is an interactive process at Kenyon. Divisions, departments, and individual faculty members are encouraged to request material for the library collection through their library liaison, and faculty members are regularly consulted about collection development and assessment by the library staff

Liaisons play a particularly important role in helping faculty to introduce library and computing resources in their classes. Liaisons can develop customized training for students as part of any course at Kenyon. In keeping with current national initiatives, LBIS emphasizes "information literacy," a comprehensive set of skills that allow students to locate, evaluate, and use information effectively.

Liaisons typically provide many course-related library instruction sessions each semester, on both basic and advanced research sources and strategies. Such sessions are planned in collaboration with faculty members, so that the instruction is directly relevant to the particular course topics and assignments. In support of these instruction sessions, liaisons have created a number of course-related research guides. Liaisons can also assist faculty members with their research projects and provide individual instruction to faculty on new library databases and resources.

Three instructional technologists in LBIS collaborate with faculty on integrating computing technology into their instruction (e.g., creating web sites and using appropriate application software). Faculty interested in course-related instruction on library and/or computing resources can contact the department liaison or contact the instructional technologists directly.

Specific policies regarding the availability of Kenyon's library and computing resources are available on the LBIS website at kenyon.edu/lbis. All Kenyon employees of Kenyon as well as their families have borrowing privileges for library materials. Borrowing restrictions will vary according to the status of the borrower: whether the request for material or service is made by faculty, students, or community members will determine the length of time material can circulate, the availability of various services, and whether material may be used outside of the library facilities. Every borrower will need to register at the Circulation Desk initially, and will need to provide a Kenyon ID, which serves as a library card. Family members who are not eligible for a Kenyon ID will be issued a library card by the Circulation Desk.

6.1.2 The Kenyon College Bookstore

The Bookstore is owned and operated by the College. Any profits generated by its operation are channeled into scholarship funds. Members of the faculty and staff may open monthly charge accounts for personal and/or for research purposes. The Bookstore offers a wide variety of services and materials not ordinarily associated with books. Recommendations for extensions and improvements in its service to the community are welcome at any time.

The Bookstore textbook department is located in the back room, on the main floor of the store. The Textbook Manager is responsible for processing the faculty orders for books to be used in courses. In order to avert problems of availability, faculty members are urged to complete, in a timely way, the textbook order forms sent by the manager.

6.1.3 Printing and Mail Services

Updated Sept. 2023

Printing Services

Kenyon has partnered with the Staples franchise in Heath, Ohio, to accommodate the specialty printing needs previously handled by the on-campus print shop.

Printing services can be fulfilled at the Heath Staples and shipped to Gambier with seven days’ notice. Same-day orders will need to be completed at the Heath location and picked up. Depending on the time of day and size of the order, most walk-in orders can be completed while customers wait or within the same day. If the Heath Staples is extremely busy, a walk-in order might not be complete until the next day. Customers can submit orders electronically on the website or in person, and should receive an estimated time frame upon submitting the order.

Please contact the Staples print and marketing department at 740-522-5230 to learn more about Staples’ services, discuss specific printing needs, or address file formatting questions.

Placing Print Orders with Staples

You have several options:

Deliver digital files on a flash drive to the Staples franchise in Mount Vernon. This is especially good for large design files.
Upload digital files to staples@printme.com. Then call the store at 740-522-5230 to confirm the details of your order.
Use design templates available on design.staples.com to create customized postcards, posters, invitations and other products.
Print basic documents using documents.staples.com.

Mail Services

Interoffice and USPS mail and packages are delivered to and picked up from most academic and administrative offices once a week; the accounting office and the library receive daily deliveries. All overnight mail is delivered on the day it is received.

Inter-campus mail must be a College-related paper item or document that fits into an envelope. Boxes, as well as items made of wood or metal, cannot be sent through inter-campus mail. To schedule moves of large items, contact the Maintenance Department. For successful deliveries, please use FULL NAMES and LOCATIONS on campus envelopes.

Employees may take more urgent items directly to the Gambier Post Office and use their Kenyon purchasing card for payment.

Should your office/department be closed for any reason, all mail will be held in the Mail Center until notified. The Mail Service will not be responsible for unlocking and securing building doors when closed.

The Mail Service is never permitted to process personal mail.

The Mail Service will not be responsible for returning books to the library.

6.1.4 The Cox Health and Counseling Center

The Cox Health and Counseling Center, located at 104 Scott Lane, is dedicated solely to the health care of Kenyon College students. Members of the faculty and staff, their families or visitors cannot be treated. The major function of the health center consists of clinical outpatient services. Its staff, headed by a medical doctor, acts as personal physician to the student body.

College counselors, an important part of the total health-service program devoted to students, serve the psychological needs of the student body. They welcome referrals from the faculty of students with problems of an academic, emotional, personal, or social nature. Faculty concerned about particular students are urged to consult the counselors.

6.1.5 The Career Development Office

The Career Development Office, located in Chalmers Library, offers a variety of programs designed to help students plan their futures after graduation. It acts as a clearing-house for information concerned with career decisions. Among its programs are workshops on resume writing, meetings with visiting employment recruiters, vocational testing, and the alumni extern program. Members of the faculty are encouraged to refer students to it and to consult with its staff.

6.1.6 The Office of Communications

The Office of Communications is responsible for all publicity about the College. It maintains contact with print and broadcast media, regularly issuing news releases concerning campus events, the activities and achievements of students, and the accomplishments of the faculty. The office will assist all members of the College in any aspect of their relations with the press.

This office also maintains a biographical data file on each member of the faculty. It requests basic information from all members of the faculty at the time of their appointment and tries to keep this information up to date. It is particularly interested in news of election to office in professional organizations, recent publications, creative works and exhibits, grants and fellowships, research projects, honors and awards, public appearances, and the like.

6.1.7 Office Supplies and Purchasing

Most of the materials necessary for the conduct of teaching, such as class-record books, examination books, and ordinary office supplies, may be obtained through departmental administrative assistants. Faculty and department/program chairs should work with their administrative assistants to procure equipment, furniture.

6.1.8 Transportation

The College maintains a fleet of vehicles of several types to be used on College business. Vehicles may be reserved by contacting the Safety Office (PBX 5109). In order to ensure that the appropriate vehicle is available, early reservation is recommended. In order to drive a College vehicle, members must be certified and complete a defensive driving course. A road test must also be successfully passed in order to drive a fifteen-passenger van. Vehicles can be checked out at the Safety Office. Members may either drive themselves or request a College driver.