One of the goals of the Library is to provide an inspiring and inviting physical environment that allows for diverse learning styles and activities. These policies are intended to inform all Library users of expected and acceptable behaviours in their use of these spaces and create a better space for all.
Food and Drink
Keep it contained
Drinks with secure lids or in spill-proof containers are allowed everywhere in the Library.
Food is permitted anywhere in the Library.
Be considerate! Don't bring strong smelling, messy, or noisy food into the library.
Keep the Library clean!
Deposit all garbage in the proper receptacles – recycling and waste stations are located throughout the Library. Ask at the Library Services Desk if you’re unsure where to find one.
Smoking and Vaping
There is no smoking or vaping allowed anywhere inside the Library. Please refer to the University's Smoking and Vaping on Campus webpage for designated areas for this activity.
Noise
Different areas for different needs
There are many tasks and activities that take place in the Library, some involving conversation and others requiring silence. In order to accommodate these activities, the Library has been divided into Silent Zones and Collaboration Zones.
In all zones:
- Please set your phone to silent or vibrate.
- Use headphones to watch or listen to anything that has audio/noise. We can loan you some if you don't have your own! Ask at the Library Services Desk.
- Set your volume to a level that cannot be heard by others, even through your headphones.
- Be aware of your surroundings and respectful of your fellow students.
Silent Zones
The Silent Zones of the Library are:
- The 2nd floor (except the study rooms)
- Janet MacDonald Room (LB109) - located in the northwest corner of the Library's 1st floor, behind the journal and magazine shelves.
While in the Silent Zones:
- No talking except for brief, whispered conversations.
- Absolutely no phone use that creates noise. Texting in silent mode is OK.
Although we strive to reduce ambient noise as much as possible, some noise may filter out from adjacent study rooms due to the design of the building. It is our hope that the policies will help alleviate much of that noise. Earplugs and noise-cancelling headphones are available from the Library Services Desk.
Collaboration Zones
The Collaboration Zones of the Library are:
- The 1st floor (except the Janet MacDonald Room LB109)
- Bookable study rooms on the 1st and 2nd floor
While in the Collaboration Zones:
- Talking is allowed at a normal, conversational level.
- Shouting and raised voices are not permitted.
- Rowdy behavior and misuse of furniture is not permitted.
- Phone conversations at normal speaking levels are permitted. If you cannot make yourself heard at a normal, indoor speaking level, please take the call outside the Library.
- Texting and other phone uses are okay, as long as the phone is on silent.
What can you do when others are not following the policy?
If you are being disturbed by Library users who are not complying with these policies, you have the following choices for action:
- Politely remind these users of the Library policy governing the area you are in, using the Library website or signage to aid in your request.
- Visit the Library Services Desk and inform Library staff of the problem.
- Request a pair of earplugs or headphones from the Library Services Desk.
What if you're the noisy one?
Please respect staff and your fellow students. If you are informed that your noise level is disturbing others, please lower your volume or find a more suitable location for your activities. Non-compliance will result in a request to leave the Library. Repeated or serious infractions will be reported to the University Librarian, Security, and/or the Director of Student Affairs.
All students in the Library are subject to the Capilano Student Conduct Policy.
Thank you for your cooperation in making Capilano University Library a welcoming, respectful space.
Collection Policies
Below is a summary of the Collection Development Policy. Read the full policy here: Collection Development Policy 2021 [PDF]
Acquisitions
Jocelyn Hallman, Collections Librarian, coordinates the selection of materials by Librarians for their liaison areas, according to collection and curriculum needs and in conjunction with academic programs.
Books and Media
To recommend an item for purchase, please read and submit an online request. Please note that it normally takes up to 8 weeks to source, order, receive, catalogue, and make a new resource available. If you have questions, please contact your Liaison Librarian or Jocelyn Hallman.
Periodicals
The Library subscribes to a wide variety of magazines, journals, and newspapers in print and digital formats. Priority will be given to online resources when available. Selection of periodicals is based on curriculum needs. Suggestions for new titles can be submitted online through Recommend a Purchase. Please submit requests by February for consideration for the fall term. If you have any questions, please contact your Liaison Librarian.
Online Databases
CapU Library has made a commitment to providing online resources wherever possible and currently subscribes to over 50 specialty and interdisciplinary databases, each containing thousands or millions of items. Databases include articles (news, magazine, scholarly, peer-reviewed), eBooks, streaming music & video and statistics. Online periodical indexes and full-text databases are priced according to our size and negotiated agreements with various consortia. Please contact your Liaison Librarian for recommendations on current holdings in your area or to recommend a purchase.
Collection Maintenance
The collection is regularly culled to remove items with low or no circulation, that are out of date, or that have been replaced by online and/or updated versions. The Library makes every effort to include faculty in these decisions where possible.
Donation Policy
Donations of books, Blu-rays, DVDs, and CDs will be considered for the Library’s collection based on the criteria below. The library does not accept donations of any other types of materials including magazines and journals.
New books are defined as books published in the current or previous year.
Books
- Books authored by Capilano University faculty, administration, staff, or students
- Faculty or administrator donations published in the previous five years
- New children’s books
- New textbooks
- New books for the popular reading collection
- New books for growing areas of the collection
- Books about the North Shore
DVDs/Blu-rays
- DVDs/Blu-rays authored by Capilano University faculty, administration, staff, or students
- DVDs/Blu-rays about the North Shore
CDs and LPs
The Library cannot accept donations of CDs or LPs. While we appreciate these important formats, use patterns suggest there are other ways our patrons connect with this content.
All donations will also be evaluated for acceptance using the Library’s Collection Development Policy. Should the donations not be added to the Library’s collection, the Library will give away, recycle, or dispose of them.
The donor must have previous documented permission from a librarian prior to delivering the donation. Unfortunately, we cannot issue tax receipts.
Cataloguing Policy
Capilano University Library's Cataloguing Policy articulates the guiding principles and general practices of metadata description work (i.e., cataloguing) at the Library. Cataloguing is the work of describing collection resources (such as books and films) using standardized data entry conventions. The policy's guiding principles discuss these standards, and contextualizes the application of standards within the professional communities that maintain and share this work across institutions, and the library's principles of user-focused service.
Read the full Cataloguing Policy
The Metadata Librarian, Tamarack Hockin, is responsible for the Library's Cataloguing Policy and is the best point of contact for questions or feedback related to how resources are described in the catalogue. Feedback from the community is welcomed, either directly (email or phone) or indirectly through other library faculty or staff. (Note: cataloguing is not about which items are purchased for the Library; purchases are governed by our Collection Development Policy (above), and coordinated by the Collection Development Librarian, Jocelyn Hallman.)