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MAY H. BAKER MEMORIAL LIBRARY
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Located in the
center of campus, the Library was built with generous
contributions from alumni, cadets, parents, faculty, and
devoted friends. Built in 1977, it is named in honor of the
wife of founder LT General Milton G. Baker. May Hagenbuch
Baker was intimately connected to the founding, development
and growth of VF. She bestowed a warmth and grace upon the
campus community, as well as a positive influence and
inspiration to cadets. |
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Mission
 The May H. Baker Library of
VFMA&C contributes to the philosophy and objectives of the institution by serving as the information center for the school and as a vital instructional center. The modern educational library is a dynamic, purposeful forum where students and those adults who care most for their learning – teachers and librarians – collaboratively and synergistically learn, teach, research, read, and study. At its zenith, the library is where the wisdom and knowledge of the past guided by the philosophy and technology of the present prepare young men for the future.
Hours
| Sunday |
Mon
- Thurs |
Friday |
Saturday |
|
7:00
pm - 9:30 pm |
7:15
am - 9:30 pm |
7:15
am - 4:00 pm |
1:00
pm - 5:00 pm |
Staff
Access
to Library Resources
The Library Catalog
All cataloged library materials are accessed from the Online Library Catalog
from the Mandarin Catalog/Circulation Software system. Library users may structure searches by subject, author, title, keyword, publisher, date of publication, series and other search criteria. Students receive instruction in use of the Online Library Catalog related to their course-based research and reading assignments. Faculty and librarians collaborate to develop bibliographies for students’ recommended and required reading.
| Borrowing
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| Eligible borrowers include:
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- Students, faculty and staff of Valley Forge Military Academy and College;
- Alumni of the Forge and their families;
- Students and faculty of Cabrini College and Eastern College with current institutional identification;
- Students of
PREP and TCLC member institutions may borrow through Interlibrary
Loan (see below);
- Residents of Radnor and Tredyffrin Townships may borrow with proof of residency;
- Any member library of
ACCESS Pennsylvania may borrow materials through Interlibrary Loan.
Interlibrary Loan
VFMA&C is a member of the Private School Resource Exchange
Program (PREP) and the Tri-State College Library Cooperative
(TCLC),
which enable students, faculty and staff to request items from
other member schools in the Philadelphia area through interlibrary
loan. VFMAC community members may also borrow from the
collections of more than 3,000 libraries in the state
through ACCESS
Pennsylvania.
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| Loan
Periods
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| Cadets: |
Four
(4) weeks. No limit on number of items, renewable. |
| Faculty
& Staff: |
Three
(3) months. No limit on number of items, renewable. |
| Alumni: |
Four
(4) weeks. No limit on number of items, renewable. |
| Others: |
Two
(2) weeks. Four (4) items maximum, renewable, depending on
in-house need. |
The
Collection
The Baker Library acquires library material in many formats: Book, Videotape and Videodisc, Audiotape, Online Database Subscription, Magazine Subscription, Map, Microform. All materials are processed into the collection in the Online Library Catalog database using Dewey Decimal Classification and Library of Congress Subject Heading Cataloging.
| The General Collection contains approximately 100,000 volumes with collection depth in World and
U.S. History, Military History, Geopolitics, Fine Arts and Literature.
The Library also has an extensive
Reference Collection in both print and online formats. Access to more than two dozen
online research resources includes general and subject-focused encyclopedias, full-text magazine/journal retrieval, librarian-recommended scholarly websites, research/writing tools, and reading promotion programs.
The Special Collections and Archives house a collection of rare and historical books, World War II photographs taken by the Signal Corps, and books that have been inscribed by authors or illustrators. The papers and records of
LT General Baker are housed in the Baker Room. Materials from these collections may be used by faculty, staff, students and scholars upon request. |
Collection
Development Initiatives for 2003-2004
Beyond the constant acquisition program to acquire a broad range of subject matter in all areas of the library collection, certain areas of the collection are targeted for intensive development or revitalization during this academic year:
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Books correlated to teachers’ course reading lists of recommended/required titles;
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Books recommended to cadets through the Character Development Program;
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Titles to support cadets’ personal reading interests in both contemporary literature and the classics especially in support of the Accelerated Reader Program.
 Acquisition
of Library Resources
The librarians develop the library collection based upon the curricular linkage of the collection to the educational programs of the Academy and the College and the reading interests of the Corps of Cadets. Using a wide range of professional reviewing resources from both librarianship and the professional associations of other academic disciplines,
we maintain a constantly updated purchase list for both immediate acquisition as well as long-term consideration.
Suggest a title: We are always pleased to receive suggestions for future acquisitions, whether a specific title/author or a general area of the collection in which you would like to have new items. Please contact Dr. Hathaway with your suggestions:
mhathaway@vfmac.edu.
Donations
to the Library
The cadets and faculty have benefited greatly from the support of friends who have donated books and other materials to the library over the years. We are frequently contacted by family, alumni and friends who wish to donate new books. Sometimes it may be a specific title that has personal significance to the donor in honor or in memory of someone. At other times, supporters may wish to consider a set of titles of a timely nature.
Because the librarians maintain a “Wish List” for future acquisition, we always welcome the opportunity to discuss the library’s specific needs and interests with potential donors.
When donations in kind are made, the titles are evaluated to determine their relevance to the informational and educational needs of the students and faculty in relation to the curriculum and the personal reading interests of the cadets.
Please contact the Director if you wish to donate collections of books or other media to the library.
 MAJ
Milton Hathaway, M.A., Ph.D.
Director of Library Services
VFMA&C
1001 Eagle Road
Wayne, PA 19087
(610) 989-1364
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