STORMS RESEARCH CENTER

The Storms Research Center (SRC) is the heart of academic pursuit at University of Valley Forge. The Storms Research Center is staffed by professionals who are teachers and researchers and enjoy the daily opportunities to help students and faculty locate the information they need.

The SRC is available for use by UVF students, staff, and faculty. The SRC contains the J . Robert Ashcroft Memorial Library and a Computer Mall with desktop computers. Computers in the Computer Mall include Microsoft Office products and printing services. Wireless network access is also available in the SRC. The IT Help Desk and Technical Support Center are also located in the SRC.

Students may check out up to 20 items at a time for a 2-week period. A UVF ID is required to check out material, and fines are assessed at the rate of $0.10/day per item. In addition to books, DVDs, CDs, kits, and digital projectors are available for reserve or checkout.

 

J. R. ASHCROFT MEMORIAL LIBRARY

Dr  Ashcroft served as president of UVF from 1982-1985. He was a leading educator in the Assemblies of God who served as president of four Assemblies of God colleges. The J. Robert Ashcroft Memorial Library’s collection reflects the mission and curriculum of the college. Currently, there are about 65,000 items in the collection that cover a variety of subject areas. Librarians are available for consultation in the research process. Resources from a variety of libraries are available to UVF students through InterLibrary Loan (ILL.)

 

ARCHIVES AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

The UVF Archives and Special Collections are housed in the SRC. The mission of the Archives and Special Collections is to collect, organize, preserve, and provide access to various resources on the history of UVF and the Valley Forge General Hospital.

 

MEMBERSHIPS

The SRC is an institutional member in the following library organizations and consortiums.

• • PaLA (Pennsylvania Library Association)

  • SEPTLA (Southeastern PA Theological Library Association)

  • TCLC (Tri-State College Library Cooperative)

ACL (Association of Christian Librarians)

DATABASES

The SRC subscribes to a variety of databases for use by current faculty, staff, and students of UVF only. Access to electronic resources is available on and off campus through the Library Resources tab on myValleyForge. In addition to these resources, the SRC provides access to LibGuides. LibGuides provide a starting point for research in a variety of subjects and can be accessed via myValleyForge. Contact an SRC staff member for additional information.

INTER-LIBRARY LOAN (ILL)

Inter-Library Loan (ILL) is available to provide access to resources not owned by the SRC. It is available to current UVF faculty and students that are physically at the Phoenixville campus. Students may borrow up to 5 items at a time via ILL. Books and periodical articles may be requested through this service. In some instances, AV items or theses/dissertations may be borrowed. If you are requesting these resources, use the Inter-Library Loan Book Request Form that is available in the Library Online Catalog. To request a journal article not owned by the SRC (and also not available in one of the SRC’s electronic resource), use an Inter-Library Loan Article Request Form that is available in the Library Online Catalog. Average delivery time of locally available materials is 1-2 weeks. Average delivery time of items not available locally is 2-4 weeks. Please be sure to plan ahead if ILL items will be needed for research.

Materials should be returned to the Storms Research Center’s Circulation Desk on or before the date indicated. Please be advised if an item is overdue, you will be charged $1 .00 per day plus any late fee charged by the lending library. Continued tardiness in returning ILL items jeopardizes the SRC’s ability to borrow items via ILL in the future, therefore the timely return of ILL materials is expected. Please note that the Storms Research Center adheres to all copyright compliance laws when making ILL requests.

RESEARCH ASSISTANCE

Reference services are available to currently enrolled students, faculty, and staff of UVF. You can schedule an appointment with a librarian to discuss your research project or seek assistance in any of the following ways:

• • Suggest strategies for searching specific databases.

  • Help you identify and locate primary and secondary sources.

  • Develop your research strategies or evaluate your library research process to date.

  • Help search the Web for relevant and reliable information.

  • Explain how to gain access to material held by other libraries.

  • E-mail Reference: Patrons may send messages to research@valleyforge.edu. Questions are usually answered within 24 hours Monday through Friday.

  • Telephone Reference: Patrons may call any of the professional librarians at any time for reference assistance: (610) 917-2001.

INTEGRATED LIBRARY SYSTEM

Symphony is the library information system used at UVF to search the Storms Research Center’s holdings. This system also provides a web-based interface for searching. In addition, patrons have access to a “My Account” feature that allows them to edit personal information, request an item, view and renew items that are currently checked out on their account, and view fines.

 

MYVALLEYFORGE

This site contains access to numerous research databases and community groups, and allows students to complete registration, access grade information, view account information, make payments, and view unofficial transcripts . The website is: my .valleyforge .edu

 

CANVAS

This site contains the learning management system. Every course has content available in this web-based system including course information, syllabi, gradebook, assignment, exams, etc.

The website is: https://valleyforge.instructure.com/login/saml

 

TUTORING SERVICE

The Write Solution provides students with experienced guidance in the process of writing and in beginning math courses. The peer tutors of The Write Solution assist students in their written assignments, revision, writing skills, MLA or APA research papers, grammar, etc. Our tutors are also competent in mathematics and can assist in beginning math courses.

The Write Solution tutoring center is located in Tucker Hall. Students may sign up ahead of time on the bulletin board outside The Write Solution for half hour meetings, or they may drop in during tutoring hours . Hours are Monday through Thursday 2:00- 7:00 p.m. and Friday 2:00-5:00 p.m. Tutoring is provided free of charge for students.

 

NETWORK AND INTERNET ACCESS

Campus-wide network with a reliable 1Gbps internet connection is provided and filtered to protect the students and the University from illegal and objectionable material. UVF provides an expansive network to wireless access points around campus.

 

SPECIALIZED LEARNING SPACES

UVF provides the following learning environments with specialized equipment for students in specific courses:

• Digital Audio Lab
• Media Production Lab
• Video Instruction Lab
• Recording Studio
• Photography Studio
• Video Studio
• Science Labs