ABSTRACT
“If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.” By following the advice of Henry David Thoreau, the distance education learner can be supported with those essential resources needed for success. The number of opportunities for virtual learning in higher education has exploded during recent years. NCES statistics report that over 3,077,000 students were enrolled in distance education programs in 2000–2001 (NCES, 2004). There are many types of distance situations imaginable– intrastate, interstate, and international and just as many local arrangements established to accommodate the library and information needs of the distance learners, regardless of their location. Library customers demand the proper infrastructure in order to achieve their academic aspirations; thus, the provision of the proper foundations must be ensured. With all library resources that are already accessible for the end user’s convenience and choice, it almost seems a trivial matter to quibble over the few cents per page for the small luxury of the provision of photocopied materials. In a recent OCLC Report, the “production of print journals is expected to remain steady and online journals are expected to increase substantially” (OCLC, 2003, p. 3); however, the report goes on to say that the traditional information formats are not going away. So that all formats of information can be effectively accessed and utilized, this writer feels that university libraries responsible for serving distance/off-campus students warrant some special consideration, due to their unique circumstances. The aim of this article is to examine and compare the web pages designed to serve distance learners or off-campus students enrolled at ASERL (Association of Southeastern Research Libraries) libraries and to evaluate their policies on the provision of print resources to their constituents. There were almost as many scenarios and local strategies at each institution. ASERL has several examples categorized as “best practices” that provide excellent examples.
