WML Print Collection

Status of Print Collection

• Shelving is at capacity• Insufficient air circulation around volumes encourages the growth of

mold• Previous discussions examined the possibility of on-campus or nearby

storage• Climate control issues• Staff issues• What would be the budget?

Alleviating Crowding

• Circulation data shows that while current (2014) imprints had a 50% circulation, overall circulation of the collection was at 6.84%• Less crowded shelves bring current holdings into sharper focus• Need space for adding gifts to Special Collections• Questions:• Where would a remote storage facility be located?• How would the titles in remote storage show in the catalog?• How would these items be retrieved for use?• What would this cost in terms of climate control, maintenance, staff, etc?

Opportunity for Remote Storage

• PALCI (Pennsylvania Academic Library Consortium, Inc. 68 members) a consortium with which we do Interlibrary Loans, is in discussion with Iron Mountain to pilot remote storage. • Each libraries’ books will be retained as a discrete collection in the facility.• Iron Mountain’s facility will be located in Swedesboro, New Jersey. Climate

controlled with a low oxygen ratio.• Items located in remote storage would be indicated in the catalog.• Storage cost is less than other options when climate control and staff are

factored in: $1.00 per book first year, 50 cents annually after that.• (Pilot retrieval fees for overnight delivery 48 cents per book.)• Legal agreement to protect collection.

What would investing in this future avenue for increasing space for the collection entail?

• Commitment by October 31st

• Commitment is for 3 years• Target number of volumes: 5,000-10,000• Any book pulled from storage because a user requested it would be returned

to its place on the Weinberg Memorial Library’s shelves.

• What would be the criteria for selecting titles for remote storage?• Library Advisory Subcommittee/Library faculty develop criteria• Criteria are used to generate lists for review by faculty• Begin pulling selected books in February, 2016.