Developing a Plan for an Offsite Storage Facility
Linda Dujmic and Terry Hurlbert

Poster session presented at the American Library Association Annual Meeting Orlando FL, June 2004

Overcrowding

In the fall of 2002, as a response to the worsening problem of overcrowding of books and bound periodicals in the stacks, a task force of library personnel at the Carnegie Mellon University Libraries undertook planning the implementation of an offsite storage facility.

Teamwork

The nine members of the group representing library administration, cataloging, circulation, library information technology, reference, and resource sharing worked together and in subgroups to organize all aspects of the facility. As initial plans are nearing completion, we expect to begin to send materials offsite in the early spring of 2004.

This poster session will summarize the issues considered and strategies we have used, including:

• Benchmarking with other institutions
• Staffing and work space requirements
• Selection criteria for materials
• Process for pulling materials from the stacks
• Shelving scheme for the facility
• Workflows for barcoding items and editing records in the library management system; for relabeling volumes; and for retrieval of items from the facility

Facility Specifics

• Facility built within an existing structure
• Total capacity: 450,000 volumes
• Capacity of the first phase of construction: 245,000 volumes
• First phase of construction completed April 2004

Equipment and Supplies

• Boxes (reused boxes that Chem Abstracts were stored in)
• Book trucks (2 for off-site facility, 3 for pulling books from stacks)
• Barcodes and spine labels
• Dymo Label Writer to print labels when necessary
• Kik-step stools (3 for shelving books at facility, 1 for pulling books from stacks)
• Blue pens for marking lists
• Hand cleaning pads for cleaning book spines
• Box sealing tape
• Utility knives
• Dusters and towels
• First aid kit (for off-site facility)
• Coat rack (for off-site facility)
• Desk and chairs (for off-site facility)
• Computer (for off-site facility)

Depository Proposal: Staff for Barcoding Items and Editing Unicorn Records
ESTIMATE If each item takes 2 minutes to barcode and edit, 30 volumes done per hour (probably a high estimate).

Alternative 1: Hire 2 full time employees (37.5 hours per week each) = 75 hours per week; add half of current employee's time = 18 hours per week / TOTAL: 93 hours per week; 2790 items per week; 11,160 items per month; 89,280 items in eight months.

Alternative 2: Hire 3 part time employees (30 hours per week each) = 90 hours per week; add half of current employee's time = 18 hours per week / TOTAL: 108 hours per week; 3240 items per week; 12,960 items per month; 103,680 items in eight months.

Alternative 3: Hire 2 part time employees (30 hours per week each) = 60 hours per week; add half of current employee's time = 18 hours per week / TOTAL: 78 hours per week; 2340 items per week; 9360 items per month; 74,880 items in eight months.

Consider: The more people employed the more workspace/computers needed. Reconfigure mailroom for better use of the space.

Factors that will lower the above estimates: Training time. Break time. "Problem" items. Periodically relocating to different work areas (Hunt, E&S, MI). We cannot expect a person to sit at a terminal and barcode and edit for the entire day. They could spend time pulling books for "variety."

Workflows for Sending Items to Offsite Facility

Selecting

• Selectors run reports in Unicorn to generate lists of items selected for the depository.
• Selectors clearly circle any item on list that should NOT go to the depository.
• Selectors send completed, annotated lists to Project Coordinators (Linda and Terry).
• LIT provides a packet of information for selectors with tips on setting up and running Unicorn reports.
  
  

Pulling

• Pull items from list and fill book truck. (If item is Not On the Shelf, write "NOS" in blue next to that item in the left hand margin of the list.)
• When all items on the list are completed, deposit list in COMPLETED box. If list is complete except for items that are NOS, deposit list in NOS box.
  

Processing

• Search item in Unicorn Workflows by item ID (barcode) in Maintain Existing Title/Edit Volume.
• Use the Bib tab to check the volume in hand against the bibliographic record to make sure the title (245 field) agrees.
• Use the Vol/Copy or All Volumes tab to locate the volume/copy you have, click to highlight it, and select Modify Vol/Copy. You should see the individual volume item record.
• Apply new barcode beneath existing barcode in the item.
• Clean spine of book.
• Apply matching barcode number spine label 3 inches from the bottom of the spine.
• Use the Vol/Copy tab to edit the following:
  • library: OFFSITE
  • home location: BY-REQUEST
  • item id: wand in new barcode you just applied to the item. Click OK. Close Window.
• Check your work: search by item ID (barcode) in Copy Edit and check that library, location, and item ID are correct.
• Write your initial in blue ink next to the completed item on your pull list to indicate it has been edited.
• Record stats for completed items.
  

Boxing

• Place item directly in box after Unicorn edit and application of label.
• Fill in first barcode number used on the shipping label.
  

Shipping

• Apply shipping label to box once it is full.
• Fill in last barcode number used on the shipping label.
  

Problems
If you encounter a problem (book is in bad shape, not in Unicorn, etc.), set the item on the PROBLEM shelf with a brief explanation of the problem.

Selecting Materials

• Materials available digitally.
• Low use items, for example:
  • Monograph titles published before 1960 that have not circulated in the last 10 years.
  • Journals that are low use or have ceased publication.

   

Shelving Sections

• A = Regular height (under 12"), narrow (9" deep) shelves
• B = Regular height, wide (12" deep) shelves
• C = Oversize height (12" and over), narrow shelves
• D = Oversize height, wide shelves
• Numbering within each section begins with 000001.

Barcodes

• Initial order of 200,000 barcodes (100,000 horizontal [inside back cover] and corresponding 100,000 vertical [spines]):
  • 150,000 (75,000 of each type) for section A
  • 10,000 (5,000 of each type) for section B
  • 30,000 (15,000 of each type) for section C
  • 10,000 (5,000 of each type) for section D

Information on each barcode consists of the section letter and an accession number (example: A000001, A000002).

The horizontal label measures 5/8" x 2.1" and will have the machine readable bars and alphanumeric characters on it. (1 mil. of adhesive and no laminate).

The vertical label measures 3/8" x 2.1" and will have only the alphanumeric characters in a larger font. (5 mil. of adhesive and 1 mil. of matte laminate).

Problems Encountered

• Item not on shelf
• Item not in catalog
• Call number errors in catalog or on book
• Labels won't stick to spine of book
• Barcode problems: wrong barcode on book, barcode incorrect in catalog
• Finding space for storage of boxes for pickup
• Finding space for storage of empty boxes
• Casters on book trucks not wide enough for steel grating on 2nd floor of facility
• How to decide what order things should go to storage so as not to neglect any area
• Should books in series that are different sizes be shelved together or shelved according to height?

Requesting an Item from the Offsite Facility

• In Cameo, the online catalog, offsite items are listed with the library, OFFSITE, and the location, BY-REQUEST.
• Users request the items in Cameo under "User Self Service."
• Items are paged daily during the work week and are available the next business day.