Library Collections

The past two years have involved extensive shifting of our physical collections. In fact, with the removal this week of the last of the regular stacks from second floor, every volume in the circulating collection has now moved! In the process we were able to substantially reduce the physical footprint of the collection. Much of this was done through acquiring digital archives of key journal and book collections along with the move of some low-use material offsite. Lots of people deserve credit for the hard work involved in this effort – from identifying titles, to acquiring or digitizing content, to physically moving and processing the materials.

All this new space has many benefits, both now and in the future. The fifth floor is still very stack intensive, which suits its purpose as a quiet floor. On fourth floor we opened up prime space for student study areas as well as several new offices. On third floor there is a now a spacious area directly below the graduate study room for a possible faculty lounge or for other uses. Changes on the second floor are the most dramatic, with the old wing of the building now open in addition to the new wing we had cleared previously. This again frees up space for students as well as partner groups with which the library is working. Finally moves on the first floor created space for the SCALE-UP Classroom and the new ICAT labs.

In light of the latest news about the library’s partnership with the Institute for Creativity, Arts, & Technology (ICAT), here’s an update on what’s happening with collections housed on the 1st floor.

Most of the maps and a sizable portion of the microforms will need to be moved to accommodate ICAT’s studios, workrooms, hardware storage, and instruction spaces.  The collections team, subject librarians, and maps & microforms staff are reviewing usage data, soliciting input from faculty, and investigating whether online equivalents are available to replace the existing collections.  Subject librarians have identified collections that are most heavily used, which will remain in Newman.  Some of the collections could go to the Remote Storage Building, and Dennis Herron is working with the Provost’s staff to find additional storage space.  Options for off-site storage would have to include the ability for Access Services staff to retrieve collections for use in Newman.  We haven’t ruled out the possibility of offering an off-site use option as well.  Southgate Center has been mentioned as a possibility for this option, but those plans have not been finalized.

To further reduce the footprint of the collections, and increase their accessibility, we are investigating replacing more collections with digital equivalents.  We’ve been able to withdraw the Early English Books and American Periodical Series in micro-format since we purchased online access.  Many of the microfilm journal titles are now available from journal archive purchases.  We are working with the Provost to secure some funding for additional journal archives or online newspaper collections.

Many of our maps and microforms collections are government documents.  Bruce Obenhaus is reviewing those collections and consulting with subject librarians.  We’re investigating the possibility of moving printed documents and census collections to the 5th floor, which would increase the available space for maps and microforms.

Ed Lener, Ed Brooks, and Bruce Obenhaus are carefully reviewing the map collection as well as the atlases.  Geosciences and Geography faculty have been invited to provide input on their needs.  Usage, as determined from reshelving counts, has declined significantly in recent years.  Many maps are available for free online from the U.S. Geological Survey or other sources.  The print collections will be reduced in size accordingly and focus on identifying the most important materials to keep in hard copy. Maps of Virginia and the surrounding region will also be given special preference for retention.

Please contact Connie, Ed, or Leslie if you have any questions about the overall review process, especially as you reach out to your departments for input regarding collections or the broader, ongoing goals of the library.  For more information about ICAT, visit http://www.icat.vt.edu/index.html