no.1276-COLL. GROWTH ASSUMPTIONS FOR BUILDING ADDITION

From: HILL_at_myriad.middlebury.edu

     Middlebury College has formed a Library Planning Committee to develop a
program for a new addition to the Egbert Starr Library.  Last year, the
Committee conducted surveys of staff and faculty regarding their assessment
of current library collections and services and future needs.  At this point,
the committee is examining major functions to be consolidated in the new
Library, how to configure space, and assumptions regarding the impact of
digitization of materials on collection growth.  As Collection Management
Librarian, I chair a subgroup focusing on anticipated collection
growth.  Starr Library currently houses all non-science, non-music materials
and holds 580,600 volumes and 353,900 microform sheets/rolls.  We acquire
15,000 volumes per year and subscribe to 1,900 periodicals and 500 non-
monographic serials.  For those of you who have recently been involved in
building projects, I have a few questions.

1.  What assumptions did you make about collections growth for the next 20-30
years?  We are assuming stable growth for books, digital conversion for
non-core periodicals, some conversion for reference tools, and almost complete
 conversion for government documents.  Also, did you develop specific
percentages for rates of conversion?

2. Some of the building programs reviewed advise for adjacency of reference,
systems, and collection management staff both to better meet increased user
needs as well as to meet the growing need for staff collaboration on providing
the best means of access to information.  Can you verify this?

3.  As users have greater information options and, in a single research session
may have need to refer to books, periodicals, microforms, cd-roms, and
databases, have you developed multimedia or electronic text centers separate
from classroom spaces or the reference desk which are staffed to assist users?

4.  Students would like to have food available immediately adjacent to the
Library.  We have discussed having a fast food concession available outside
the security perimeter but attached to the Library.  Do any of you have such
an arrangement and does it increase food and drink in the Library?  We do
not currently allow food and drink in the Library.

5.  Finally, what was your toughest problem concerning planning for physical
collection growth?

     Thanks for any advice you can provide.  I will summarize responses
for the list.

Joanne S. Hill
Collection Management Librarian
Egbert Starr Library
Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT 05753
802-443-5501
802-443-2074 [fax]