CDL-Weeding & integrating reference into circulating (Responses)

Original posting:

From:
Marie Mueller at 300 <MMueller_at_dwc.edu>

We are considering integrating our reference collection into our 
circulating collection to make the whole process less confusing for 
students (all items together), but at the same time possibly weeding out 
items.

Have you done this---how long did it take (we have a sort of 
long-term/several summers plan)?  What were your criteria for 
integrating?  Ultimately, I would like to see all but a few huge items 
integrated into the circulating collection. Did you keep them as 
reference? Did they have a shorter circ period? Did it increase 
circulation? Was it worth it?

Thanks.

Marie

Marie Mueller
Librarian
Daniel Webster College
Nashua, NH 03063
603.577.6209

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Responses:

As part of collection activites associated with our library's major
renovation, we conducted a reference assessment during which 20-25% of
titles were moved to circulating.
Primary criteria for relocation
(not withdrawal) included online access to the type of information in
the print volumes-e.g., World Almanac, yearbooks, literary criticism
sets.
Indices remain as reference although some of the older titles
have been re-located to closed stacks. We had a challenging deadline of
several weeks.  I don't know the scope and size of your reference
collection, but ideally you would want to develop a project plan that
included the associated cataloging and shifting activities as well as
the subject librarians.

Susan

Susan Raidy-Klein
Collection Development & Acquisition Librarian
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
285 Old Westport Road
N. Dartmouth, MA 02747
sraidyklein_at_umassd.edu
508-999-8666
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-From: "Pakala, Jim" <Jim.Pakala_at_covenantseminary.edu>

It's more complex than all-or-nothing. Our faculty,
students, local alumni, etc. heavily use portions of the Reference
collection, most titles being well duplicated in the Stacks but having
them always at hand is imperative. Biblical commentaries,
  Greek & Hebrew tools, directories of congregations &
clergy, the latest (and sometimes not latest) edition of DSM, etc.
are examples.

For reference works that also are online, sometimes it's easier not to 
fuss with an iPhone, e.g., but simply to grab the print 
version--especially if what someone wants is sort of buried or tricky to 
peruse at its online site.

We tend to move older editions from Ref to Stacks if we don't weed them. 
In humanities older editions may retain current-reference value. 
Consider the 11th edition of Britannica. Many of its articles, such as 
that on Schleiermacher, appear in later editions only in abridged form. 
I've seen such abridgements shrink in size as new editions are 
published. In one case the article on a major 18th century figure shrunk 
to just a few lines! Monitoring such degradation in the online 
environment also can be difficult.

Jim Pakala

Director, Buswell Library, Covenant Theological Seminary, 12330 Conway 
Road, Saint Louis, MO 63141

jim.pakala_at_covenantseminary.edu <mailto:jim.pakala_at_covenantseminary.edu>

314-392-4101
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From: Steven Knowlton <steven_knowlton_at_hotmail.com>
I'll speak from my experience as a patron -- when I'm browsing the 
stacks of my local public library and encounter a reference book, I find 
it frustrating.  I expect to be able to check out anything in the stacks.

Steve Knowlton

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From:
Marie Mueller at 300 <MMueller_at_dwc.edu>

Wow!

I received some very thorough, thoughtful replies. Thank you so much.

Marie

Marie Mueller

Librarian

Daniel Webster College

Nashua, NH 03063

603.577.6209