Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2018 16:19:03 +0000
To: Atlantis Discussion List <atlantis_at_atlanow.com>
This discussion is very timely for me since I am in the process of weeding our reference collection as well. Our reference also features many of the primary texts our rabbinic students use. We will keep them in the reference area. What I have noticed is that we’ve added new translations/critical editions but hadn’t removed the older ones. So we are “demoting” many of them to the open stacks. We had also collected bibliographies and directories over the years, but I removed any that were more than 10-15 years old. I also removed most of the Z section – library special collection catalogs and bibliographies. Judging from the layer of dust on them, I can confidently that they will not be missed in the reference area. Sheryl [HUC_smalllogo] Sheryl Stahl Library Director Frances-Henry Library Hebrew Union College- Jewish Institute of Religion Jack H. Skirball Campus 3077 University Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90007-3796 (213) 765-2127 sstahl_at_huc.edu<mailto:sstahl_at_huc.edu> www.huc.edu/libraries/LA<http://www.huc.edu/libraries/LA> [WeAreHUCJIRVideo]<https://vimeo.com/244686224> Watch We are HUC-JIR!<https://vimeo.com/244686224> From: atlantis [mailto:atlantis-bounces_at_atlanow.com] On Behalf Of Dr Dennis M Swanson via atlantis Sent: Monday, June 4, 2018 2:12 PM To: Atlantis Discussion List <atlantis_at_atlanow.com> Cc: Dr Dennis M Swanson <nous56_at_me.com>; colldv_at_lists.ala.org; Brewer, Michael M - (brewerm) <brewerm_at_email.arizona.edu>; Erin Gallagher <gallaghere_at_reed.edu> Subject: Re: [atlantis] [ALCTS-colldv] Strategies for weeding print reference collections In some schools, like a seminary, I think the “ready” has been dropped from Ready Reference. Reference sort of combines with what we used to call permanent reserve to form large sections. In a different setting, here at the university I’m reducing references footprint to reflect more of a “ready” approach. What I’m doing with some traditional reference type books is putting them in the main collection but putting “non-circulating” on their listings so they don’t check out. I think this will be the most effective solution for us. Sent from somewhere in time and space from the TARDIS of Dr. Dennis M. Swanson. On Jun 4, 2018, at 16:58, Pakala, Jim via atlantis <atlantis_at_atlanow.com<mailto:atlantis_at_atlanow.com>> wrote: Our reference collection is very heavily used. One reason is that as a self-standing grad school (seminary) with required courses in biblical Hebrew & Greek, theology & philosophy, types of counseling, etc., the demand for a range of tools is ever-present. In language work alone, these range from a variety of lexicons to specialized commentaries. Many are multi-volume or otherwise bulky to carry and they often are expensive and not available digitally, or available but perhaps only to an individual and for a price too steep to pay. Students tend to buy print copies but only selectively, and for research they need to consult diverse reference tools. At the same time, we must maintain (often multiple) copies of these various works in the stacks as well, but not having them in a reference collection on our main floor would be impossible. We have selected numerous reference books to move to the stacks or for deacquisition, such as tools whose content is now all accessible online and not also preferred in print for quicker access. An example of the latter would be a church denominational handbook. Rather than fiddling with the organization's website (especially if a lot of clicks are entailed), someone can grab the print copy and find a person's birthplace or the spelling of a name or a specific address in no time at all. Sometimes detailed statistical information can be located and browsed faster than at a website. Some reference works are very seldom used but moving them is risky. An example is the (21-volumes in 26) Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute... (1956-2010). A scholar coming to the library expects to find and use it, not discover that some volumes are checked out. Jim James C. Pakala Library Director Covenant Theological Seminary ________________________________ From: colldv-request_at_lists.ala.org<mailto:colldv-request_at_lists.ala.org> [colldv-request_at_lists.ala.org<mailto:colldv-request_at_lists.ala.org>] on behalf of Erin Gallagher [gallaghere_at_reed.edu<mailto:gallaghere_at_reed.edu>] Sent: Monday, June 04, 2018 2:39 PM To: Brewer, Michael M - (brewerm); colldv_at_lists.ala.org<mailto:colldv_at_lists.ala.org> Subject: Re: [ALCTS-colldv] Strategies for weeding print reference collections I'll be interested to learn the same, Michael. Part of our previous weeding documentation includes "criteria for 'reference-like' works that should be moved to the stacks (circulating collection)". We aren't at the point of considering integrating the entire reference collection into the stacks, as this doesn't fit with our short-term space-planning options, but I think there are cases where it makes more sense to incorporate reference titles into the stacks where they'll be of more value for serendipitous discovery. Thanks, Erin Erin Gallagher Director of Collection Services Reed College Library (503) 777-7552 gallaghere_at_reed.edu<mailto:gallaghere_at_reed.edu> On Mon, Jun 4, 2018 at 12:28 PM, Brewer, Michael M - (brewerm) <brewerm_at_email.arizona.edu<mailto:brewerm_at_email.arizona.edu>> wrote: I’d be curious to hear if anyone is rethinking their reference collections as a whole and either just integrating them into their stacks, moving them into the stacks (but keeping them as a cohesive collection), or recreating a greater reference collection (with all the reference content that has been moved to the stacks over the years), but housing that collection in the stack (rather than taking up the typical real estate used for reference collections). Because of a major renovation, we are in the process of moving ours in pieces to be adjacent to content in the stacks with the same call number ranges (toward eventually integrating it as we can make room). I can’t say I wouldn’t have wanted to do this even if we hadn’t been renovating, but it is making it easier. As a librarian and scholar, I love the idea of a reconstituted reference collection in the stacks (for browsing purposes), but doubt that would really be worth the effort or what the majority of our clientele would use. mb Michael Brewer | Librarian Interim Senior Information Resources Officer University of Arizona Libraries, A349G | 1510 E. University Blvd<https://maps.google.com/?q=1510+E.+University+Blvd&entry=gmail&source=g>. P.O. Box 210055 | Tucson, AZ 85721-0055 | (520) 307-2771 From: <colldv-request_at_lists.ala.org<mailto:colldv-request_at_lists.ala.org>> on behalf of Erin Gallagher <gallaghere_at_reed.edu<mailto:gallaghere_at_reed.edu>> Reply-To: Erin Gallagher <gallaghere_at_reed.edu<mailto:gallaghere_at_reed.edu>> Date: Monday, June 4, 2018 at 12:14 PM To: "colldv_at_lists.ala.org<mailto:colldv_at_lists.ala.org>" <colldv_at_lists.ala.org<mailto:colldv_at_lists.ala.org>> Subject: [ALCTS-colldv] Strategies for weeding print reference collections Hello everyone, We are preparing to weed our print reference collection this summer. The collection is currently shelved separately from the main stacks and only a handful of titles are allowed to be checked out and used outside the library. We have weeding criteria we drafted in 2014 but would like to update these criteria. For other libraries who weed print reference collections, what criteria do you use for weeding? Are there any other strategies or suggestions that have worked for you? I'll be happy to synthesize our responses and share them. Thank you in advance. Erin Erin Gallagher Director of Collection Services Reed College Library (503) 777-7552 gallaghere_at_reed.edu<mailto:gallaghere_at_reed.edu> _______________________________________________ atlantis mailing list atlantis_at_atlanow.com<mailto:atlantis_at_atlanow.com> http://atlanow.com/mailman/listinfo/atlantis_atlanow.com
