Re: CSU library finds 40% of collection hasn't circulated

From: Dan Matei <dan_at_nyob>
Date: Fri, 1 Oct 2010 11:41:31 +0300
To: NGC4LIB_at_LISTSERV.ND.EDU
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Next generation catalogs for libraries 
> [mailto:NGC4LIB_at_LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of Weinheimer Jim
> Sent: 1 octombrie 2010 10:54

> 
> Those numbers seem high to me, but if you are committed to 
> moving out books: in this instance, 50% of everything, it's 
> clearly impossible to do it on a case-by-case basis. In the 
> Kent State example, "The university plans to reduce the 2.9 
> million volume collection at a rate of 5 percent per year 
> over the next decade..." According to my very poor math, that 
> comes to 145,000 volumes a year. Something on this scale can 
> only be done ruthlessly in batches. Otherwise it can never be 
> even attempted and is doomed to failure. Serials are normally 
> the first to go because you "get the most bang for the buck".

Maybe not so dramatic.

Say, 200 working days/year. That is 725 volumes/working day.
Say, 8 working hours/day. That is about 90 volumes/hour, that is about 1,5 volumes per minute.

Imagine a list of volumes to move, sorted by shelf numbers, at hand. In these conditions, I would
say a person could handle on the average (not 1,5/minute, but) 1 volume/minute. That is 96,000
volumes. Say, roughly, 100,000 volumes a year.

Dan Matei
Received on Fri Oct 01 2010 - 04:46:02 EDT