Too Many Books? How One Librarian Took Control of Her Library

 Stevens, Tyler

Source:
Montana State Library, (2024, October 4). 3 Keys to Collection Development [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbonz8Lnt0w

Summary: In this 58-minute seminar video hosted by the Montana State Library features Jonna Underwood, the Sheridan County Library Director in Plentywood, Montana. She shares her experience taking over the local public library from the previous director and frames it in the context of three key principles which she used to create a welcoming community space for her community, which are:

1. Quality vs Quantity: the primary issue with the library initially was an overcrowding of books, which led directly to issues such as an unaligned physical and digital catalog, literal decomposition of books, and a space that was not easily navigable for patrons.
2. 
   Know Your Patrons: Some larger collections which were rarely touched by the community (in this case, nonfiction) were deaccessioned from the library collection, spaces were created to invite patrons to engage with the material in the way they wanted to, and informal conversations with patrons identified favorite chunks of the collection (such as mystery/thriller/suspense).
3. Get Creative: Methods which Underwood used to inform her decision-making over this multi-year cleanup included visiting other libraries for curatorial inspiration, using book displays, a semi-regular newspaper column, and programming such as Blind Date With A Book (which she used to get patron feedback on less-used books to identify hidden gems and buried stinkers in the collection).

The seminar concludes with a Question & Answer session. One of the questions Underwood answered was on the subject of how the community responded to her efforts to clean up the clutter. She answered that the community didn't have much of a reaction beyond an acknowledgement that changes were happening. Underwood felt that the extension of trust by the community may have resulted partially from her own upbringing within the Plentywood community; the community might not have extended trust as easily if she had been a stranger to the community.

Evaluation: This seminar took my attention because my hometown is relatively close to Plentywood. I found it interesting that in order to handle the library collection, certain things needed to be removed, up to and including major pieces of furniture like entire bookshelves and collection chunks. For the latter, Underwood and her patrons would rely on library Connections in order to meet infrequent but specific needs. For example, she removed a significant amount of the nonfiction collection, shrinking it significantly and removing many books which were outdated or specific and seldom checked out by the community. Nonfiction as a subject was still kept available to researching community members through interlibrary loan, a library Connection to other libraries in the larger MSL network. In this way, Underwood was able to expand the physical space in the library so her patrons could more comfortably peruse the shelves without sacrificing the overall offerings of the library itself.

To reflect on my earlier post about Iceland, Underwood understands that there is a unique relationship between the human community and the objects within the library which they interact with; one of the neglected objects in this library was physical space. The lack of space made the library more difficult to navigate and directly impacted the accessibility of the items within the library collection. By increasing the space and introducing elements such as corner bean bags, Underwood strengthened the library's agency to impact the Plentywood community. Underwood understands that preservation and storage both have a cost, both financial and spacial. While both are limited, space defines the relationship the patrons have with the books. In other words, you can't have everything physically available, so you need to select what you need and make space for people to interact.

COLLABORATIVE COLLECTIONS: In academic libraries, collection development is becoming more of a team effort

Brian DeFelice

Dixon, J. A. (2019, August). COLLABORATIVE: COLLECTIONS: In academic libraries, collection development is becoming more of a team effort. Library Journal, 144(7), 36+. Retrieved from https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A595194907/GPS?u=mlin_s_thomas&sid=GPS&xid=f473f88d


In this article, Jennifer Dixon explores the difficulties that some academic libraries are having with keeping up with the demands of collection development, while also balancing limited budgets and increased demand on their physical spaces. This article explores how some academic libraries have found creative ways to enhance their collection development polices and practices by joining library consortia, sharing spaces, and digitization, and state wide repository. One very interesting element of the article is discussing the idea of "sharing spaces" which really is more of a shared repository for academic libraries. The Research Collections and Preservation Consortia (Re-CAP) services Princeton, Columbia, and New York Public Library by proving off site material storage that can be requested by member libraries. Re-CAP acts as an offsite repository, allowing member libraries to house books off site, but still have them technically in the collection. Patrons can request items that are off site, which are then delivered to the requesting library in an inter library loan delivery fashion.

Of course, not all libraries need to share space or offload physical collections to an off site local. Some can join local public library consortia which allows them to expand their collection without having to actually add additional books on the shelves. Rather than store collected materials in an off site warehouse, each library acts as it's own "warehouse" lending materials to other libraries upon request. Some academic libraries just join other academic library consortia, others, Like Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy, MA opt to join public library consortia. Joining a consortia of either type can have an impact on collection development policy because some consortia have particular rules about lending and purchasing of materials. Some Library systems, like in Ohio, are working to create a state wide repository of materials for libraries of all types, to deal issues of limited space, funding, and enhancing resource sharing.

What the 21st-Century Library Looks Like

Cassandra Swartzwelder

Najmabadi, S. (July 02, 2017). What the 21st-Century Library Looks Like. The Chronical of Higher Education. Retrieved from https://www.chronicle.com/article/What-the-21st-Century-Library/240494

Summary:

This article is about the changes that occurred at DePaul’s John T. Richardson Library. Recently the library went through a renovation that reflect today's digital world. The main floor no longer holds books, but instead offers a space where patrons can gather, talk, and get technical help from the Genius Squad counter. This part of the library has transitioned from being a library of collections to a library of people. The internet has taken the place of books. Due to this some libraries have moved their books off-site to create more space for their users. Libraries are getting rid of items or placing them in storage. The article notes that HathiTrust, is making sure that at least one of its member libraries holds onto a physical copy of each resource hosted online. This allows the library to free up much needed space that is requested by its users while preserving its collection. This also has had an effect on a librarian’s job. Librarians are spending less time with collections and more time teaching. In order to fit their new role libraries are buying less print and more electronic resources.

Evaluation:

This article reflects the climate of today. It address how libraries and librarians jobs are changing due to technology. It also notes the importance of preserving the libraries print collection. By doing all of these things, libraries will be able to provide the user with their needs for the years to come.

Preserve technology storage collection downsizing