If you think a remote storage building is the best solution to the more
books than space problem so many libraries are facing, come see how Sonoma
State University solved our space problems with an ONSITE automated
storage and retrieval system.

We are doing a poster session on Friday. march 16, 2001, from 3:30-4:30PM
in Exhibit Hall A of the Colorado Convention Center.

An abstract of the session is below:
An Automated Storage and Retrieval System:
Putting the Robots to Work

Campus trustees and state legislatures often believe that "everything you
ever wanted is on the Internet" and are therefore reluctant to fund
building projects for what they see as book warehouses.  This poster
session will focus on one alternative, an Automated Storage and Retrieval
System (ASRS) that provides onsite storage and retrieval for hundreds of
thousands of items.

The ASRS is fairly common in industrial settings such as automobile parts
warehouses, but its application in libraries is still relatively new, with
current installations at four university libraries.

The ASRS in the Schulz Information Center at Sonoma State University
provides quick access to 225,000 items housed in a three-story,
computer-managed robotic system located within the library. Requests for
materials housed in the ASRS can be made via the online catalog from any
computer with Internet access, with the entire process taking less than 5
minutes.

The advantages of an Automated Storage and Retrieval System are many,
including providing maximum flexibility and the capability to house,
retrieve, and protect an additional 450,000 volumes onsite rather than in
remote storage. It is designed to accommodate expansion, upgrades easily,
and exceeds strict earthquake building standards. Administrators and
trustees are pleased with an innovative "high-tech" solution to the
perennial problem of never enough space in the library.

This session will focus on how the system works, the interface between it
and the integrated library system (INNOPAC), planning for what goes into
the ASRS, equipment and collection management, cost/benefit analysis,
staffing implications, and enhanced service opportunities.

Presenters:
The presenters are from the University Library in the Jean and Charles
Schulz Information Center at Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park,
California, 94928.
Sandra Heft is the Technical Services Librarian. She oversees all of the
technical services operations, including cataloging, acquisitions,
implementation of the new library catalog and its integration with the ASRS.
707/664-2528   sandy.heft@sonoma.edu
Paula Hammett is a Public Services Librarian. She oversees reference
services and is the Web Coordinator. 707/664-3912   paula.hammett@sonoma.edu

If you have any questions, please contact either of us.

Sandy Heft