----------(1) >From blacks@ROSNET.STROSE.EDU Tue Aug 17 14:55:09 1999 Date: Tue, 17 Aug 1999 12:03:39 -0400 From: Steve Black <blacks@ROSNET.STROSE.EDU> Subject: Re: Shifting and Weeding Periodicals Collection (Phyllis Broomfield) Phyllis, Our collection is smaller than yours, but perhaps the method we used would work for you, too. Two years after the shift, I'm still pleased with the results. 1. For each title, use a ruler or yardstick to measure the total shelf space taken by each title, AND the amount taken by the most recent bound year. 2. Enter the titles, their total shelf space, and the last year's shelf space into a spreadsheet. Pick how many years you want the shift to last, and make a formula to calculate the shelf space needed for that many years, and make this a new column. So if Journal of Blah takes 24", and last year's bound volume was 2", and you want to calculate for 10 years, it would be 24+(2*10). The "total plus growth" is thus 44". 3. Make another column that is a running "total plus growth", then divide this by 28". Assuming you have 36" shelves, counting them as 28" gives you enough "slop" to make this work. I got that number from Sapp and Suttle, 1994, and I endorse it. The running total divided by 28 will give you a shelf number. 4. Number the shelves consecutively (we used post-it notes). This number will be the match to the running total divided by 28. If you end up with more shelves than needed according to the spreadsheet, add an empty shelf at whatever interval makes it work out evenly. 5. Print out the spreadsheet columns with titles, total shelf space, and the shelf number. This will be your shifting guide. Some deviation from the numbered list is not a problem, as long as each range fits. Measuring every title and doing the data entry is obviously very time consuming. But if the error rate for the measurements is small, it works very well, especially if relatively unexperienced workers are involved in shifting. There will still be ceased titles, and added titles to mess things up, but that will happen no matter what method you use. Steve Black Reference, Instruction, and Serials Librarian Neil Hellman Library The College of Saint Rose 392 Western Ave. Albany, NY 12203 (518) 458-5494 blacks@rosnet.strose.edu > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > Date: Tue, 17 Aug 1999 09:31:25 -0400 > From: pbroomfi <pbroomfi@FAMU.EDU> > Subject: Shifting and Weeding Periodicals Collection > > Colleagues, > > We will soon begin a project of shifting and weeding our collection of > approximately 65,000 bound volumes. We will receive additional shelving > units for the shifting. We have done minor shifting in the past but > never the entire collection. If anyone has guidelines for this major > undertaking, I would appreciate hearing from you. > > Sincerely, > Phyllis Broomfield ----------(2) >From Dee.Neff@FURMAN.EDU Tue Aug 17 14:55:09 1999 Date: Tue, 17 Aug 1999 13:22:12 -0400 From: Dee Neff <Dee.Neff@FURMAN.EDU> Subject: Re: Shifting and Weeding Periodicals Collection (Phyllis Broomfield) Phyllis, Several summers ago J.B.Duke library was faced with a reclass of Dewey which amounted to 1/3 of our collection. We had changed to LC probably 10 years prior and this was the remnant that had not been reclassed over time. At the time we were talking about a 450,000 volume collection overall. We had the reclass done through OCLC and hired part-timers to key in our shelf list. From the tape load we were able to have labels/barcodes generated that included old and new call numbers. We went through the books and slapped the labels on them and then moved them to a clearing area where they were boxed by general LC classifications. Anything that was going to move between floors (we have three floors) was also boxed and sent to the appropriate floor. Then when we were done we just started shelving the stuff from boxes back onto the shelves, integrating as we went along. It took the entire summer and although we never closed the library, there were times when specific books were nearly impossible to find. We encouraged everyone to deal with problems with as much humor as possible (such as when the air conditioning failed during the 100 degree week), and we had frequent morale raising parties throughout the summer. Problems were boxed up along the way and handled as we went along as much as possible. As I recall, it was a couple of months after summer that the problems were finally all cleared away. (Problems, by the way, were bad call numbers, incomplete call numbers, and call numbers without books.) We still had a small remnant of Dewey leftovers which are still being worked on. Notably, a large portion was in our music classification. We hired a 12 person student crew to do the majority of the work and scheduled *all* faculty and staff to work half a day, every day, on the project. At the time, I was working nights, so I would come in and clean off the scissors (a major labeling project makes for a *lot* of sticky scissors!) and set out the work assignments for the next day. Then I worked on problem-solving for the rest of the evening. It actually was quite an exciting time. I think the most amazing part of all was when we used shelf movers to move our completely loaded shelves around on the first floor. I'm sure you won't have to deal with that, but it *is* doable. If you are weeding your periodicals to remote, of course the best thing to do would be to get rid of as much as possible before you start moving around what you have left. We had combined our serials when we made the "big shift." Formerly we had periodicals older than 5 yrs. on a different floor. In order to integrate the periodicals collection, we did a *lot* of measuring. The ideal was to measure many times and move them once. Mostly, we were successful. We allowed for five years of expansion between current titles based on the previous five years' measurement. Of course, in some cases that was completely inadequate. But we did the best we could. Good luck to you! HTH, Dee Neff Serials Cat. Asst. J.B.Duke Library Furman University dee.neff@furman.edu ----------(3) >From MorsCa@WWC.EDU Tue Aug 17 14:55:09 1999 Date: Tue, 17 Aug 1999 10:38:11 -0700 From: Carol Morse <MorsCa@WWC.EDU> Subject: Re: Shifting and Weeding Periodicals Collection (Phyllis Broomfield) What we usually do is first to go out and measure how many inches of free shelf space we have to work with. Then we produce a printout of all current titles, send the students out to do a shelf study for the number of years' growth that we need. Then we add up that amount of growth space and compare it to the free shelf space, and adjust the no. of years growth possible. After that, one method is to move all the volumes to the end of the collection (example the Z's in an alphabetical collection) and th en start with the beginning (the A's) and spread them out. But that's very labor intensive--you are handling the same books twice. You can start at the beginning, and load sections of books on carts or tables while you are working with them. We also dust the books & shelves as we go. We like to leave empty shelves in each few sections for growth. We ordered 20 extra shelves at one time to help out. Hope this helps. Carol Morse **************************************************************************** Carol Morse Phone: 509:527-2684 Serials Librarian Fax:: 509) 527-2001 Walla Walla College Library Email: morsca@wwc.edu 105 S.W. Adams St. College Place, WA 99324-1195 Grant us strength for the journey and wisdom to know the way. **************************************************************************** ----------(4) >From Melissa.Hartley@orst.edu Tue Aug 17 14:55:09 1999 Date: Tue, 17 Aug 1999 11:15:45 -0700 From: Melissa.Hartley@orst.edu Subject: RE: Shifting and Weeding Periodicals Collection (Phyllis Broomfi I would be interested to hear about academic libraries withdrawing print serials to get an idea of how many libraries are involved in this kind of activity and what kinds of criteria are being used for weeding. I am writing a paper on the preservation of print serials and cooperative collection management, and this information could be useful. Thanks, Melissa Hartley
