Moving Books and Print Materials around Morris Library

Library visitors may begin to notice volumes moving out of the stacks in Morris Library. Library staff are currently increasing their collection review in preparation for an anticipated Special Collections renovation that will expand into part of the second-floor stacks. Collection review work involves evaluating materials in the collection and based on the principles discussed below for the current move, item(s) are either: withdrawn, removed from the collection or transferred to the Library Annex, our high-density storage facility.

What is Being Moved?

Our current focus is on moving bound periodicals for which we have electronic access from the second-floor stacks. 

We eventually plan to expand this work to include the withdraw or transfer of books in three categories: selected low circulation books that we are retaining in the Annex that have been checked out zero to one times for our participation in EAST, a shared print program; duplicate copies of print books; and print books for which we permanently own an ebook. 

What’s a shared print program?

As libraries seek to balance researchers’ need for access to global collections while also protecting the scholarly record, shared print programs have become a key tool for sustainability. These programs allow libraries to share the cost of maintaining print titles, use space wisely, and ensure that scholars have access to what they need. The Library, Museums and Press has joined a shared print program known as EAST. As part of our membership in EAST we have committed to retaining certain individual titles.

How long will this collection work take?

We are not completely sure how long this work will take, but it will be a multi-year project between the pulling of identified materials, work in the catalog and transferring the materials out of the building. We will keep you informed of our progress throughout this process.

Wait, the volumes are leaving the building?

We have a high-density storage facility called the Annex located a mile from Morris Library specifically made to house our important, but lesser-used items. These materials can be requested and brought to Morris for check-out/use in a short turnaround time. We also contract with Better World Books for a responsible, sustainable way to resell volumes that we plan to withdraw and that meet Better World Book’s criteria. We contract with a local business to recycle volumes that cannot be sold.

But I see work happening elsewhere in the building…

We will be shifting the volumes from the Q call number range from the second floor to the Lower Level. This work should be completed by mid-Fall 2024.

The third-floor stacks are currently at full capacity and are unable to accommodate any new purchases or shifts from other floors. Volumes will need to be pulled from this floor to create room, and once the second floor project is complete, the third-floor stacks will be shifted to make space overall. There are still some Reference materials remaining on the first floor which will be integrated into the stacks on the third floor once there is space available for them.

If you have more questions about the space changes, please send them to Shelly McCoy, Associate University Librarian for Public Services and Space Planning. If you have more questions about the principles used for collection review, please send them to Erin Daix, Associate University Librarian for Acquisitions and Collections Services.