Media Collections Colleagues,
I send this out at least in part as a plea for support - moral support at the very least. Last week from out of the blue my library director announced that we were to move our media collection (about 4000 VHS videos and DVDs) from the media room (with closed stacks) downstairs to open stacks around the circulation desk. Although some of the titles known to be heavily used by faculty for teaching are to be put "behind the desk" in a limited teaching collection, most of the titles are to be placed in an "outer ring" of shelving around the circulation desk open to patrons and the public. Though we had been told that we would be investigating and planning for such a potential move sometime in the new year, this directive came without warning and certainly without any significant planning or forethought. The titles are to be put on open shelving. There are no locked cases involved and none of the titles are tattle-taped. In the media room patrons had to check-out titles even if they wanted to view them in the media room. We could track circulation statistics as well as maintain a high level of security. As of the beginning of 2012, no such control will be in place. In short, the entire collection will be unsecure and exposed to whomever deans pull a title off the shelf - to view or otherwise. I have expressed my deep concerns, but the answer I have gotten back is that we "will put things out on the shelves and monitor the shrinkage." Not the most effective way to manage the collection I have noted. Seems akin to putting pamphlets on a display that says "take one." Seems to me this gets to the basic issue of what a library media collection is for, and how should it be used and managed? For the record, my concerns have been echoed by other collages including several higher up my chain of command. But, top level administration is un-swayed by such arguments, though I intend to continue to make them even as I am compelled to move the collection. I suspect there are backroom politics involving space issues ownership (of the media room) that I will not go into here. My biggest concern, apart from the sheer suddenness of it all, is the future security and integrity of the collection. To go from a closed room (with check-out viewing only) to completely open stacks with no security control virtually overnight is not a good thing in my opinion. I fear that my circulating collection is about to be decimated and devalued at the very least. I suppose that in my shock at what I have been asked to do, I need some input from those on this list. My big question to my media colleagues on this list is this: Does anyone out there have their media collection on completely open stacks with no security? I'll take any input (advisory or consoling) I can get. Thanks in advance and happy holidays. jared Jared Alexander Seay Reference Librarian Head, Media Collections Addlestone Library College of Charleston Charleston SC 29424 Main Office: 843-953-1428 blogs.cofc.edu/seayj/ <http://blogs.cofc.edu/seayj/> Media Collections: 843-953-8040 blogs.cofc.edu/media collections <http://blogs.cofc.edu/mediacollections/> Addlestone Report: blogs.cofc.edu/addlestonereport <http://blogs.cofc.edu/addlestonereport/> Reference Services: blogs.cofc.edu/refblog <http://blogs.cofc.edu/refblog/>
VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of issues relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic control, preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in libraries and related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve as an effective working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of communication between libraries,educational institutions, and video producers and distributors.
