Ghastly! Ghastly! Ghastly! >:o >:o >:o >:o
Here at USC we are strongly contemplating moving our 5000+ DVD collection
(including some very pricey documentaries) to open stacks. We think this is
the way to go, but it will only be done providing that the
administration is willing
to provide the funds to provide each and every DVD with a locked case.
Hold your guns! (Although, of course, this is easier said than done.)
Best,
Anthony Anderson
*******************************
Anthony E. Anderson
Social Studies and Arts & Humanities Librarian
Von KleinSmid Library
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0182
(213) 740-1190 <tel:%28213%29%20740-1190> [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>
"Wind, regen, zon, of kou,
Albert Cuyp ik hou van jou."
*********************************
Seay, Jared Alexander wrote:
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
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.
