The Daily OrangeBird Library book removal sparks debate
By Julia Terruso
Posted: 11/10/09, 2:27 AM EST Section: News
|
Suzanne Thorin, dean of libraries at SU, announced in 2007 that Bird would be moving 100,000 books per year, for the next 10 years, to a warehouse. But there have been recent concerns over the initiative, which is set to begin in spring 2010.
The reason for the move is overcrowding, Thorin said. Bird's bookshelves are 98 percent full. They should only be 75 percent full to preserve titles and allow for expansion, she said.
"There's just not enough space on campus, not enough money, to build a facility on campus to hold them." Thorin said. "And books are still being printed, so we asked ourselves, 'What do we do?'"
Bird Library holds an estimate of 1.1 million physical volumes. The long-term goal is to get that number down to 800,000, said Charlotte Hess, associate dean for collections research and scholarly communication. As the library prepared to lessen the burdens of an overcrowded space, students and faculty expressed initial discontent over the move.
At capacity
To decrease shelf crowding, the library will move 100,000 books a year for the next 10 years to Clancy-Cullen Tri-State Depository in Patterson, N.Y.
The library explored about 15 options before coming to a decision, Thorin said. The Patterson facility was the most cost-efficient option in tough economic times, she said.
The cost of the facility is two-thirds less than it would cost to build a new warehouse or renovate an existing one in Syracuse. The first year the university will pay $78,000, and the cost will go up as more books are shipped over, Thorin said.
The books will remain part of SU's collection and searchable through SU's catalogue. Students must fill out a request form if the book they would like to check out is located offsite. They will receive the book within 24 to 48 hours, Thorin said.
With SU bringing in 30,000-35,000 new volumes each year, current shelving cannot support what has piled up, Thorin said.
The space created with the outsourcing will not make room for any study space. It's solely to lessen shelf overcrowding.
The decision for an offsite facility is really the only option, Hess said.
Stacks of books clutter the first floor, separated from their appropriate sections upstairs. Books are crammed into attics and shelving is "100 percent jammed," Hess said. The result is a decrease in the library's quality of service, she said.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 11
David T
posted 11/10/09 @ 8:01 AM EST
For Shame!!!! There are books cluttering the library? Discard them immediately! For all those unaware, the current library policy is: "we only have so much money to work with, and the future is digital, so let's get rid of the books, build a cafe, pour sugar and fat in the mouths of students, and see if that spurs intellect!" When my mother entered SU and when I entered SU, it was a research institution. (Continued…)
Carole Kupelian
posted 11/10/09 @ 9:42 AM EST
What a great solution to a problem that every librarian faces! With limited storage capacity in libraries, many librarians are faced with de-accessioning titles. (Continued…)
Retrovirus
posted 11/10/09 @ 12:13 PM EST
There are tons of empty buildings along Warren and Salina Streets, five minutes away in downtown Syracuse. Why not store them there?
Shander
posted 11/10/09 @ 12:23 PM EST
Libraries have limited space. New books keep coming in. A clean-out is inevitable. But I agree it's a shame to store the books four hours away when the city of Syracuse has so many empty buildings and needs so much help. (Continued…)
Truth
posted 11/10/09 @ 12:28 PM EST
'm sure it doesn't please administration to make its campus users unhappy. The library has historically been underfinanced and forced to make "most affordable" decisions due to lack of fiscal support. (Continued…)
P.McMahon
posted 11/10/09 @ 1:08 PM EST
I'm sure this has probably been suggested, but why doesn't SU digitally scan the pages of the books they want to archive? They could have work-study students do the scanning, and then it would be available to students in a read-only capacity online in a searchable database so there would not be copyright issues. (Continued…)
MM
posted 11/10/09 @ 1:48 PM EST
It would be nice if the books could stay here in Syracuse, but how many of the empty buildings in this city are capable of providing the necessary climate for the storage of books and paper? Putting the books into a building that is not equipped for the climate control would just mean sending the books to a death of mold, mildew and insects. (Continued…)
Chancy Nancy
posted 11/10/09 @ 3:33 PM EST
Where is the chancellor on this? You know the one who loves Syracuse the City so much. Where is she to reinvest into Syracuse the City this time? No lets give a organization business to some company 4 hours away. (Continued…)
Ed
posted 11/11/09 @ 2:39 AM EST
When will the truth come out about all this Library stuff. Not too long ago they laid off 20 plus employees something more than meets the eye is going on at SU Library
Stop the Madness
posted 11/11/09 @ 7:39 PM EST
Let's see, the SU library contained 2 million volumes when it opened in the 70s (D.O. story, 02/09), and yet now it's 100% full with only 1.1 million volumes? Maybe they shouldn't have completely cleared all of the books out of two-plus floors of the library last year! This 100% capacity stat is a lie based on the fact that they've already eliminated tons of shelf space. (Continued…)
Post a Comment