Sustainable Collections Policy FAQs
We have compiled Frequently Asked Questions about our new Sustainable Collections Policy. We would be happy to discuss the policy further, please contact your Subject Librarian.
The FAQs are divided into three sections:
Making Space
1. Isn’t there an alternative to removing books from the library?
- Aberystwyth University libraries are full: Hugh Owen library Level E is 85% occupied and Level F is 97% occupied. The store on the Glanyrafon Industrial Estate is almost 90% full. We acquire approximately 150 metres of new books and 600 metres of new journal issues per year which we have to accommodate.
- To meet the requirements of the Estates Strategy to focus teaching and learning on Penglais Campus, Information Services must move library collections from the Old College and Gogerddan Libraries. This means the printed holdings cannot be permitted to grow – as stock is purchased, space must be made for it.
- Aberystwyth University has already joined the UK Research Reserve (UKRR) [see question 10] to ease the pressure on shelf space by withdrawing selected printed journals where there is secure, long-term electronic access e.g. via JSTOR.
2. How are other University libraries dealing with space problems?
Policies for withdrawing duplicate, unused items are widespread amongst the HE community [see Relegation disposal policies at other institutions document]. There are 24 Universities in the UK Reserve Reserve [see question 10], a reciprocal arrangement whereby institutions can withdraw duplicate copies of periodicals.3. How can Level F be full without looking full?
Looks can be deceptive. The shelving on Level F is 97% full and new purchases each year use up any remaining space. We acquire approximately 150 metres of new books and 600 metres of new journal issues per year which we have to accommodate. There may be some empty spaces right now as some duplicates are currently stored in library Receipt and Dispatch stacks and some books will be out on loan.4. Why can’t you just add extra shelving?
Extra shelving is being built into the study space by the atlas stands on Level F Hugh Owen Library to accommodate the Education collection which is moving from Old College (as part of the Estates strategy to concentrate teaching and learning on Penglais campus). Information Services has to strike a balance between shelving and study space.5. Will these withdrawals really make that much space?
The exercise to reduce duplicate copies of existing titles more than 6 years old that weren't borrowed for 6 years freed up over 50 meters, and is still ongoing.
The first four phases of UKRR [see question 10] freed up 1666 meters of journal shelving, and the next phase is due to free up another 50 meters.
6. Will there be any space in the Hugh Owen Library after Old College Library stock is moved in?
Prior to the move the Old College Library stock will be reviewed and de-duplicated. The current exercise to reduce duplicate copies of existing titles more than 6 years old that haven't been borrowed for 6 years, and the space freed up via UKRR [see question 10], should release sufficient space for the Old College Library stock and managed growth of Hugh Owen Library stock.7. Isn’t moving research books from the Hugh Owen Library ‘dumbing down’ the collection?
Retaining books and journals on open access that are not in regular use is wasteful when space is at a premium. By aligning our collections to teaching and research needs we will make the maximum use of the space that we have. With the growing numbers of undergraduate students in the Hugh Owen Library, and the different way that they use the space, it makes sense to have a separate library for quiet research.8. I like to browse and can’t afford the time to go to the other campus.
Browsing is one way of finding material but users may only see a fraction of the collection. Using Primo, our new library catalogue, users can browse the whole collection online before going to the shelves. Primo will also tell you if the items are either in the library or out on loan. If they are on loan they can be reserved via Primo. Primo will also search for journal articles and links through to online full-text where there is a subscription.9. I can’t afford to wait for something to come from External Store or go to Llanbadarn.
Compared to some Universities all the campuses at Aberystwyth are within easy reach of each other:- It takes 5 minutes to drive from Penglais to Llanbadarn where there is parking space near the Thomas Parry Library.
- There is a bus service from town via the Penglais campus every 20 minutes
- Walking to Llanbadarn takes 20 minutes.
Identifying Stock
10. How have you decided on which journals to withdraw from stock and what will happen to them?
Aberystwyth University is not alone in managing growing library collections in finite or diminishing spaces. The UK Research Reserve (UKRR) of which Aberystwyth University is a member, arranges safe storage of each printed title in 3 member libraries, allowing other affiliates to withdraw duplicate volumes to ease pressure on shelf space. The British Library will hold a copy of each title in environmentally sound conditions, which will be available via inter-library loan. Information Services is only withdrawing printed journals where they are confident there is either secure, long-term access to the electronic journal e.g. via JSTOR. or where there is a print copy already in stock. Information Services may also withdraw older, unused titles from the External Store that aren't aligned to our teaching and research needs.So printed journal volumes identified under the UKRR scheme may be:
- located at Aberystwyth as one of the 3 safe stores
- stored via UKRR at another safe store
- stored by a department if they want them and if not, Information Services will arrange for their disposal by donation, sale or recycling
11. What have you done with the duplicate copies of items?
- Duplicate copies of books more than 6 years old that have not been borrowed for 6 years have been identified and moved from the main library collection.
- Academic staff were invited to inspect the duplicates. If they were aware of new teaching or research areas, individual copies could be selected for retention. They also had the opportunity to store the remaining duplicates in their department. The copies were then be the responsibility of the teaching department and their records deleted from Voyager.
- After the end of January 2011 Information Services arranged for the disposal of the duplicates by donation, sale or recycling.
12. Not every book taken off the shelf is subsequently borrowed, so how do you record this usage?
We have marked trolleys at exit points for students and staff to drop off the books they have been reading in Hugh Owen Library but have not borrowed. Library staff also collect other unshelved books they find left on tables. Their use is then recorded using a barcode scanner so that we have statistics of their usage in the library.
Withdrawing Stock
13. What does withdraw mean?
In a library context, withdraw means “to remove from a library collection”.
With specific reference to the implementation of the Information Services sustainable collections policy, books (duplicate copies of books more than 6 years old, not borrowed for 6 years) and printed journals (being processed via UKRR [see question 10]) were available for academic staff to inspect and, if they wished, stored in their own department. If departments did not want the withdrawn items, Information Services disposed of them either by donation, sale or recycling. In all cases the records were deleted from Voyager.
14. Can academics/ Departments have the duplicate books?
Academic staff were invited to inspect the duplicates. If they were aware of new teaching or research areas, individual copies could be selected for retention. They also had the opportunity to store the remaining duplicates in their departments. The copies were then the responsibility of the teaching department and their records deleted from Voyager.At the end of January 2011 Information Services arranged the disposal of the duplicates by donation, sale or recycling.
15. If the books go to store, will they be weeded at a later date? If so, will staff be consulted?
- The books are not going to store. If there are plans to weed current store content, Information Services will consult with academic staff.
- Please see question 11.
16. Will print copies of journals be kept somewhere?
Please see question 10.17. I don’t like using electronic resources and getting rid of printed books and journals is short-sighted.
More and more books and journals are being published in electronic format. Many cost no more than the paper editions and storage costs are far less. Only one user can borrow a paper copy of a book or journal at a time, but the electronic copy is available to a number of users at the same time and at a time convenient to them.If you'd like assistance with accessing our electronic resources, Information Services staff will be happy to help. Contact your Subject Librarian or contact libinfo@aber.ac.uk. Assistance with both print and electronic resources is also available on Level F, Hugh Owen Library.
18. Will the remaining single copies of books be Standard Loan or will their loan periods be reduced?
Our Library Management System reports on any reservation queues which means we always act quickly to change loan status. Our Lending Team constantly monitor borrowing and reservation figures and adjust loan periods accordingly. Of course it is possible that a small number of the de-duplicated titles suddenly become popular, but given that they have not been borrowed in 6 years we are not expecting to need to re-adjust the loan periods for large numbers of the remaining single copies.
19. What happens if inter-library loans costs escalate as a result of withdrawing stock?
Due to the high annual rent Information Services pays for the off-site store, each item requested from store costs around £52.00. At the moment an inter-library loan request for a book from another library costs £9.00 and a photocopy (which may be kept) costs £5.95. We are currently reviewing how loans are charged to departments, but in no way will they rise to match the cost of retrieving an item from the External store.20. We are in danger of withdrawing books we may need, which we can’t predict. How will we know what our research interests will be in the future?
Future research would benefit from purchasing new editions of important texts, possibly as ebooks, rather than keeping quantities of old editions just in case. It is possible that a small number of titles may need to be re-purchased in the future but the benefits afforded by space freed up for more current texts would far outweigh these instances.21. Won’t any withdrawal of stock damage our reputation and prevent good research?
We need to identify the areas where we are world class now and in the future. This will enable us to showcase our real interests, not unused material that has no alignment to Aberystwyth research. Also, the National Library of Wales is very close by for further research.Back to the top