Set Your Books Free An Alternative Concept in Collection Management

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Set Your Books Free An Alternative Concept in
Collection Management

• Ann Cress
• PLA Presentation
• February 27, 2004

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Jefferson County, Colorado

• Jefferson County
• size 774 sq. miles
• Pop. 527, 056 (2000 Census)
• Jefferson County Public Library
• 10 libraries bookmobile
• 1.1 million items
• Circulation 3.8 million
• Decentralized system
• Decentralized materials selection

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1994 Crisis Point
The volume of materials being moved among
libraries was escalating at a rapid rate.

• Issues demanding immediate attention
• Faced with hiring more staff, buying more vans
• Increasing ergonomic injuries
• Planning for the future
• Population projections
• New libraries
• Purchasing a new integrated library system

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Shared Collection Concerns

• Staff apprehensions
• Negative patron response
• Shift in workload
• Knowledge of the collection

• Collection Management Issues
• Paradigm shift for staff
• Distribution of the collection
• Selection/weeding

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Testing the Concept

• Observations
• Delivery volume dropped by 67
• 30,000 more items/month were available on the
  shelves vs. in transit
• Workers compensation claims went from 6 to 1

• Responses
• Patrons better browsing
• Staff -mixed reaction

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Shared/Non-Shared Collections Monthly Delivery
Comparison
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Decade of Change

• Cultural shift for staff
• One library, one collection
• Collection management Issues
• Development of new processes and procedures
• Unresolved issues
• Shared vs. non-shared
• Changing demographics

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Benefits of a Shared Collection

• Continuously refreshed collections
• Better browsing
• Cost savings
• Development of new selection patterns
• Partnerships
• Union Catalogs

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Opportunities with a Shared Collection
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(No Transcript)
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More Information on Shared Collections at JCPL

• Contact
• Ann Cress
• Jefferson County Public Library
  acress_at_jefferson.lib.co.us

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Presentation available at

• http//info.jefferson.lib.co.us/2004presentations