This report helps its readers to answer questions such as: How much have academic libraries increased or decreased space allocated to stacks in recent years? What are their plans for the future? If they have reduced space for stacks, for what have they used the newly available space? What are future plans for such space use? Exactly what is stored in the stacks? What percentage of total space is accounted for by books? By Journals? By audio/video media? By all other materials? How are libraries managing the stacks? How many full time and student employees do they use and what do they think of library patron skill in navigating the stacks? Or library skills for finding high use or other items? What about the college politics of the stacks - are college administrators pushing the library to make stack space available for new uses?
Just a few of this 90-page report’s many findings are that:
- For 42.59% of respondents, space allocated to the stacks decreased over the past five years by more than 10%.
- Private school college management were more interested than public college management in how to use stack space vacated by print materials.
- Research universities in the sample employed a mean of 5.91 students in the stacks, with a range of 1 to 20.
- Junior colleges were less likely than others to consider the sharing of print collections with other institutions as a way of reducing pressure on their stacks.
- 20.73% of survey respondents consider their system for retrieving high use items from the stacks to be highly effective.
- Books accounted for a mean of 82% and a median of 85% of stack space.
- DVDs, records and other media accounted for a mean of 11.19% of the space for closed or offsite stacks or storage.
The data and commentary in the report is based on responses from 49 colleges and universities in the United States. Data is broken out by size and type of college or university, for public and private colleges, tuition level and other variables.
Table of Contents
THE QUESTIONNAIRE
PARTICIPANTS LIST
- Characteristics of the sample
SUMMARY OF MAIN FINDINGS
- Current Status of Stacks for Library Patrons
- Change in Space Allocated to Stacks Over Past Five Years
- Future Plans for Changes in Space Allocated to Stacks
- Most Common Use for Space Reclaimed from Stacks
- Views of College Management on Use of Stacks’ Space
- Number of Full-Time Equivalent Librarians Assigned to Oversee Stacks
- Approaches to Managing Print Collection
- Expanding Offsite Storage
- Sharing Collections with Other Institutions
- Weed Infrequently Used Materials
- Expanding Onsite Storage
- Digitizing Print Materials
- Evaluation of Role of Sharing Print Collections in Reducing Pressure on Stacks
- Effectiveness of System For Retrieving High Use Items from the Stacks
- Systematic Study of Time Taken to Recover Missing Items
- Composition of Materials in the Stacks
- Percentage of Total Stack Space for Books
- Percentage of Total Stack Space for Journals
- Percentage of Total Stack Space for DVD’s, Records, Other Media
- Percentage of Total Stack Space for All Other Materials
- Composition of Materials in CLOSED or OFFSITE Stack or Storage Space
- Books in Closed Stacks or Offsite
- Journals in Closed Stacks or Offsite
- DVD’s, Records and Other Media in Closed Stacks or Offsite
- Evaluation of Library Patrons Info Literacy Skill in Using the Stacks
- Number of Student Workers in the Stacks
List of Tables
Table 1.1 Are your library's stacks currently open or closed to patrons?
Table 1.2 Are your library's stacks currently open or closed to patrons? Broken out by age of respondent
Table 1.3 Are your library's stacks currently open or closed to patrons? Broken out by public or private college
Table 1.4 Are your library's stacks currently open or closed to patrons? Broken out by type of college or Carnegie class
Table 1.5 Are your library's stacks currently open or closed to patrons? Broken out by enrollment
Table 1.6 Are your library's stacks currently open or closed to patrons? Broken out by tuition, $
Table 2.1 Over the past five years has the space your library devotes to stacks increased, diminished or remained about the same?
Table 2.2 Over the past five years has the space your library devotes to stacks increased, diminished or remained about the same? Broken out by age of respondent
Table 2.3 Over the past five years has the space your library devotes to stacks increased, diminished or remained about the same? Broken out by public or private college
Table 2.4 Over the past five years has the space your library devotes to stacks increased, diminished or remained about the same? Broken out by type of college or Carnegie class
Table 2.5 Over the past five years has the space your library devotes to stacks increased, diminished or remained about the same? Broken out by enrollment
Table 2.6 Over the past five years has the space your library devotes to stacks increased. diminished or remained about the same? Broken out by tuition, $
Table 3.1 Over the next three years will the space your library devotes to stacks increase, diminish or remained about the same?
Table 3.2 Over the next three years will the space your library devotes to stacks increase, diminish or remained about the same? Broken out by age of respondent
Table 3.3 Over the next three years will the space your library devotes to stacks increase, diminish or remained about the same? Broken out by public or private college
Table 3.4 Over the next three years will the space your library devotes to stacks increase, diminish or remained about the same? Broken out by type of college or Carnegie class
Table 3.5 Over the next three years will the space your library devotes to stacks increase, diminish or remained about the same? Broken out by enrollment
Table 3.6 Over the next three years will the space your library devotes to stacks increase. diminish or remained about the same? Broken out by tuition, $
If your library has reduced space for the Stacks, what have you used the space for?
Table 4.1 How interested is college management in pursuing possible space savings from reduced space for Stacks in the college library?
Table 4.2 How interested is college management in pursuing possible space savings from reduced space for Stacks in the college library? Broken out by age of respondent
Table 4.3 How interested is college management in pursuing possible space savings from reduced space for Stacks in the college library? Broken out by public or private college
Table 4.4 How interested is college management in pursuing possible space savings from reduced space for Stacks in the college library? Broken out by type of college or Carnegie class
Table 4.5 How interested is college management in pursuing possible space savings from reduced space for Stacks in the college library? Broken out by enrollment
Table 4.6 How interested is college management in pursuing possible space savings from reduced space for Stacks in the college library? Broken out by tuition, $
What steps, if any, has the library taken to make the stacks a more congenial place to study?
Table 5.1 Apart from students, how many full time equivalent librarians or other workers are assigned primarily to oversee the stacks and media collections?
Table 5.2 Apart from students, how many full time equivalent librarians or other workers are assigned primarily to oversee the stacks and media collections? Broken out by age of respondent
Table 5.3 Apart from students, how many full time equivalent librarians or other workers are assigned primarily to oversee the stacks and media collections? Broken out by public or private college
Table 5.4 Apart from students, how many full time equivalent librarians or other workers are assigned primarily to oversee the stacks and media collections? Broken out by type of college or Carnegie class
Table 5.5 Apart from students, how many full time equivalent librarians or other workers are assigned primarily to oversee the stacks and media collections? Broken out by enrollment
Table 5.6 Apart from students, how many full time equivalent librarians or other workers are assigned primarily to oversee the stacks and media collections? Broken out by tuition, $
Table 6 Which two approaches are most important to your institution's efforts in the management of its current print collection? (choose only two)
Table 6.1.1 Which two approaches are most important to your institution's efforts in the management of its current print collection? (choose only two) Expand offsite storage
Table 6.1.2 Which two approaches are most important to your institution's efforts in the management of its current print collection? (choose only two) Expand offsite storage Broken out by age of respondent
Table 6.1.3 Which two approaches are most important to your institution's efforts in the management of its current print collection? (choose only two) Expand offsite storage Broken out by public or private college
Table 6.1.4 Which two approaches are most important to your institution's efforts in the management of its current print collection? (choose only two) Expand offsite storage Broken out by type of college or Carnegie class
Table 6.1.5 Which two approaches are most important to your institution's efforts in the management of its current print collection? (choose only two) Expand offsite storage Broken out by enrollment
Table 6.1.6 Which two approaches are most important to your institution's efforts in the management of its current print collection? (choose only two) Expand offsite storage Broken out by tuition, $
Table 6.2.1 Which two approaches are most important to your institution's efforts in the management of its current print collection? (choose only two) Expand print collection sharing with other institutions
Table 6.2.2 Which two approaches are most important to your institution's efforts in the management of its current print collection? (choose only two) Expand print collection sharing with other institutions Broken out by age of respondent
Table 6.2.3 Which two approaches are most important to your institution's efforts in the management of its current print collection? (choose only two) Expand print collection sharing with other institutions Broken out by public or private college
Table 6.2.4 3 Which two approaches are most important to your institution's efforts in the management of its current print collection? (choose only two) Expand print collection sharing with other institutions Broken out by type of college or Carnegie class
Table 6.2.5 3 Which two approaches are most important to your institution's efforts in the management of its current print collection? (choose only two) Expand print collection sharing with other institutions Broken out by enrollment
Table 6.2.6 3 Which two approaches are most important to your institution's efforts in the management of its current print collection? (choose only two) Expand print collection sharing with other institutions Broken out by tuition, $
Table 6.3.1 3 Which two approaches are most important to your institution's efforts in the management of its current print collection? (choose only two) Weed infrequently used print materials
Table 6.3.2 3 Which two approaches are most important to your institution's efforts in the management of its current print collection? (choose only two) Weed infrequently used print materials Broken out by age of respondent
Table 6.3.3 3 Which two approaches are most important to your institution's efforts in the management of its current print collection? (choose only two) Weed infrequently used print materials Broken out by public or private college
Table 6.3.4 3 Which two approaches are most important to your institution's efforts in the management of its current print collection? (choose only two) Weed infrequently used print materials Broken out by type of college or Carnegie class
Table 6.3.5 Which two approaches are most important to your institution's efforts in the management of its current print collection? (choose only two) Weed infrequently used print materials Broken out by enrollment
Table 6.3.6 Which two approaches are most important to your institution's efforts in the management of its current print collection? (choose only two) Weed infrequently used print materials Broken out by tuition, $
Table 6.4.1 Which two approaches are most important to your institution's efforts in the management of its current print collection? (choose only two) Expand onsite storage
Table 6.4.2 Which two approaches are most important to your institution's efforts in the management of its current print collection? (choose only two) Expand onsite storage Broken out by age of respondent
Table 6.4.3 Which two approaches are most important to your institution's efforts in the management of its current print collection? (choose only two) Expand onsite storage Broken out by public or private college
Table 6.4.4 Which two approaches are most important to your institution's efforts in the management of its current print collection? (choose only two) Expand onsite storage Broken out by type of college or Carnegie class
Table 6.4.5 Which two approaches are most important to your institution's efforts in the management of its current print collection? (choose only two) Expand onsite storage Broken out by enrollment
Table 6.4.6 Which two approaches are most important to your institution's efforts in the management of its current print collection? (choose only two) Expand onsite storage Broken out by tuition, $
Table 6.5.1 Which two approaches are most important to your institution's efforts in the management of its current print collection? (choose only two) Digitize print materials
Table 6.5.2 Which two approaches are most important to your institution's efforts in the management of its current print collection? (choose only two) Digitize print materials Broken out by age of respondent
Table 6.5.3 Which two approaches are most important to your institution's efforts in the management of its current print collection? (choose only two) Digitize print materials Broken out by public or private college
Table 6.5.4 Which two approaches are most important to your institution's efforts in the management of its current print collection? (choose only two) Digitize print materials Broken out by type of college or Carnegie class
Table 6.5.5 Which two approaches are most important to your institution's efforts in the management of its current print collection? (choose only two) Digitize print materials Broken out by enrollment
Table 6.5.6 Which two approaches are most important to your institution's efforts in the management of its current print collection? (choose only two) Digitize print materials Broken out by tuition, $
Table 7.1 How important of a role, if any, will the sharing of print collections with other libraries (outside of your institution) play in your library's print collection storage and collection development strategy?
Table 7.2 How important of a role, if any, will the sharing of print collections with other libraries (outside of your institution) play in your library's print collection storage and collection development strategy? Broken out by age of respondent
Table 7.3 How important of a role, if any, will the sharing of print collections with other libraries (outside of your institution) play in your library's print collection storage and collection development strategy? Broken out by public or private college
Table 7.4 How important of a role, if any, will the sharing of print collections with other libraries (outside of your institution) play in your library's print collection storage and collection development strategy? Broken out by type of college or Carnegie class
Table 7.5 How important of a role, if any, will the sharing of print collections with other libraries (outside of your institution) play in your library's print collection storage and collection development strategy? Broken out by enrollment
Table 7.6 How important of a role, if any, will the sharing of print collections with other libraries (outside of your institution) play in your library's print collection storage and collection development strategy? Broken out by tuition, $
Table 8.1 How effective is your library's system for identifying, displaying and retrieving high use materials from the stacks?
Table 8.2 How effective is your library's system for identifying, displaying and retrieving high use materials from the stacks? Broken out by age of respondent
Table 8.3 How effective is your library's system for identifying, displaying and retrieving high use materials from the stacks? Broken out by public or private college
Table 8.4 How effective is your library's system for identifying, displaying and retrieving high use materials from the stacks? Broken out by type of college or Carnegie class
Table 8.5 How effective is your library's system for identifying, displaying and retrieving high use materials from the stacks? Broken out by enrollment
Table 8.6 How effective is your library's system for identifying. displaying and retrieving high use materials from the stacks? Broken out by tuition, $
Table 9.1 Has the library systematically studied the amount of time it takes for staff to recover missing items in the stacks?
Table 9.2 Has the library systematically studied the amount of time it takes for staff to recover missing items in the stacks? Broken out by age of respondent
Table 9.3 Has the library systematically studied the amount of time it takes for staff to recover missing items in the stacks? Broken out by public or private college
Table 9.4 Has the library systematically studied the amount of time it takes for staff to recover missing items in the stacks? Broken out by type of college or Carnegie class
Table 9.5 Has the library systematically studied the amount of time it takes for staff to recover missing items in the stacks? Broken out by enrollment
Table 9.6 Has the library systematically studied the amount of time it takes for staff to recover missing items in the stacks? Broken out by tuition, $
Table 10 Approximately what percentage of your open stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following?
Table 10.1.1 Approximately what percentage of your open stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? Books
Table 10.1.2 Approximately what percentage of your open stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? Books Broken out by age of respondent
Table 10.1.3 Approximately what percentage of your open stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? Books Broken out by public or private college
Table 10.1.4 Approximately what percentage of your open stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? Books Broken out by type of college or Carnegie class
Table 10.1.5 Approximately what percentage of your open stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? Books Broken out by enrollment
Table 10.1.6 Approximately what percentage of your open stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? Books Broken out by tuition, $
Table 10.2.1 Approximately what percentage of your open stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? Journals and other Periodicals
Table 10.2.2 Approximately what percentage of your open stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? Journals and other Periodicals Broken out by age of respondent
Table 10.2.3 Approximately what percentage of your open stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? Journals and other Periodicals Broken out by public or private college
Table 10.2.4 Approximately what percentage of your open stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? Journals and other Periodicals Broken out by type of college or Carnegie class
Table 10.2.5 Approximately what percentage of your open stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? Journals and other Periodicals Broken out by enrollment
Table 10.2.6 Approximately what percentage of your open stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? Journals and other Periodicals Broken out by tuition, $
Table 10.3.1 Approximately what percentage of your open stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? DVDs, Records and Other Media
Table 10.3.2 Approximately what percentage of your open stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? DVDs, Records and Other Media Broken out by age of respondent
Table 10.3.3 Approximately what percentage of your open stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? DVDs, Records and Other Media Broken out by public or private college
Table 10.3.4 Approximately what percentage of your open stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? DVDs, Records and Other Media Broken out by type of college or Carnegie class
Table 10.3.5 Approximately what percentage of your open stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? DVDs, Records and Other Media Broken out by enrollment
Table 10.3.6 Approximately what percentage of your open stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? DVDs, Records and Other Media Broken out by tuition, $
Table 10.4.1 Approximately what percentage of your open stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? All Other
Table 10.4.2 Approximately what percentage of your open stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? All Other Broken out by age of respondent
Table 10.4.3 Approximately what percentage of your open stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? All Other Broken out by public or private college
Table 10.4.4 Approximately what percentage of your open stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? All Other Broken out by type of college or Carnegie class
Table 10.4.5 Approximately what percentage of your open stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? All Other Broken out by enrollment
Table 10.4.6 Approximately what percentage of your open stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? All Other Broken out by tuition, $
Table 11 Approximately what percentage of your CLOSED and/or OFFSITE stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following?
Table 11.1.1 Approximately what percentage of your CLOSED and/or OFFSITE stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? Books
Table 11.1.2 Approximately what percentage of your CLOSED and/or OFFSITE stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? Books Books Broken out by age of respondent
Table 11.1.3 Approximately what percentage of your CLOSED and/or OFFSITE stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? Books Broken out by public or private college
Table 11.1.4 Approximately what percentage of your CLOSED and/or OFFSITE stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? Books Broken out by type of college or Carnegie class
Table 11.1.5 Approximately what percentage of your CLOSED and/or OFFSITE stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? Books Broken out by enrollment
Table 11.1.6 Approximately what percentage of your CLOSED and/or OFFSITE stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? Books Broken out by tuition, $
Table 11.2.1 Approximately what percentage of your CLOSED and/or OFFSITE stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? Journals and other Periodicals
Table 11.2.2 Approximately what percentage of your CLOSED and/or OFFSITE stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? Journals and other Periodicals Broken out by age of respondent
Table 11.2.3 Approximately what percentage of your CLOSED and/or OFFSITE stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? Journals and other Periodicals Broken out by public or private college
Table 11.2.4 Approximately what percentage of your CLOSED and/or OFFSITE stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? Journals and other Periodicals Broken out by type of college or Carnegie class
Table 11.2.5 Approximately what percentage of your CLOSED and/or OFFSITE stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? Journals and other Periodicals Broken out by enrollment
Table 11.2.6 Approximately what percentage of your CLOSED and/or OFFSITE stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? Journals and other Periodicals Broken out by tuition, $
Table 1.3.1 Approximately what percentage of your CLOSED and/or OFFSITE stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? DVDs, Records and Other Media
Table 11.3.2 Approximately what percentage of your CLOSED and/or OFFSITE stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? DVDs, Records and Other Media Broken out by age of respondent
Table 11.3.3 Approximately what percentage of your CLOSED and/or OFFSITE stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? DVDs, Records and Other Media Broken out by public or private college
Table 11.3.4 Approximately what percentage of your CLOSED and/or OFFSITE stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? DVDs, Records and Other Media Broken out by type of college or Carnegie class
Table 11.3.5 Approximately what percentage of your CLOSED and/or OFFSITE stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? DVDs, Records and Other Media Broken out by enrollment
Table 11.3.6 Approximately what percentage of your CLOSED and/or OFFSITE stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? DVDs, Records and Other Media Broken out by tuition, $
Table 11.4.1 Approximately what percentage of your CLOSED and/or OFFSITE stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? All Other
Table 11.4.2 Approximately what percentage of your CLOSED and/or OFFSITE stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? All Other Broken out by age of respondent
Table 11.4.3 Approximately what percentage of your CLOSED and/or OFFSITE stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? All Other Broken out by public or private college
Table 11.4.4 Approximately what percentage of your CLOSED and/or OFFSITE stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? All Other Broken out by type of college or Carnegie class
Table 11.4.5 Approximately what percentage of your CLOSED and/or OFFSITE stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? All Other Broken out by enrollment
Table 11.4.6 Approximately what percentage of your CLOSED and/or OFFSITE stack space for materials is accounted for by each of the following? All Other Broken out by tuition, $
Table 12.1 In general how would you evaluate your library patrons' information literacy skills in using print materials, particularly those that may be in Stacks or other storage?
Table 12.2 In general how would you evaluate your library patrons' information literacy skills in using print materials, particularly those that may be in Stacks or other storage? Broken out by age of respondent
Table 12.3 In general how would you evaluate your library patrons' information literacy skills in using print materials, particularly those that may be in Stacks or other storage? Broken out by public or private college
Table 12.4 In general how would you evaluate your library patrons' information literacy skills in using print materials, particularly those that may be in Stacks or other storage? Broken out by type of college or Carnegie class
Table 12.5 In general how would you evaluate your library patrons' information literacy skills in using print materials, particularly those that may be in Stacks or other storage? Broken out by enrollment
Table 12.6 In general how would you evaluate your library patrons' information literacy skills in using print materials, particularly those that may be in Stacks or other storage? Broken out by tuition, $
Table 13.1 How many students work part or full time in the stacks or in stacks management?
Table 13.2 How many students work part or full time in the stacks or in stacks management? Broken out by age of respondent
Table 13.3 How many students work part or full time in the stacks or in stacks management? Broken out by public or private college
Table 13.4 How many students work part or full time in the stacks or in stacks management? Broken out by type of college or Carnegie class
Table 13.5 How many students work part or full time in the stacks or in stacks management? Broken out by enrollment
Table 13.6 How many students work part or full time in the stacks or in stacks management? Broken out by tuition, $
How has the library altered its cleaning and ventilation practices to make the stacks safer?
What is the best thing your library has ever done to improve stacks management?
Samples
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Sources / Contributors
- Asbury University
- Bellarmine University
- Bennett College
- Bethel University (TN)
- Boston Conservatory at Berklee
- Boston University
- Bryan College Library
- Bryn Athyn College
- California Institute of the Arts
- California State University, East Bay
- Christopher Newport University
- Community College of Rhode Island
- Daemen College
- Davidson College
- Duquesne University
- Fort Lewis College
- Heritage University
- Jackson State Community College
- Lafayette College
- Livingstone College
- McKendree University
- Morgan Community College
- Mount Mary University
- Oral Roberts University Library
- Ozarka College
- Pacific Union College
- Samford University
- Seminole State College of Florida
- Shasta College
- South University
- Spoon River College
- Tarleton State University
- University of Alberta - Augustana Campus
- University of Arkansas at Little Rock
- University of Delaware Library, Museums and Press
- University of Kentucky Libraries
- University of Mississippi
- University of North Carolina Greensboro
- University of North Dakota
- University of Sioux Falls - Mears Library
- University of Texas at Dallas
- University of Texas at San Antonio
- University of the West Indies
- Western University
- Whatcom Community College
- Worcester State University
- Xavier University of Louisiana
- Yakima Valley Community College-Grandview Campus
- Yeshiva University
Methodology
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