Help! We don't have room for all our important books!!

http://www.minitex.umn.edu/Storage/
http://www.bgsu.edu/library/nworbd.html

Does your library have books that are infrequently used but still valuable to your collections?  Is your shelf space limited but permanently eliminating some items will negatively affect a percentage of your patrons?  If so, then a book depository may be just the answer your library is looking for!

What is a book depository?

According to the Minnesota Library Access Center website, it is a "secure, climate controlled environment for high density storage of important but less frequently used collections owned by libraries".  In other words, it is a book retirement home!  (Please note:  the term book is specifically used because not all depositories can house other types of media.)  If a book is sent to a depository it can expect to encounter consistent temperature and humidity conditions.  It will also be treated to enhanced security measures such as multiple backup fire safety systems and no public access to the shelves.  In some cases, key cards or other additional security features further inhibit access to stored material.

Want to know how incoming material is processed?

Well, it might surprise you to know that it is not sorted by any of the commonly used categorization methods like the Dewey decimal system, alphabetical order, genre, or even library of origin.  In order to achieve maximum density storage, books are sorted by height and width.  This means that a book of children's fairy tales could end up between a text on the biology of African dwarf frogs and a biography of a serial killer as long as they have similar height and width!  The books are then put in cardboard trays made of acid free materials and each receives a label indicating which tray it is being stored in.  The trays are assigned a specific shelf space and the record for each item is altered to reflect its storage location.

What type of items can be stored?

This will depend, to some extent, on the depository facility you are using.  Generally, items placed in long term storage must still have some value but be infrequently used.  They must also be free of contaminants such as dust, mold, and insect infestations.  Some depositories have an archival department that can repair items but if not, the books must be in usable condition.  It is not in the best interest of a storage facility to house multiple copies of the same text so an item may be declined if there is already one in the depository.  Finally, it would be necessary to contact the facility to determine if other forms of media can be stored there as well.

What happens next?

Once an item is placed in storage it will remain there until it is requested by a patron or permanently removed from the collection.  A depository does not normally assume ownership of stored items so they can be returned to the original institution.  This allows a library to maintain control over its materials while not losing valuable shelf space to little used items.