Archival Facility Collection – Guidelines and Selection Criteria

The Libraries’ Archival Facility is a 25,200 sq. ft. facility that has provided off-site storage for library materials since 2003. The Archival Facility has a capacity of approximately 650,000 volumes and 12,000 boxes of archival records. Because materials are not stored in call-number order, the collection is not browsable.

I. General Guidelines for Collection Managers

Archival Facility selection is part of a larger program of collection review. It is expected that most material removed from active stack space will be transferred to the Archival Facility. In some cases, however, it might be more appropriate to withdraw the material from the Libraries’ collections or to reformat the material. When reviewing material to be transferred to the Archival Facility, collection managers should consider the following general guidelines.

1. The Archival Facility is intended to house low-use or at-risk materials that retain some value to the collection. The facility can accommodate all material formats.


2. Archival Facility selection and recommendations are an ongoing responsibility of collection managers.


3. Generally, only cataloged materials may be sent to the Archival Facility. Exceptions for sending uncataloged materials to the Archival Facility must be approved by the Associate Dean for Collections.


4. Archival Facility shelving capacity is limited; therefore, collection managers should consider circulation statistics and the physical condition of the various copies before recommending that multiple copies of an item be sent to the Archival Facility. Multiple copies of low use items may be withdrawn upon recommendation.


5. Materials may be transferred back from the Archival Facility to the campus libraries. Requests for materials that are needed on a short- or long-term basis should be sent to the Associate Dean for Collections, and the materials will be returned.


6. Collection managers are encouraged to consult with teaching faculty, library colleagues, the Collection Coordinators, and the Associate Dean for Collections in applying these guidelines.


7. All recommendations for Archival Facility transfers must be approved by the Associate Dean for Collections prior to preparing materials.

II. Reasons for Sending Material to the Archival Facility

1. Space
   The primary reason for sending materials to the Archival Facility is to provide adequate space for high-use material and for new acquisitions.
2. Low Use
   Circulation records provide a clear history of an item’s use, but low use or potential low use can be surmised for the following categories:
• Items that have been superseded by more recent editions or electronic editions;
• Items in subject areas with no current teaching or research relevance;
• Older items in disciplines that rely chiefly on recently published material.
3. Preservation
   The controlled environment of the Archival Facility makes it the optimal place to shelve fragile or damaged items.
4. Security
   The Archival Facility is an appropriate choice for shelving material that is valuable or at risk of theft or mutilation. This option is useful for materials that do not meet the criteria for Special Collections.

III. Selection Criteria

The following criteria represent general guidelines. The criteria concerning date of publication, circulation records, and date of entry into the collection will be used to generate reports for collection managers’ consideration.

A. Monographs

• Individual Monographs. In general, monographs meeting both criteria will be transferred to the Archival Facility:
• No circulations within the past 10 years
• Published within the following time frame:
• Science and Engineering – more than 20 years ago
• Social Sciences – more than 30 years ago
• Humanities – more than 40 years ago
• Monographic Series. Titles analyzed in the Libraries’ catalog and classed separately should be treated as individual monographs.
• Annuals. Annuals analyzed and shelved as monographs should be treated as individual monographs.
• Multi-Volume Sets. Sets should usually remain intact, whether on site or in the Archival Facility.
• Monographs with Media. Monographs containing computer disks, microfiche, or other enclosures should be treated as regular monographs. Texts and media that have been shelved separately should be reunited prior to sending them to the Archival Facility.

B. Serials

• Current Subscriptions. In general, serials meeting the following publication date criteria will be transferred to the Archival Facility:
• Science and Engineering – more than 20 years old
• Social Sciences – more than 30 years old
• Humanities – more than 40 years old
• Titles in Databases. Titles contained in stable electronic databases will be moved to the Archival Facility on a regular basis. In cases where electronic coverage is not complete (e.g., recent JSTOR issues), volumes that have no electronic coverage and that do not meet the general guidelines for transfer according to publication date, will remain on site.
• Unindexed Titles. Unindexed titles, regardless of age, should be kept on site to facilitate browsing.
• Cumulative Indexes. Print indexes available in electronic formats should be sent to the Archival Facility.

C. Reference Titles

Current reference materials (bibliographies, dictionaries, yearbooks, handbooks, indexes, and biographical sources) are not good candidates for the Archival Facility. However, superseded editions and print works now available electronically should be considered for transfer to the Archival Facility. When transferring previously non-circulating materials to the Archival Facility, collection managers should consider whether to maintain the non-circulating status.

IV. Timeline for Archival Facility Selection

Monographs, reference works, and periodicals should all be reviewed on an ongoing basis. Volumes included in electronic resources, such as JSTOR, should be sent to the Archival Facility when the volume becomes available online.

Collection managers generally remain responsible for their collections regardless of location. Requests for moving large collections to or from the Archival Facility require approval from the Associate Dean for Collections prior to preparing material for transfer.

V. Transferring Materials to and from the Archival Facility

Transfer of materials to and from the Archival Facility will generally be completed by Archival Facility staff. Cataloging staff will be involved in processing materials moved to the Archival Facility, particularly with series and periodicals.