Achieving Balance: Triumphs and Trials of Collection Management What did we do? Collection inventory: 1st complete analysis Erasing project: preservation of books and scores Why? Know what is on the shelf Reflect accurate holdings in catalog Establish consistency of records Item condition & duplication concerns Shelf space issue in multiple collections Upcoming system migration (Summer 2017) Challenges Faculty complaints “You’re erasing fingerings I put in there for my students!” “What if we need 4 copies in the future?” Existing standards/practices varied Too many versions of the same practice or process Global changes difficult due to inconsistencies Items appeared in wrong collections i.e. CDs or LPs appearing in the book collection Time commitment Inventory started in 2013 Staff limitations One librarian, utilizing student assistants when available Other full-time staff needed as related to their area Successes We know what we have on the shelf! Catalog accurately reflects library holdings Standardization of data across collections Establishing one set of good practices Ready when new opportunities arise New CD compact shelving (Done!) Possible remote storage How? Shelf lists printed Books and media collections fairly simple Scores were a nightmare! Shelves checked Marked piece counts Marked misshelved items Basic evaluation of damage System check of individual records Editing of internal notes & updated copy numbers Added piece counts Noted circulation stats for weeding Weeding of duplicates Collections shifted as space became available Retain annotated shelf list records Who? Collection Development Librarian Student Assistants Other full-time library staff What’s next? Start the process over again Continue erasing project – priority to circulating items Sara Nodine Warren D. Allen Music Library, FSU snodine@fsu.edu