1. Assessment and Weeding as Part of a Major Renovation Project
Never Underestimate the Importance of Planning
May 30, 2018
Cynthia Holt
CAUL-CBUA Manager

2. Genesis of the Project Concordia University in Montreal
Two libraries in the same city – downtown and suburb
Major renovation of the downtown campus library
Collection Services staff recently re- located to the suburban campus library
“Weeding for Space” 

3. Guiding Principles – It Matters How You Frame It
Responsible stewardship of the collection
Culture of assessment
Clear decision-making criteria developed through user consultation
Sub-projects, by specific formats
Consultation with user communities
Unification of divided collections across both campuses
Ease of access
Accuracy of our catalog
Re-Use and recycle – potential $$ to put into project

4. Plan, Plan, Plan, and Plan Some More
Project Charter
Timelines – period, sequence, concurrencies, staffing, ownership, deliverables
Resource needs
Training
Data-based decisions
Communication

5. Project Charter The “Big Picture” Why are we doing this? Scope - creep
Needs
Impact
Scope - creep
Deliverables
Dependencies - construction
Top-Level Timeline
Assumptions, Constraints, and Risks (mitigation)
Roles and Responsibilities
Stakeholders – communication and consultation

6. 200. Sub-Project Plans and Timelines
Task
Deliverables
Completion Date
Responsibility
Resources Needed
Comments
200. Sub-Project Plans and Timelines
201 – Develop the project charter and timeline template
Create a project charter template and timeline document
July 2013
D. Trump
Completed
202 – Project management meetings
Meeting schedule distributed
September 2013 first meeting
C. Holt
Meeting room
In Progress
203 – Provide project management training for coordinators
Workshop on project management
Mid-October 2013
C. Holt/D. Trump
Classroom
204 – Introduce project charters and timeline template to coordinators
Meeting to discuss project charters and timelines

7. 500. Sub-Project Implementation
Timelines cont.
500. Sub-Project Implementation
501 - Theses
For details, click on link above.
Digitization of remaining theses.
Decision on disposition of print copies.
Spring 2015
C. Holt/B. Cheese
W. Wilson
Discussion with Records Management & Archives as to a transfer of mandate for these theses
502 – Reference & Indexes
Reduction of Webster on-site collection to 2,100 linear feet
Elimination of separate Webster on-site collection and integration of remaining indexes into Webster Reference collection
June 2015
D. Trump/D. Liver
In Progress
503 - Standards
Criteria for maintaining a zero-space growth collection
A.O. Kay
506 – Monographs
Reduction of Webster on-site collection to 45,000 linear feet
June 2016
D. Trump/B. Obama
Supernumerary and Collection Services staff

8. Monographs Preliminary Tasks Four iterations
Measurement
Inventory
Data gathering
Four iterations
Duplicates
Superseded editions
Print/Ebook Packages
Discipline specific – possible last copy
Re-measurement and final inventory

9. Training Managers Staff Project management platform
Project management skills
Documentation – Timelines, Communication Plans, Templates, Versioning, Naming Guidelines
Staff
Procedures

10. Resource Needs Staffing Space Stuff Time Internal – Who, when, where
External – Institutional, Companies
Labour relations
Space
Workspace
Storage – term, location, access, timing
Stuff
Equipment
Health & Safety
Time

11. Data-based Decisions Library Mission and Vision Mining your ILS
Bibliographic and circulation information such as total number of checkouts, number of copies, location of copies, status of copies etc.
Duplication elsewhere – digital, archives, other libraries in the city, etc.

12. Communication – There’s No Such Thing as Too Much