Frequently Asked Questions about Off-Campus Storage of Library Materials

1. Why are library materials being put in off-campus storage?
2. What libraries will be included in the storage project?
3. How are materials being selected for storage?
4. What type of material is being put into storage?
5. How will I know which books are in storage?
6. How long will it take to retrieve material from storage?
7. What circulation policies will be used for books in storage?
8. What storage facility will be used?
9. Where is the storage facility?
10. Can I use materials at the storage facility?
11. Can I check out materials at the storage facility?

1. Why are library materials being put in off-campus storage?

The Georgetown University Library no longer has the shelf space to accommodate the 30,000 plus volumes added annually.  The Lauinger, Blommer Science, and Riggs libraries are all effectively full.  The Georgetown University Library  has addressed the need for adequate storage space for the Library collection for sometime.  In 1983 25,000 volumes were transferred to storage in the Riggs Library. Over the past eight years thousands of new shelves have been added to Lauinger Library to accommodate the continued growth of the collection.  Compact shelving was installed on the Lower Level in 1991, shelves were added to the book stacks in 1996, and the second floor was reconfigured with thousands of new shelves in 1997 to better house the periodical collection.  The Blommer Science Library has been completely full for years and nearly half of the science materials are now located outside the Science Library in either the Riggs Library or in Lauinger.  New shelving can no longer be added in any of these libraries without eliminating significant amounts of study space.  Explorations of the possibility of building an addition to the Lauinger Library among the Library administration, the Main Campus Library Committee, the Provost's Office (and before that the Executive Vice President's Office), and the University Architect's Office, resulted in an understanding that other building priorities (for instance the Southwest Quadrangle project, and the need for new Science facilities) would take precedence over an addition to Lauinger.  An off-campus solution to overcrowding of the book stacks in the Library became necessary.

2. What libraries are included in the storage project?

The Lauinger Library and the Blommer Science Library will be selecting and transferring materials to storage. Books and bound journals housed in the Riggs Library will not be included because it is logistically very difficult to move large numbers of books into and out of Riggs.

3. How are materials selected for storage?

Identification of prospective materials for storage started with the circulation history of each volume in the collection, which is known beginning with 1993.  Science materials published before 1980 that have not circulated since 1993 will be reviewed for possible storage.  Librarians in the Science Library have examined each volume and marked those that seem appropriate for storage.  Science faculty identified individual titles that should remain in the Science Library.  In October, 1999 the Library began processing the volumes and removing them to the storage facility.  Each book housed in the storage facility includes the location "Off-campus storage" in GEORGE, the online catalog.

Books considered for storage from the Lauinger Library collection have not circulated since 1993, and were generally published between 1859 and 1969, with a few exceptions (for example, Q, R, S, and T).  In early 2000 Library Liaisons worked closely with faculty to identify those titles that could be moved to off-campus storage.  The circulation history, the significance of a particular title, and how knowledge is created in a given field were taken into account, as they were also considered in identifying materials for storage from the Science Library collection. Over 300,000 storage candidates were reviewed and more than 162,000 volumes were selected for storage.  In addition, lists arranged by call number of all the books being considered for storage were made available on this web site. Faculty and other Library users could individually remove titles from the storage candidates list. Over 4000 volumes remain on campus as a result of requests received in this way.  The recommendations of faculty and other Library users was essential to the success of this project.

4. What type of material is being put into storage?

The storage project focused on books. It is not necessary to move periodicals to storage at this time because the second floor of Lauinger Library was reconfigured and thousands of new shelves were added in 1997. Space for about seven years growth of the periodical collection is available.  No additional shelves can be added to the floors housing the books without eliminating significant amounts of study space. New space for books is necessary so that the Library can continue to accommodate the 30,000 plus volumes added each year.
 

5. How will I know which books are in storage?

Each book housed in the storage facility includes the location "Off-campus storage" in GEORGE, the online catalog.

6. How long will it take to retrieve material from storage?

Books are available at the circulation desk in Lauinger Library within no more than two business days.
 

7. What circulation policies will be used for books in storage?

Books in off-campus storage are treated as if they were part of the circulating collection on campus. The borrowing privileges for any other book in the circulating collection will apply.  Storage books may be borrowed, recalled, and put on reserve.

8. What storage facility will be used?

Library staff investigated options for off-campus storage and selected the Washington Research Library Consortium's Offsite Storage facility located in Upper Marlboro, Maryland as the best alternative.  The Main Campus Library Committee, the Library Advisory Council, the Provost, and the Main Campus Executive Faculty were consulted.  The WRLC storage facility provides high-density, environmentally- controlled, retrievable storage for books, audio-visual or microform media, and archival boxes. Individual items are sorted by size and stored on an appropriate-size shelf, in order to store the maximum number of items in the minimum floor area.  The facility consists of 12 rows of 30-foot high racks containing approximately 9,000 shelves. The storage area is climate controlled to provide an optimum environment for books and documents.

More detailed information about the WRLC Offsite Storage facility is available from their web site.

9. Where is the storage facility?

The Library has selected the Washington Research Library Consortium's Offsite Storage facility located in Upper Marlboro, Maryland as the best alternative.  More information about the WRLC Offsite Storage facility, including directions, is available at <http://www.wrlc.org/offsite/>.

10. Can I use materials at the storage facility?

You will need to obtain a pass at the Circulation desk in either the Lauinger Library or the Blommer Science library to visit the WRLC Offsite Storage facility. A small reading room is available for onsite review of materials. A photocopier and computers to search GEORGE are available. The Washington Research Library Consortium's Offsite Storage facility is located in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. More information about the WRLC Offsite Storage facility, including directions, is available at <http://www.wrlc.org/offsite/>.

11. Can I check out materials at the storage facility?

All materials must be checked out in either the Lauinger Library or the Blommer Science Library.