Regional Library Facility (RLF) Space Assessment Projects

Overview of Space Assessment Projects

The purpose of the RLFs is to store, preserve and provide access to library materials of research value in a cost effective economical manner for the libraries of the University of California. As the two RLFs will reach capacity in the next few years, the Shared Library Facilities Board (SLFB) has been looking at ways in which to extend the life of the RLFs to take deposits.

Various projects are underway or being discussed to determine if the shelving algorithms now in use are the optimum for maximizing capacity in the RLFs or if capacity could be substantially increased by de-duplicating the RLF collection.

These projects are directed towards answering the following questions: Is the space being used as efficiently as it could be? Are there better alternatives? Could sufficient space be re-claimed that the costs of changing would be justified? What are the recommended models for using future space?

Project I: WEST Gold De-duplication Pilot

Project overview

A small pilot project based on the WEST Gold titles is under way to explore the cost and potential impact of de-duplication across the two RLFs. This project will contribute data to help determine whether de-duplication at a larger scale would be cost effective in reclaiming space.

Large-scale de-duplication would require a shared understanding of the benefits and the criteria for de-selecting materials, including how many print copies should be kept.

Project timeline

Target date	Milestone	Status
Summer 2016	SRLF and NRLF staff do a comparative analysis of WEST Gold titles	Complete
Fall 2016	Identify volumes to be used for gap-filling at other RLF and duplicated for de-accessioning	Complete
Spring 2017	Potential implementation of projects based on pilot findings

Project documents

Project II: Exploration of Alternate Shelving Models for NRLF and SRLF

Project timeline

Target date	Milestone	Status
Fall 2016	Exploration of alternative shelving models for NRLF and SRLF
January 2017	Report to SLFB on alternative storage and shelving models
Spring 2017	Potential implementation of projects based on exploratory findings