Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference for Off-Site Storage (MARCOSS) 2018

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http://hdl.handle.net/1903/20511
This collection includes papers, posters, and discussion notes from the inaugural Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference for Off-Site Storage (MARCOSS), held April 10, 2018 at the University of Maryland Libraries. Traditional library concerns like access, preservation, systems, and collections are different in off-site storage than at the circulating libraries they support. MARCOSS gives participants the opportunity to develop a network among off-site storage library professionals in the mid-Atlantic region and learn about the work their colleagues do at their off-site storage facilities. Session topics include: preservation, shelving and inventory methods, technical systems for error reduction, integrating special collections in storage facilities, staff safety, and more.

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    Archival Systems and Off-Site Storage
    (2018-04-10) Elizabeth, Caringola; Caitlin, Rizzo
    Although libraries have been storing materials off-site for decades, archives have only recently begun to send collections off-site. This has major implications for the systems and workflows we use to manage and retrieve materials. At the University of Maryland (UMD) Libraries, we use a combination of systems to make materials accessible at our off-site storage facility. For example, we use Aeon to manage researcher accounts and requests. We are currently split between two management systems as we upgrade from a homegrown Microsoft Access database to ArchivesSpace, which will also be our discoverability system for the public. Additionally, we have print materials that are discoverable via UMD's online library catalog. These systems would ideally integrate in order for patrons and staff alike to have a seamless experience when requesting and managing off-site collections. Our situation is not unique. During this roundtable, participants will discuss the systems they use to manage their archival and special collections materials, as well as the systems-related challenges they face as they move collections off-site. Participants will discuss and brainstorm possible solutions and workarounds for integration and enhanced access.
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    Everyone Goes Home! Staff safety within library off-site storage collections
    (2018-04-10) Houck, Steve
    At the Pennsylvania State University Library Annex, staff safety is paramount when working within collection storage areas. Closed to the public, our unit consists of four separate facilities, three of which are unmanned. Thorough training, effective communication and the use of safe practices and safety devices is crucial to keeping everyone safe. A combination of verbal and non-verbal forms of communication ensure all team members are aware of the location of others working within the collection. This includes recorded and/or verbal communication between staff; flashing beacons at the end of each bay to indicate occupancy within a compact shelving bay; barrier tape at the far end of each range within compact storage bays to prevent unsafe entry into the bay by other staff; and sensors at the base of each range to stop the travel of compact shelving if an obstacle is detected. Radios are used to keep staff alert to the condition of others who may be using a lift or otherwise working alone. Well-maintained and appropriately-sized ladders and hydraulic lifts with safety barriers are also used to promote staff safety. Orange vests, safety cones, and teaming up to move heavy book trucks contribute to the safe transfer of additional material to the collection. When an issue arises that compromises safety, a blue-colored cone is located at the site to alert library and maintenance staff as to the location of the problem. Our HelpDesk Ticket system allows library staff to communicate a problem directly to maintenance personnel for evaluation.
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    From Off-Site to In-the-Center: Repositiong large scale library storage as an enabling service
    (2018-04-10) Nadal, Jacob
    Keynote presentation for MARCOSS 2018, framing key issues and potential opportunities for libraries to leverage their investment in preservation storage facilities into a larger program of support for user services and collaboration.
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    Harvard not YOUR style? No high bay? No problem.
    (2018-04-10) Snowman, Ann MacKay; Neff, Verne
    Out of space in the stacks and off-site, Penn State Libraries created a plan to completely reconfigure the layout of our Library Annex, comprised of four retrofitted facilities housing 1.6 million volumes, to achieve 20-25 years of growth space using only our ingenuity and the ILS. Learn how an idea developed into an inventory management system that is integrated with our catalog and the circulation system. Our system tracks empty space, allows us to perform targeted searches, apply mass updates, and run custom reports on our collections shelved off-site. Piloted in 2016 and implemented in 2017, the project is ramping up to full production mode. Over the course of the next seven years, off-site shelving will be completely transformed from a pseudo-shelf list arrangement to a high density tray system and will incorporate new modes of storage. Shelving will be replaced with compact tray shelving in one facility to maximize storage capacity.
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    Minding the Gap: Searching for Lost items in Offsite Storage
    (2018-04-10) Natishan, Arthur
    Finding misshelved items can be next to impossible. After moving items into our offsite facility we soon discovered that we were getting requests for items that were on shelves we weren’t using. As time went on we realized that there were 2500+ missing items in our collection. Working with our database administrator we created a way of looking for these lost items by searching for gaps in our collection. Using this method we were able to locate a little over 1100 missing items in two months.
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    Preservation Concerns in Off-Site Storage Spaces
    (2018-04-10) Feige, Dyani
    While many collecting repositories are familiar with preservation considerations for their primary, on-site storage facilities, off-site storage is by definition physically separate and as a result, sometimes less frequently considered in preservation needs assessments, policy development, environmental management programs, emergency preparedness and response efforts, security plans, preservation resource allocation, etc. The discussion will be led by a preservation professional who will share recommendations for, as well as solicit feedback from, collections staff interested in learning about preservation considerations that impact offsite storage facilities. The overall goal of the discussion will be to determine achievable tactics for incorporating offsite storage into an institution’s strategic preservation planning initiatives.
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    Process-Driven and Site-Responsive: Designing the Library Service Center of Emory and Georgia Tech
    (2018-04-10) Murdoch, Scot
    How can library storage centers be better planned in response to the site, potential for future expansion, and module capacity? KSS Architects worked collaboratively to design the Library Service Center of Emory and Georgia Tech, responding to a graded site, poor soil conditions, and institutional needs for future expansion via a planning approach that manifested in a creative and practical facility design. By rethinking the Harvard model and adapting a cutting-edge “uber module” to center the design on the processing, all while meeting Factory Mutual standards, the Library Service Center design achieves a model for flexible storage that preserves assets while maximizing investments.
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    There and Back Again: Integrating Special Collections into Offsite Storage
    (2018-04-10) Johnson, Charlotte
    The University Libraries have been storing general collection items in offsite storage for several years, but only now are we starting to accession and store special collections items. At Severn Library, we have had to figure out not only how to store special collections which require specialized care, but also develop intake and request procedures. In this talk, I will discuss Severn’s method of handling special collections items and our partnership with UMD Libraries’ Special Collections and University Archives department. I will also go over how we distinguish special collections items from general collection items, and go over how I developed the workflow for handling requests for special collections items.
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    Trays and Beyond: Evolving Shelving Methods to Meet the Needs of Unique Materials
    (2018-04-10) Hoberg, Madde
    The goal of this round table discussion is to share ideas and experiences with different shelving techniques. By drawing on the experiences of people from many different institutions and storage facilities, participants can hear about practices that were put into place, and how these may have evolved to better store different materials. Questions will revolve around how needs for the majority of the collection has expanded or changed. This will include location naming conventions in item records; environmental storage (including cool or cold storage); unique materials storage containers and strategies (oversize items, archival boxes, picture hanging storage, microfilm/microfiche cabinets); and rarity or security needs of specific collection materials. In our conversation, it is my hope that we can share our various successes and why they worked, as well as problems we encountered and their solutions so that others may not make the same mistakes. This will create a welcoming space for people to reflect on their own work in off-site storage facilities and to take others’ experiences to assist as they problem solve any projects or complications in the future.
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    Using Microsoft Access for Offsite Shelving Error Reduction
    (2018-04-10) Spellman, Rosemary
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    Using the Native Features of our ILS to Create an Inventory Management System
    (2018-04-04) Herlein, Chris
    Using its integrated library system, the Penn State University Libraries Annex is able to track inventory as material is converted from standard call number shelving to being stored in trays whose materials are affixed with location specific barcodes. The barcodes are drafted and printed by the Annex, and are divided into four parts, each part corresponding to a more precise location. In the ILS, the Annex barcode us recorded in the record and by using a macro the barcode is parsed into three searchable item category fields. Not only does this process keep track of the inventory on the shelf, but it also accounts for material that has been permanently withdrawn from the Annex’s collection by recording the width of the spine. The withdrawn material results in X number of inches of open space, which can be visualized by exporting the information from our ILS to a planograph. We can then use this information to run reports telling us exactly which tray has open space and how many inches of open space it has. After the open space has been filled, the planograph is updated and the item category fields of the withdrawn materials are cleared. We are able to accomplish all of this at zero cost and still achieve the same function as a commercial product, but without the large upfront price tag and yearly maintenance fees.