UC Santa Barbara Library

The UC Santa Barbara Library faced significant challenges in 2012 when it was determined that the collection of 700,000 volumes in the Library’s central tower had to be permanently reduced by 20 percent because of seismic retrofitting for an expansion and renovation project. While many libraries have reported on methods of engaging with faculty to inform selection decisions for offsite storage, little has been reported about using survey methodology for this purpose. To develop strategies for relocation that would have the least impact on research and teaching, a team of UCSB librarians worked with a faculty committee and the campus Social Science Survey Center to develop a survey of user behaviors and preferences in accessing library information resources. Members of the faculty committee were nominated by academic deans and the Academic Senate. The survey was distributed in spring 2012 to all faculty and graduate students. The target population returned 772 surveys, yielding a margin of error of 4.2 percent and a confidence level of 99 percent. Using survey results, the Library team developed six strategies for offsite storage selection. The strategies were then evaluated by the faculty committee to ensure consistency with the survey outcomes. Once approved by the committee, the strategies were presented to the campus and are now being implemented. The poster summarizes the steps taken by the Library team working with the faculty committee. It also presents the six strategies with supporting survey data displayed by graphs.  Janet Martorana presented the poster on June 30, 2013 at the American Library Association Annual Conference in Chicago, Illinois.