Selecting for Storage

Abstract

Off-site storage has become increasingly common as academic libraries run out of space and the political and financial costs of central campus construction soar out of reach. As it splits collections and denies browsability, storage is commonly regarded as a necessary evil for which there are no obvious alternatives. How we select what we store is therefore central in ensuring results that disrupt students, scholars, and collections as little as possible. After reviewing the purposes of off-site storage, I consider the conditions necessary for viable storage arrangements and suggest how these basic conditions have evolved over time. I then explore criteria that can be employed in selecting materials for storage as well as the interplay between these criteria, the mechanics of storage operations, and the pressures associated with storage goals. I close by suggesting some of the larger challenges whose solutions may be informed by our struggles with storage.