INTO THE STACKS! Powered Carts for Efficient Stacks Management Work!

Registrants will receive viewing information before the conference.

This presentation will show how a powered cart increased the efficiency of BGSU library staff working with materials in our collections. Having staff work in the stacks at a mobile cart has many advantages and increases staff visibility and accessibility when and where patrons need help! Our building has wireless access and we recycled the following gently used equipment: a PC, two monitors, a barcode scanner, and a label printer. We added a powered cart and installed software (Sierra Client, OCLC Connexion, and a browser to access the WebPAC) to make a mobile office for collections and stacks staff. Staff use an online calendar to reserve the cart. Three specific projects have utilized this cart. The first project involved weeding of the computer science manuals from the main stacks collection. The second project required Sierra and the label printer for relabeling of LP recordings with new local call numbers in the Music Library and Bill Schurk Sound Archives. The third project evaluated individual materials and bibliographic records from the Curriculum Resource Center. Some of the facets staff were able to analyze while in the stacks included circulation statistics, physical condition, and examination of local holdings as well as holdings in OhioLINK and WorldCat. This information allowed the staff to be able to decide what items should be returned to the shelf, replaced, sent to remote storage, or withdrawn. Overall, the powered cart has provided staff in various collections to work faster, more efficiently and with smoother workflows.