[LIBRARYDIR] Debating the Physical Reference Collection

[Bem, Greg]

Hello all,

The LWTech librarians are currently debating the role of the physical reference collection, which sees almost zero use (observed and/or tracked), and has not expanded or shrunk significantly in years. Sacrilegious traditional librarianship sentiments aside, we are actually wondering if it's worth having this collection in its own physical section (having a "reference" section at all that is) and what we might be able to do with the physical space should that area become transformed.

We have debated continuing to have a reference class of materials and integrating them (physically) into the general collection stacks, for example. We do have Credo and see significant use of our digital reference resources. One emotional constraint we've found is that a lot of the books we have in that section are financially valuable and/or rare, so we hesitate moving them or surplusing them, even though they are doing little but collecting dust and mild nods of affirmation from the library team.

In any case, I'd love to hear from you about your own physical reference situations. Do you currently have a reference collection? Do you see it getting used? If it's not getting used, how do you justify its existence? If you don't justify its existence, why do you still have it? Are there accreditation or policy requirements that include continuing a physical reference collection?

Thanks for your considerations!

Greg

Greg Bem, MLIS
Faculty Library Coordinator
Pronouns: he/him/his

Contact Info
greg.bem at lwtech.edu<mailto:greg.bem at lwtech.edu%0d>
425-739-8100 xt.8898
http://www.lwtech.edu/campus-life/library

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