[LIBRARYDIR] Debating the Physical Reference Collection

[Jane Blume]

Greg,

When setting up BTC's Library, we followed RTC's example of interfiling our Reference collection within the open stacks. We also interfile DVDs. Less and less of our collection is designated as Reference, usually only because of the price of the material. If it is something that many students need to use, we make it a 2 hour, in-library use only or overnight reserve, sometimes just for the quarter.

Also, at the discretion of the staff person, we allow most reference materials to be checked out overnight or for three days. We also provide up to 5 pages of free photocopying from reference books. Most students just take pictures of the pages they need, but our photocopier also scans and emails for free. Students were not using the reference materials because it cost them money to use. Expensive items, i.e. a $500 DVD, are always behind the desk in the reserve collection.

Accreditation did not seem to even notice that we had no reference collection. For individual program accreditation--Nursing, Culinary, Dental, Diesel, Vet Tech--they were only interested in the depth and currentness of the materials related to the individual programs. We have not gone through an accreditation for our new BAS programs. I will be interested in what the other colleges' experiences are. We dropped Credo because of low usage.

Jane

Jane Blume
Director
Library| Media Services
Bellingham Technical College
jblume at btc.edu<mailto:jblume at btc.edu>
360.752.8472 - desk
360.752.8383 - front desk







From: LIBRARYDIR <librarydir-bounces at lists.ctc.edu> On Behalf Of Bem, Greg
Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2018 1:38 PM
To: WACTC Library Directors <librarydir at lists.ctc.edu>
Subject: [LIBRARYDIR] Debating the Physical Reference Collection

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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