Remote storage for large collections is becoming common, making those books inaccessible for physical browsing by researchers. The main libraries at Temple University and the University of Central Florida (UCF) each have approximately 1.3 million print items on-site. Both libraries are storing 90% of their collections in automated retrieval systems with 10% remaining available for browsing in open stacks. Deciding what to designate for the open stacks requires some assumptions about patron behavior, not only what materials users need to browse but also how users prefer to access books. In the first part of this session, Temple’s Collection Analysis Librarian will highlight both the decision-making and communication involved in creating Temple’s browsing title lists and the technologies used to create and store the lists. The presentation will note complications of the process, some of which were inevitable and others for which hindsight could offer solutions. It will also note what went well, and where success cannot yet be measured. The second part of the session will explore UCF’s efforts to improve discoverability of the items in storage. The visual aspects of a book (height, multi-volume, etc.) that often provide useful clues regarding the content disappear when the patron can only view a list of search results on a computer screen. How can the loss of these visual clues be mitigated? This session will examine online browsing guides, explore how researchers can modify their search strategies, and discuss features which might be built into online catalog systems and ebook platforms to enhance discoverability.
