Next phase: moving books from Reference Annex, Reference Stacks, and Reference Folio to Main Stacks

This is not the time or place for full documentation of process or details of the workflow, but this is an introduction to some of the interesting challenges we have faced in the process of launching this project.

I needn't even shed a tear -- while I do mourn the future loss of the beautiful black powder-coated metal shelves, custom-made black powder-coated metal book ends, and the solid wood ends of the ranges (major nod to the designers and architects that made such a classy space in 1996/1997, that it does not look dated now), I am on autopilot negotiating communication, delegation, and organization of handling, moving, and interfiling so many books.

Do we ever consider the provenance of Reference books? We have had a Reference Annex separate from the Reference Stacks collection since I began work here in 2001 as a student. Over the years it has moved locations multiple times and has undergone major weeding. At this final stage, we have identified what we desire to keep, and my student workers and I go about the task of interfiling them with the regular Reference collection to make Access Service's work easier when they shift and shelve the titles in the main stacks.

Further, the Annex materials are in the unique position of possessing three marks identifying them: a "REF ANNEX" sticker label on the spine, a "Ref" or "Biblio Ref" preceding the call number on the spine, and a  sticker on the inner cover that says something like "For Reference, Do Not Remove from this Room."

Any library worker doing due diligence will authoritatively assert the need to cover these labels. "For aesthetic and informational needs," I said in the meeting in where we discussed this.

Last week we began our work. We started at 1 pm pulling one cart (that's three shelves filled on both sides, a total of 552 cm of linear shelving), brought it upstairs, and began removing or covering up these labels. With two of us working on it, we did not finish until 5 pm. FOUR hours spent covering or removing labels. Besides the lack of sustainability in this, our scissors kept getting gunked up with the adhesive from the tapes we were using, which led to finger injuries when cleaning with rubbing alcohol. Not to mention the sheer amount of supplies we would blow through.

Example 1 of spine label covers.
We removed the "REF ANNEX" sticker on the top of the spine,
and covered the "Ref" part of the call number on the spine. 

Example 2 of spine label covers.
We covered the "REF ANNEX" sticker on the spine (brown cloth tape),
and covered the "Ref" part of the call number label with White Out -- this because the call number
was written in something similar to White Out rather than printed on a label. 

Example 3 of spine label covers.
The "REF ANNEX" sticker was close enough to the "Ref" part of the
call number label that we could use one strip of cloth tape (blue) to cover both. 

Example 1 of covering up the label on the inside cover. 

Example 2 of covering up the label on the inside cover. 

Example 3 of covering up the label on the inside cover.

It pains me to say, but I ended up being the one that advocated for the elimination of this step in our process. My colleague who is the Stacks Coordinator made a good point -- by bearing their vestigial REF mark, each volume signifies its provenance and identity as a Reference work.

Yesterday I broke an emoji bottle of champagne over the proverbial bow of the first cart, and officially began the project by bringing the first cart to Cataloging to have their records updated. They are now in route to Access Services and their new home in the Stacks. We're working backwards, which is the other funny thing, starting with the Z's, and we're moving over 10,000 volumes in less than 6 months hypothetically.

Update to Slack, the PM communication/social media tool we're piloting for this project.

Glad I am feeling unsentimental -- I was given the charge of taking care of this whole print collection for nearly 15 years, and on the eve of my entrance into the professional realm of library work, I have been charged with lovingly disposing it all. As if to say, Congratulations on finishing library school, now you are faced with choosing virtual Reference if you have allegiance to Reference work, or choosing Special Collections if you have allegiance to the physical object.

If I love the Reference print collection, must I set it free? Will it return to me from the main stacks to prove its requited love? I suppose just as with medieval manuscripts and platinotypes, no inanimate object can ever return love...