Remote Storage: Leveraging Technology to Maximize Efficiency and Minimize Investments

Eric ParkerPritzker Legal Research CenterNorthwestern University Law Schoolecp278@law.northwestern.edu

About Pritzker Legal Research Center

• Chicago campus

• Over 600,000 volumes held

• Long back runs of many serial titles

• Anticipating space renovation

Remote Storage at Northwestern

• Oak Grove Library Center opened late 2011Located in Waukegan, IL

• Capacity to hold 1.9 million vols.

• University & HealthSciences Librariessent materials first

Pritzker and Remote Storage

• Off-site plan from 2010-2011

• Spring 2014 construction project

• Need to move ca. 5,000 vols.of state case reports

• One week to planbefore totes delivered

Pritzker and Remote Storage

• Could rely on other libraries’ experiences

• Weekly van pick up

• Single fixed workstation

Oak Grove Assistant Program

• Written by Gary Strawn, Authorities Librarian at Northwestern University Library

• Works with Voyager

Voyager Item Record - Before

Voyager Item Record - After

Pritzker and Remote Storage

• No extra staff to do project

• Staff already stretched

• Seemed necessary to find alternatives

Take the Computer to the Work!

Take the Computer to the Work!

• Modifications to Oak Grove AssistantProcess files rather than individual barcodes

• Take laptop to work area

• Purchase and use wireless barcode scannersAbout $75 each

Take the Computer to the Work! (cont’d)

• 1-2 hour shifts creating .txt files of scanned barcodes

• Pack books into totes right in aisles

• Email .txt files to be processed

• Separation and batching of scanning and packing from database changes

Packed Totes Ready for Pick-Up

Our Results

• Initial 5,000 volume project on-time,and with minimal mistakes

• Follow up checks in our catalog

• A few pieces added to binsw/o scanning: < ½%

• A few pieces that lacked barcodes

• One item returned lacking a barcode

Lessons Learned

• Include staff from the get-go

• No one single approach

• Keep thinking of ways to improve!

Thank You!!

ecp278@law.northwestern.edu