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College & Research Libraries News

Checklist for closing a college library

By the CLS Ad Hoc Committee on Closing Colleges (1984-85)

John Sheridan, Chair

How to close your library gracefully.

The announcement that a college, and thus its library, is closing, however much expected, will come as a shock. This checklist and narrative are designed to provide the librarian and college administrator with information about the things that need to be done to close and dispose of the library in an orderly fashion. The timeframe for closing may not allow for the entire checklist to be implemented, but the persons involved can be aware of what is or is not being done. Experience has shown that greater benefits accrue to the institution if a librarian familiar with the collection supervises the entire process.

A helpful summary of five college library closings will be found in Mary Ann Griffin’s “When a Library Closes,” Journal of Academic Librarianship 10 (July 1984): 141–45.

Checklist

I. Determine the nature and value of the collection

1. If there is time, conduct an inventory of the collection and then use the shelflist as the standard for the contents of the collection.

2. Prepare an evaluation statement on the scope of the collection, including a list of subject strengths with level of development, and a list of special collections.

3. Check state and federal regulations (e.g., document depositories, HEA and Title II-A) for restrictions, and local and regional collection agreements, and list items involved.

4. List gifts with stipulations, if any.

5. Identify and remove for safekeeping valuable items (including suspected “last copies”).

1. Use titles rather than number of volumes, except in the case of periodicals, as the standard of measurement.

2. Get a signed and dated appraisal of the collection, including insurance, cost-of-replacement, and wholesale values. Work with an appraiser to determine the value of the cataloging and include that value in that appraisal.

I. Equipment

1. Check with the business office as to procedures for disposal of equipment and furnishings of library.

2. List unique equipment and furnishings, and give age and value using IRS depreciation schedules.

3. Determine whether to sell unique items with the collection or separately (the former is preferred).

4. Dispose of other equipment and furnishings with rest of college equipment.

II. Phasing out library operations

1. Increase security.

2. Continue environmental controls.

3. Recall all materials.

4. Notify utility/network and cancel contract. Other contracts (e.g., for leasing equipment) need attention also.

5. Cancel periodical subscriptions to end with completed volume.

6. Cancel standing orders with last volume received or shipped.

7. Cancel all other orders, if possible. Vendor may be committed to purchase and unwilling to cancel. Where there have been prepayments, determine if arrangements can be made for refund, or for transfer to institution purchasing the collection.

8. Determine any outstanding liabilities that cannot be cancelled.

III. Staff

1. The institution will determine who will supervise the closing. This should be a professional librarian and, if possible, the present librarian.

2. The institution will give proper notification to staff and set up procedures to aid in finding new positions.

IV. Disposal of the collection

1. Decide whether to sell collection as a whole or in parts (the former is preferred).

2. Decide method of sale: tailored to requests, open market, or bids.

3. Don’t allow faculty, other individuals or groups to take their pick.

4. Contact opening colleges for possible purchase. Accrediting agencies might be a source for this information.

5. Advertise the sale “as is.”

6. Ensure that archival materials in the library go to the same depository as the other records of the institution.

7. Stipulate that the buyer pays for packing and moving.

V. Other considerations

1. Treat the collection as a marketable commodity.

2. Try to proceed step by step. This may prevent costly mistakes.

Narrative

I. The nature of the collection

Before an intelligent and informed disposition of the collection can take place, it is necessary to know what is in the collection. Librarians have some knowledge of the nature of the collection, its strengths and weaknesses, from working daily with it, but a detailed analysis of the collection will turn up aspects that were previously overlooked. What is needed is an accurate determination of the contents. Special collections within the main collection need to be sorted. Strong subject areas need to be listed together with a short description of the level of their strength. Collection analysis procedures are helpful here. These outline in graphic form exactly where the collection’s strengths and weaknesses lie and enable the potential buyer to see whether the collection is really what is wanted. Special collections or parts thereof that were given with certain stipulations need to be so listed. This includes purchases and gifts that fall under state and federal regulations such as materials purchased with Title II-A monies. These may need to be handled separately from the regular collection.

If there is time, an inventory of the collection should be taken. This can be done when all materials are returned, or in conjunction with the circulation files. If the latter, materials which are out should be considered as lost, until they are returned. No attempt should be made to withdraw missing items. The shelflist card should be flagged in some manner. Once the inventory is completed, the shelflist becomes the index to the actual contents of the collection. It may also be used to separate special parts of the collection that may or may not be included in the main disposition.

II. The value of the collection

The value of the collection needs to be established so that offers can be intelligently evaluated. A rule of thumb for the general collection could be set as a certain amount per title plus a figure for the cataloging. One library set that figure as $5.00 per title plus $5.00 for cataloging ($10.00 per title) as a figure to judge bids by.

To get a fair price for special collections, and possibly for the whole collection, it would be wise to have special collections appraised by a professional. Two types of figures can be given for the collection: the cost-of-replacement value and the wholesale value. The two will differ. The former might be used if the library intends to sell items separately; the latter if the collection is to be sold as a block. If another value has been placed on the collection for insurance purposes, this might be of use.

If an appraisal is sought, it should have sufficient detail to make it useful to anyone reading it. The qualifications of the appraiser should be given. The sources used to determine the value given should be listed. A description of the collection should be complete to readily identify the items to which the value given is assigned. The appraisal should be signed and dated.

III. Equipment

The furnishings which are unique to the operation of a library, such as the card catalog and book trucks, need to be listed and a value assigned to each. This is used equipment, and so the price should be based on age and condition. Regular office equipment can be included with the rest of the equipment of the institution.

IV. Phasing out library operations

The integrity of the collection needs to be preserved. Security needs to be increased.

Periodical subscriptions should be cancelled in such a way as to guarantee that the purchaser will be receiving the set with the current volume complete.

Standing orders can be cancelled effective with the last volume received or shipped.

Book purchases should cease except for those needed to complete the semester’s work. They should be cataloged as soon as they come in. In extreme circumstances it might be possible to cancel outstanding orders, but it must be remembered that the vendor has made commitments to purchase the items on the library’s behalf. Refunds should be obtained for prepayments, if possible. If not, then arrangements should be made to transfer them with the collection.

Gift books can be disposed of by sale to students, faculty, etc.

Valuable items in the collection need to be protected. It may be necessary to place them in locked storage.

Networks and utilities to which the library belongs must be notified and contracts cancelled. If there are contracts for services such as the leasing of photocopy machines and servicing of microfilm readers, these also need to be cancelled.

V. Staff

One staff member needs to stay with the library until all assets are totally disposed of. The institution will need to enter into a contract to ensure that this will be the case.

The rest of the staff should be given sufficient notice of termination of their contracts. The institution should be prepared to aid them in whatever manner is possible in their search for new positions.

VI. Disposing of the collection

One method of disposing of the collection is to sell the library item by item, or in blocks, to interested parties on a first-come, first-served basis. This involves work on the part of the person or persons who will conduct the sale. The best materials will sell quickly, leaving the more common materials to go to the dump.

Another method is to respond to buyer inquiries and tailor the sale to the requests. If the whole collection can be sold in this manner, it will mean that the materials are going where they can all be used.

A third manner is to offer the collection to bidders. This can be done by the library itself or by a professional auction house. Bidding should be on the basis of the appraisal report. The library may reserve the right to reject any and all bids.

Whichever manner is chosen, it would be wise to make packing and shipping costs part of the condition of the sale.

Archival materials should go to the state historical society, or wherever the rest of the institutional records are going.

VII. General principles

Use titles rather than volume numbers, except in the case of periodicals, as the standards for determining value and sale.

The shelflist should be the authority for determining what is in the collection and what is for sale

Don’t allow the administration to rush the process. (For example, don’t advertise for bids before the shelflist is ready to be looked at.) Well-ordered procedures will prevent costly mistakes.

New NEH programs

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has established two new initiatives, “Understanding America” and “Understanding Other Nations,” in an effort to reinvigorate the teaching and learning of American history and literature, and to encourage the restoration of foreign language literacy in America.

The Endowment has produced a flyer describing the new initiatives. The flyer describes the types of proposals that are invited under the initiatives; gives examples of projects that might be supported by each of NEH’s divisions; and lists the name, telephone number, and address of a specially appointed staff coordinator who will answer questions about proposal submissions.

Single copies of the flyer are available free to those who write or call: Understanding America/Understanding Other Nations, NEH Public Affairs Office, Room 409, 1100 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20506; (202) 786- 0438.