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Current Projects

  • Hope College
  • Oakland University
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • University of North Alabama
  • Lansing Community College
  • Occidental College
  • New Mexico State University
  • James Madison University
  • Michigan Shared Print Initiative (SPI)


Finding space

For other uses

Recorded Webinar

Data-Driven Deselection for Monographs
ASERL Webinar: Recorded 9/26/2011

This 37 minute presentation details the SCS approach to data-driven deselection. Due to a glitch, start viewing at the 7:25 minute mark. There are also 15 minutes of Q&A.

Managing Low-Use Print Monographs

Sustainable Collection Services (SCS) offers deselection decision-support tools to academic libraries. SCS tools enable carefully managed drawdown of low-use print monograph collections while supporting shared print archiving efforts. Our uniquely tailored reports combine local circulation and item data with WorldCat holdings, Hathi Trust Digital Library holdings, and authoritative title lists. The result: cost-effective, evidence-based decisions.

Within days or weeks of the initial data import, SCS can provide your library with actionable lists of titles that can be responsibly de-accessioned or stored—with confidence that the content will remain accessible to your users. Items that are held scarcely in other libraries will also be identified as candidates for retention and archiving.

Step 1  Planning call to set goals for project
Library creates catalog extract
Extract is delivered via FTP
Data is mapped to SCS database fields
Bad OCLC numbers and LCCNs are identified and fixed
OCLC WorldCat
Hathi Trust Digital Library
Authoritative Title Lists
Withdrawal Candidate List - See sample
Preservation Candidate List - see sample
Establish comfort level with criteria
Adjust criteria per subject area or location
Step 7   Withdrawal lists are modified and/or approved
Recycle, donate, or discard
Transfer to storage facility or archive
Catalog records updated in batch
OCLC holdings updated in batch

"Fantastic job on this!  This information would have taken us months if we did it 'by hand'.'"

Peter Spitzform
Collection Development Librarian
University of Vermont Libraries

Consulting Services

SCS also provides customized consulting services in areas related to collection analysis, deselection, record maintenance, and materials movement:

  • Workflow design, analysis & optimization for withdrawal, storage & shared print processes
  • Development & implementation of batch record maintenance options
  • Facilitiation and data support for shared print projects
  • Project management
  • Education and training for stakeholders

SCS Partners Rick Lugg and Ruth Fischer have consulted with more than 100 academic libraries over the past decade as principals in R2 Consulting LLC. R2 is widely regarded as the profession's premier consultancy on workflow analysis & redesign and organizational change. Rick & Ruth's extensive consulting experience now extends to collection analysis, deselection workflows, and facilitation of shared print initiatives. Please contact us to bring their expertise to your project.