[Videolib] Re: Interfiling in an academic library

Tobin Nellhaus (tobin.nellhaus@yale.edu)
Mon, 04 Apr 2005 10:25:03 -0400

Part of the issue may be the service role and types of material at a public
vs an academic library. A few months ago the main library at Yale started
interfiling videos and CD-ROMs with books in our stacks (using locked
security shells). This is in a context using LC classification (so no
separating fiction & non-fiction), we classify and interfile serials as
well, but we separate oversize. We had several reasons for changing our
approach: we needed to simplify and normalize processing for a growing
flood of non-print materials, we have no media center (now or probably
ever), putting books and their accompanying media in different areas causes
problems and poorly serves our readers, and from a research and teaching
perspective different formats have potentially equal value. We're still
implementing the new system (we have a lot of material that has to be
switched over) and obviously our experience isn't very lengthy, but so far
library patrons and staff both seem to like it and no major problems have
been reported.

Tobin Nellhaus
Librarian for Drama, Film and Theater Studies
226 Sterling Memorial Library, Yale University
130 Wall Street, P.O. Box 208240
New Haven, CT 06520-8240
Tel: 203/432-8212 Fax: 203/432-8527
tobin.nellhaus@yale.edu

>Date: Fri, 01 Apr 2005 22:57:58 -0700
>From: deg farrelly <deg.farrelly@asu.edu>
>To: "videolib@library.berkeley.edu" <videolib@library.berkeley.edu>
>Subject: Re: [Videolib] Interfiling in public academic library
>Message-ID: <BE738276.5ABC%deg.farrelly@asu.edu>
>In-Reply-To: <F48BAA8119A4FE429EFEE80F5EA1CF400155780C@HUBBUB.highline.edu>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
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>
>INDEED!!!! Why * should * media be treated any differently that any other
>medium!
>
>Just look at how well print materials are interfiled in libraries:
>
>1) Completely separate rooms/wings for children's materials
>2) Fiction and non-fiction filed separately
>3) Oversize/folio books in their own shelving area
>4) Reference books shelved in a separate area
>5) Journals/magazines shelved in a separate area
>6) Government documents shelved separately
>
>There are probably many other similar collections so treated. There are
>reasons why each and every one of these materials are shelved in their own
>areas.
>
>Special use, special interest, different classification/organization
>systems, ease of access all affect how items are grouped together.
>
>There is also an economy of space in shelving together items that have the
>same general dimensions as videos, DVD, cassettes, LPs do.
>
>IMHO, the key to finding materials with related content, regardless of media
>and/or format, is the catalog.
>
>
>--
>deg farrelly, Associate Librarian
>Arizona State University at the West Campus
>PO Box 37100
>Phoenix, Arizona 85069-7100
>Phone: 602.543.8522
>Email: deg.farrelly@asu.edu

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