PASCAL, in collaboration with the University of South Carolina Libraries, received a Scholarly Communications grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to conduct a 12-month planning project for the creation of a statewide repository for shared print, manuscript and film materials, as well as other formats.
Upon completion of his research regarding a statewide shared storage facility, the project consultant, Ben Walker, prepared the following report detailing key findings and recommendations.
Ben Walker served as the consultant for the project. Mr. Walker is the Associate Dean for Discovery, Digital Services & Shared Storage at the University of Florida and has experience in statewide shared collection and repositories through his work with the FLorida Academic REpository (FLARE).
PASCAL’s Common Collection Committee (CCC) was heavily involved in the project from the outset of the grant award. Members of the CCC Shared Storage Working Group worked closely with the project consultant to plan for all aspects of the design of a shared print storage program. Tasks included a needs assessment, collection assessment, and planning for the management of the collection and services. In addition to their planning activities, the Common Collection Committee hosted three regional meetings designed to foster discussion on best practices for collaborative collection management and repurposing of reclaimed space.
Members of the CCC Shared Storage Working Group, along with the project consultant, PASCAL staff, and representatives from University of South Carolina Libraries make up the grant’s planning team:
In October 2018, PASCAL’s Common Collection Committee hosted three regional Shared Storage & Collection Project meetings. The meetings were designed to foster discussion on best practices for collaborative collection management, member interest in participation, assessment of materials members would like to include in shared storage, and evaluation of reclaimed space and ideas for its reuse. The meetings featured presentations and open discussions with Ben Walker and other noted experts and practitioners. Meetings were held at the following locations:
Presentations:
As part of the planning grant for a Statewide Shared Storage & Services facility, a Needs Assessment questionnaire was distributed to all PASCAL libraries in order to gain an understanding of the current and future space and shelving needs of PASCAL libraries. The assessment allowed the project consultant, Ben Walker, to make informed recommendations on the size and space needed to house member collections and how PASCAL should proceed with the project. A PDF version of the Needs Assessment is available below.
As part of the planning grant, members of the Mellon Planning Team visited existing shared storage facilities to learn best practices regarding their collection policies, governing and funding structures, and implementation process. The sites were selected based on similarity to the shared storage facility that is being considered.
Site visits included:
