Reimagining Open Stacks: ASU Library publishes new report on inclusive print collections design

In a time when many academic libraries worldwide are reducing their print collections, how can a library creatively use its collections to engage the university community?

A new report, "Enhancing an Academic Library Renovation Project with Creative Open Stack Print Collections Services," details the work completed by the ASU Library as part of a three-year implementation grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The grant supported a team to explore data-driven and community-aware approaches to developing inclusive print collections for the 2020 reopening of Hayden Library, ASU’s largest library on the Tempe campus.

The team’s work introduced to the library new ways to encourage community engagement with open stacks. These approaches led to the creation of small co-curated browsing collections, the Sun Devil Reads print collection geared towards student interests, and a large research collection developed through a novel data analysis method.

For recent visitors to Hayden Library, the innovative collections experience is informed by the work of the Future of Print initiative and guided by the ASU Charter. Shari Laster, head of Open Collections Curation and Access and co-author of the report sat down with ASU News to share insights from the report.

Question: Looking back at the tremendous undertaking of this project from when it started before the Hayden Library renovation in 2017 to now, what are you most proud of?

Answer: Our grant-funded project extended from 2018 through 2020, and during that time we explored research questions about community engagement with print materials, piloted new programs to connect people with books, and completed a massive effort to relocate hundreds of thousands of books between ASU Library locations. Developing these activities took thoughtful and creative planning, and implementation demanded flexibility and hard work. I am very proud of the collaborative and supportive environment that our project team was able to cultivate and sustain, including through the exceptionally challenging final year of the project.

Q: What were the key processes utilized by the Collections Services and Analysis unit in designing the print collections for the renovated library?

A: Starting with the floor plans provided by the project architect, we first developed an overall collections plan for the building. This gave us a blueprint for the types of collections that we wanted to install on each floor. We then used a “play testing” approach that relied on estimates that let us try to fit collections into the spaces in different ways. As we learned more about the new spaces and identified potential operational approaches to selecting books for each location within the building, we updated the estimates and made changes to the layouts. Even as we began operations to move books into the building, we had to make adjustments – including after the books had arrived!

Q: What role did data analysis play in refining this research collection, and how did it help the team make decisions?

A: The project data analysis specialist developed tools and algorithms to allow us to prioritize moving books back into Hayden Library that would be more likely to meet onsite needs for browsing and access to materials. Several of these tools, including an algorithm to optimize selection based on the logistics of how we would need to prepare the books for moving, represent novel approaches to library collection management. Data analysis allowed us to make better decisions within the confines of operational constraints around the labor involved in moving print books from one facility to another.

Q: How does ASU Library’s approach to print collections reflect broader trends in 21st-century library design?

A: The project curation specialist designed and launched ASU Library’s Featured Collections program, which enables us to collaborate with community partners to build new browsing displays that enhance our spaces and collections. Sustaining this program in the years since the completion of the project has resulted in dozens of new collections that are engaging and support important priorities within the communities we serve. For example, a collaboration with a student in a Humanities Lab course last year led to the creation of a new collection centered on Ecofeminism. Creating spaces that are welcoming to all is of vital importance to libraries, and books continue to play an important role in these efforts.