Expanding Library Collection Space by Moving Low-Use Print Serials to Off-Site Storage

The University of Chicago Library’s campus locations are now above capacity for storing print materials. To enable continued expansion of its print collection, the Library is preparing to begin using a commercial off-site facility to store low-use print serials currently housed in the Joe and Rika Mansueto Library. Moving these materials will create more space on campus for new acquisitions. We anticipate that these materials will begin to be relocated during Autumn Quarter.

Faculty, students, and staff will be able to request scans of articles from journals held in off-site storage via Scan & Deliver. All patrons will be able to request delivery of physical volumes to campus libraries through links in the Library Catalog. Scans will take approximately one business day; physical delivery will take a few business days.

In the long-term, the costs for the commercial off-site storage facility will grow substantially as more material is added. To ensure that sufficient funds remain available to keep expanding the collection in support of research and learning, the Library is exploring additional options. This will include identifying whether low-use items in the collection that are readily available elsewhere could be withdrawn in consultation with faculty, and assessing the feasibility of a new high-density storage facility for the University of Chicago.