Towards Better Shelving Solutions

Without accurate reshelving of resources effective library operation would be impossible for library staff and clients. It is an essential job which is time consuming and which requires motivated staff to be done well. Practical and psychological ways to improve the performance of staff and ease of access by clients are reviewed Shelving is the `motor' of the library providing a mechanism for the easy retrieval of items. Without accurate shelving, library operations would be tiresome and almost impossible. It is * an essential job * time consuming * sometimes boring to perform Problems with shelving The shelving procedures common in today's libraries present problems to library staff and users alike. Problems faced by library staff * shelving provides little job satisfaction * it can be boring * double runners caused by inaccurate shelving by staff and customers cause frustration * lack of space on shelves * can cause muscle fatigue (especially back pain) from lifting, pulling and pushing heavy books and trolleys * shelving requires extended periods of intense concentration * difficulty in shelving fiction material by authors entire name with four letter spine labels * perception of library shelvers as the lowest in the library staff hierarchy * trolleys that are too big to use effectively in small aisles * no place to put books that do not fit on shelves Problems faced by library users * few places to leave books while looking for others * crowded aisles * many have to carry heavy books * shelves too high or too low for easy use * difficulty in retrieving books from tightly packed shelves * can be difficult to browse for new, popular and classic books Four focus areas for shelving improvement Shelving time Shelving speed comes with practice. However there are a few things that could be done to make the life of shelvers easier and improve shelving times. * reduce trip distance between shelving collection point and the shelves * improve legibility of book spine labels * if possible increase the number of books on display to save time finding correct positions on shelf. * install visual cues to help shelvers remember where in the library particular books and materials belong * provide more shelving to reduce book congestion Shelving accuracy * small breaks for shelving staff after long periods of concentration * more clearly labeled spines * consistent placement of spine labels eg bottom of spine and/or bottom left comer of front cover * better and more regular shelf checking sessions * `return unwanted books / library materials here' benches so the users do not have to shelve books that they have removed from the shelves, or public education of how to return books to correct place on shelf Shelving job satisfaction Poor job satisfaction is a problem for shelving staff. Users often perceive shelving as easy and may be surprised that staff are paid to do it. Another unavoidable problem is that `a shelver's work is never done'. The repetitiveness of shelving also makes it boring. Senior library staff can combat most of these problems psychologically by * reinforcement of the importance of shelving to shelving staff by senior library staff * reinforcement of the value of shelvers to the library by senior library staff * give shelving staff the opportunity to work together to reduce boredom. It is not uncommon for shelving staff to talk to no one for hours while shelving * play music in the library * give shelvers the opportunity to play a bigger role in the operation and decision making process of the library. …