Stacks Maintenance Shelving

Owned by Import Utility
Last updated: Oct 28, 2019 by Liz Wilson-Cotey
2 min read

Department: Circulation

Procedure: Shelving

Purpose: Correctly shelving library materials is necessary to return items to their proper place in the stacks.

Overview: Circulation Student Assistants are usually responsible for this process. However, other library employees will be expected to shelve materials over extended breaks when students are not present.

Required Knowledge/Skills: Comprehensive knowledge of CLR building layout and Library of Congress classification system

Safety Issues/Precautions: This procedure may include moderate lifting, stretching, and twisting.

Equipment/Supplies: Library materials, shelving cart, Sierra, Shelving log, writing utensil

Procedure

1. Choose one of the four (4) shelving carts behind the Main Circulation Desk on the 2nd floor to shelve.

            a. The four (4) carts are located on the back wall of the Circulation area behind the managers’ desks.

            b. There is one (1) cart per floor of the library.

2. Before leaving the circulation area with the library materials to be shelved, bring the books to circulation desk.

            a. Check in each of the books for a second time to ensure none of them were missed when they were initially turned in.

            b. Each book should show the message "Not Checked Out", but will show a patron's name if Check-in was missed the first time.

3. Use the elevator to bring the cart with library materials to the appropriate floor.

4. Transfer each library item from the shelving cart to its proper location in the stacks according to the Library of Congress classification system.

            a. If the book is too tall to fit in its designated location, turn the book so that it rests on its spine. Place it in its designated location.

            b. If the book is still too tall, when placed on its spine, for its designated location, place it on the bottom most shelf of that column with its cover face up.

5. Briefly scan the entire row on which the item was placed to ensure call number accuracy.

6. Neatly line up the spines of all items in the row with the edge of the shelf.

7. Repeat the process until the cart is empty. 

8. Return the cart to its proper location behind the Main Circulation Desk on the 2nd floor.