College and Research Libraries By MAURICE F. TAUBER Reorganizing a Library Book Collection ; Part II This is the second of two articles on prob- lems of reorganization~ the first having appeared in College and Research Libraries for March 1945. I N THEIR ATTEMPTS to solve problems involved in reorganizing book collec- tions, librarians have established routines which are intenqed to meet the needs of users and staff members. It has been found necessary, if the work is · to flow smoothly, to reach decisions early concern- ing (I) the order or procedure of reclassi- fication, ( 2) aspects of recataloging and current cataloging practices, ( 3) the dis- posal of new acquisitions, and ( 4) the routinizing of activities on an efficient basis. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss these four problems and to suggest possible approaches. The order in which materials are re- classified presents an interesting pattern of variation in college and university libraries. Generally, this va-riation is due to differ- ences in book collections, the caliber of previous classification and cataloging, the future purposes of the libraries, the physical arrangements of the buildings an'd the placement of materials in the stacks, and the personnel available for reorganization. The aggressiveness of certain faculty mem- bers and the opinions of the librarian and other staff members also have influenced the basis of reclassification in some libraries. Table I shows the ranked order of the bases for reclassifying materials followed in sixty college and university libraries SEPTEMBER~ 1945 changing to the Library of Congress system. The decision to reclassify the "most- used" classes first seems entirely reasonable., . Usually in libraries following this policy the records of the circulation department TABLE I Bases ·of reclassification in Sixty Libraries1 Number of Bases Libraries By "most-used" classes . •. . . . . . . . . . . 28 By whole classes (in order of nota- tion) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I2 By location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 By poorly classed sections . . . . . . . . . 6 By special order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 By special subject . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . 4 By recency of material ......... : . . 3 By appear.ance of L.C. schedules . . . . 2 By reference collections . . . . . . . . . . . I By fastest growing classes . . . . . . . . . I By departmental libraries ........ . Total ....................... 70* *Ten libraries noted more than one pro- cedure. are consulted for data concermng the use of material~. The opinions of the circula- tion department staff in this respect are helpful, since the approach of the user is kept in mind. The circulation attendants are in a position to say which classes are causing the most di~culty to users, through delays in locating books or through par- ticularly troublesome arrangei;Ilents in the stacks. In large libraries consultations with t For a list of these libraries, see Tauber, Maurice F. "Reclassification of Special Collections in College and University Libraries Using the Library of Congress Classification." Specia l Libraries 35:139, April 1944. 341 the stack supervisors reveal information of this type. It should be apparent, however, that the adoption of a policy to reclassify according to major use implies that a considerable speed is necessary in the proc- ess. Otherwise, confusion may arise just when readers are most anxious to use cer- tain materials. The foregoing procedure seems more effective than the method second in promi- nence-that is, to reclassify a whole class in order of notation. In changing from Dewey to the L.C. cla~sification, this would mean reclassifying all the books in the ooo's, then the Ioo's, the 200's, and so on. When this procedure is adopted, the new accessions are sometimes placed with ma- terials in the old categories until the par- ticular class is undergoing reclassification. This practice, how;ver, does not necessarily follow. The contention has been made that the users of the stacks are less con- fused by reorganization, class by class, particularly if new accessions are not broken up into small units by placing them in the new classification. However, the amount of time to be taken to complete the task is a factor to be considered in selecting a procedure. Some explanation may be made of the motives for other procedures listed in Table L The location of the stacks, or of de- partmental and school libraries, has been a motivating factor in determining which class should be reorganized first, second, or third. It is apparent, first of all, that reclassification involves considerable utiliza- tion of work room. In order to prevent unnecessary shifting, librarians have justi- fiably reclassified materials within de- partmental or school libraries without transferring the materials to the general cataloging department. In some libraries those sections of the collections which would cause least confusion in movement have been reorganized first. Other things being equal, however, "use" rather than "administrative convenience" should be a· primary motive for introducing a certain method or process. Generally speaking, to reclassify the "badly classed" sections early in the operations is keeping in line with the goal of doing first the work which has the greatest benefit to the users, either directly or indirectly. It is possible, of course, that a certain section of material, although badly classed, does not warrant any better treatment, since use of it is meager. Such procedures as reclassifying by "special subjects," "recency of material," and T'fastest growing classes," all are gov- erned by the conditions of use. The special subjects are frequently reorganized first because of pressure ·from faculty members or departmental heads of libraries. There is usually a close correlation between re- classification of special subjects and use. Sometimes reclassification of a special sub- ject has been used as an experiment for the purpose of determining whether or not a whole collection should be reorganized, although certain subjects might prove to be false guides. Mention should be made . of the policy of reclassifying "in no special order." This practice usually indicates that the process of reclassification has not been carefully analyzed nor has a time limit been set for the completion of the task. Reclassification under these conditions becomes a fill-in job and is g~nerally unsystematic. Recataloging Earlier it was pointed out that the need for recataloging has frequently been a pri- mary reason for reclassification. 2 But re- cataloging may mean a number of things, such as eliminating. obsolete main and sub- 2 Tauber, Maurice F. "Reclassification and Recata· logi ng of Materials in College and University Li- braries." In William M. Randall, ed. The Acqu.isi- tion and Cataloging of B oo ks. Chicago, University of Chica go Press, 1940, p. 200-ox. 342 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES ject entries, revtsmg descriptive informa- tion on cards, abandoning the use of one subject heading list for another, introduc- ing a new system of cross references and information cards, and subdividing subjects which have grown rapidly. It may also refer to such activities as eliminating odd- sized cards for standard-sized cards and re- placing handwritten and worn cards with typed and printed ones. These activities are usually present in a general recatalog- ing project which may have as its goal a complete editing of the catalog. In most recataloging programs attention should be given to such matters as ( 1) the type of catalog to be maintained, ( 2) the methods . of ordering L.C. printed cards, ( 3) the use of L.C. printed cards, ( 4) pro- cedures regarding L.C. assignment of class numbers and subject headings, ( 5) main entry assignments, ( 6) added entries, ( 7) analysis of series, and ( 8) routines con- cerned with catalogs, cards, and filing. Attention will be directed here only to those problems which have not been dis- cussed elsewhere.3 The following suggestions, based on ex- perience in reorgamzmg libraries, are offered in connection with decisions which are necessary to carry on controlled operations: I. Librarians should consider seriously the possibilities of types of catalogs other than the dictionary form (e.g., divided or period) 2. Large-scale ordering of printed cards by number may be done through the use of a depository catalog (also of the Catalog of Books Represented by Library of Congress Printed Cards) 3. Printed cards are not essential for cer- tain types of material, such as fiction, text- books, juvenile works, etc. 4· L.C. class number assignments should be generally accepted4 s Tauber, Maurice F. "Subject Cataloging and Classification Approaching the Crossroads." College and Research Librttries 3: I 55, March 1942. "For another point of view see Boisen, Harold L. SEPTEMBER~ 1945 5. A definite policy regarding the accept- ance of L.C. subject headings and ·added en- tries should be made at the outset 6. Few variations should be adopted in main entries 7. Series which are adequately indexed should not be analyzed 8. Such tools as authority files, shelflists, and union catalogs of materials in all li- braries of the system should be made g. A policy should be established for rules for cataloging books for which there are no printed cards 10. A decision concerning the filing code should be made at the outset n. Other things being equal, it is probably more effective to begin a new catalog guring reorganization. This procedure should re- duce errors to a minimum and aid in catch- ing all untraced items. The presence of the two catalogs-old and new-makes it desir- able to provide explanatory guides to aid patrons. Disposal of New Acquisitions Some libraries have followed the pro- cedure of doing a single class at a time, placing the new acquisitions in the old classification-usually with penciled call numbers-until the whole class is worked upon. During the process of reclassifica- tion, therefore, the user within the stacks does not have to consult two places each time he searches for material on a subject; that is, except in the case of the class that is in process at the moment. Another assumed advantage is that relationships are seen to exist which are not observed when individual books are reclassified. While this may be true, it appears that if the Library of' Congress classification-which was developed from books on the shelves- is being applied, the need to see all books at once is not important. The consensus, based on experience, holds that if reclassification is once decided upon "A Venture in Reclassification.'' College and Re- search Libraries 6:67-72, December 1944; see also Tauber, Maurice F. "Special Problems in Reclassifi- cation and Recataloging." College and Research Li- braries 4:49-51, December 1942, 343 ' it is less costly and, in the long run, more. convenient to ' most users of the library to place all new acquisitions in the new classi- fication immediately upon receipt, than it is to place them with the old materials in each class until the entire class is changed. The re-marking of books and the with- drawal and retyping of cards are thus elim- inated. By judicious arrangement of the newly classified materials, they may be made accessible without serious trouble to the clientele using the stacks. For exam- ple, if the education collection is being re- classed there is no reason why the "L" books ,could not be placed adjacent to the 3 70's (if the change is being made from Dewey). Mechanical Routines Reclassification and recataloging involve several mechanical routines concerned with the markings on the books and the cards. To discuss these mechanical minutiae of reorganization may seem unnecessary, but hesitation to do so is brushed aside when data reveal that such matters are often serious obstacles to the satisfactory comple- tion of the task. Moreover, among practic- ing librarians such matters as the practical mechanics of an operation often loom as annoying administrative problems which directly affect the users. Markings on exteriors of books. In order to change numbers, librarians have had to contend with various markings on books, such as gold leaf or black ink stamp- ing or lettering, markings by stylus, and l~t­ tering with white and black ink on paper or cloth labels. It is in those libraries in which books are stamped with gold leaf that the mechanical aspects present greatest difficulties. None of the several methods of librarians to black over the gold stamping or to remove the old . call numbers by an electric stylus or eraser or by a sharp in- strument have met with complete success. The use of the electric stylus or eraser obtains more permanent results than other methods, although risk of injuring the binding exists. Generally the gold mark- ings are moistened before erasing. In order to remove labels or inks which have been shellacked, it is necessary to use varnish remover (e.g . ., ethyl acetate) first. Labels may then be removed, ·and inks can be washed off with water. It is usually neces- sary to shellac over the space of the old marking before the new class _ numbers are placed on the books. Markings on inside. An electric eraser used to remove the numbers from book- plates and from the insides of the back covers of the books usually results in rubbed patches which cannot be marked upon again. Sometimes new - plates have · been placed over the old ones. Obviously, this procedure results in a cleaner job. Soak- ing off each bookplate is a tedious task. The librarian faced with the re-marking of a large collection of books may well -recon- sider whether or not all previous markings were necessary. Re-use of old cards. One question which is relatively important is whether the old cards are to be erased and re-used or whether new cards are to be ordered. In catalogs of some libraries which have half- sized or handwritten cards, the latter pro- cedure is necessary. However, the only valid reason for discarding old cards is the presence of data revealing that it is cheaper to order all new sets. The costs 'of order- ing new . cards and of typing and revising all subject headings, added entries, and changes on the cards, represent relatively large expenditures when thousands of items are considered; and available evidence shows that it costs approximately twice as much to recatalog and reclassify a volume by ordering new sets of cards than it does to· re-use satisfactory old cards. Hence, the experience of librarians indicates that 344 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES it is better to use old cards when possible. This is particularly true if L.C. subject headings and added entries have been ac- cepted in most cases. Experience has ~hown that from the standpoints of speed and final appearance an electrical eraser is probably the most effective tool for removing the old call numbers from cards. A clerical assistant with a little training can take off such num- bers at the rate of from two to five per minute. The final procedure should show a smooth surface at the spot on the card where the new call number is to be typed; otherwise, fingering by users of the card catalog will dim or remove the retyped figures and letters. In recapitulation, three points may be made. The decision in regard to the order of reclassification should rest on the cn- terion of use, unless conditions are such . that some other order cannot be avoided. In the disposal of new acquisitions, the user of the stacks must suffer somewhat by the recommendation that accessions be placed with the new classification rather than with the old numbers, until the whole class is rearranged. If the reclassification 1s planned definitely as a speedy process, an exception to this rule may be made. In regard to the various routines for carrying on the mechanical work of reclassification, the aim should always be the establishment of those activities which insure a free How of material , through the technical depart- ment. Such a procedure will reduce the costs of operation as well as give maximum service to users during the process. Shall Library Schools Teach A~ministration? (Continued from page 340) Under the present scheme the real ad- ministrative program must . be delegated to the second year of library training. At this level, some students are recruited for ad- ministrative potentialities, the curriculum has the requisites of time and flexibility, and the administrative content will be compatible with the professional and re- search content. The approach might well be in terms of the basic managerial prin- ciples and concepts mentioned earlier, built around the administrative process, and applied to. libraries by means of adequate case studies. SEPTEMBER) 1,945 For the present, this seems best placed in the second year of study. In the future, it may be just as appropriate in the first year; and, indeed, much of the administra- tive and professional material in the second year may eventually be found in the first year when the purely technical material is removed from that level. But, in either case, the library school is potentially able to supply the junior executives which the profession needs. We will move in that direction, both in content and method, once we decide actually to teach administration in the library school. 345