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Collection MaintenanceThe Collection Maintenance unit, located on the Lower Level of Olin Library, consists of the following sub-units:
Our mission is to honor the present while embracing the future. We do this by providing enhanced access to all the physical collection materials available to our patrons in a timely manner. We fine-tune our service by aligned activity based on user needs studies, space allocation and organization using inventory and measurement aids, on-line record updates, and preservation monitoring. We also provide a presence in the stacks, help keep the buildings open, maintain a service point, and act as the pivotal lynchpin for special projects across CUL. Some of these projects include measuring the available shelf space in CUL libraries, offsite transfers and tracing related to retrospective barcoding, and major shifts and moves. The latest project involved supervising the transfer of the 40,000 volume Huntington Free Library Native American collection from the Bronx, N.Y. to Cornell University Library. Stacks Collection Maintenance Serials Collection Maintenance
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Each
day, we receive and shelve new acquisitions, circulation returns, and
browsed material. Our turnaround time from receipt to shelf is twenty-four
hours. This can include a large amount of materials. Over 100,000 new
additions to the collection were shelved in the 2002-2003 calendar year.
An additional 100,000+ in-house use volumes were shelved during this
time. We also trace missing items and are constantly shifting and moving
materials. This keeps the stacks neat and orderly, thereby providing
a scholarly environment for research. We do this on the twenty-two floors
that house the millions of books and other formats in Olin, Kroch Asia
and Uris Libraries. Some specialty areas we service include the New
and Noteworthy bookshelves, special collections in the Graduate Study
Rooms, and the Reference Collection.During shelving, staff members are
observant of call number inaccuracies, items suitable for scrutiny by
the Rare Book Department staff, items needing conservation treatment,
guide card, and range label changes. 
This
includes sending material for commercial binding, in-house pamphlet
binding, stiffening, photo duplication of missing pages and articles,
and recycling items replaced by other formats. We resolve or refer record
problems on a regular basis to Access Services, Library Technical Services,
Reference, Collection Development, and Conservation. Staff members create
greyboards for current material, back issues awaiting a claimed issue,
newsprint, and unbindable material. We also track material and generate
statistics by using computer applications such as MS Word, Excel, and
Access. 
The
showcase of the Serials sub-unit is the Current Periodicals and Newspapers
Reading Room (Olin Library 101), which we maintain as a quiet research
area, where electronic devices, drinks without lids,and food are not
permitted. One hundred forty-seven domestic and foreign (non-Asian)
newspapers and current issues of over 1500 serial titles are shelved
and regularly collated while in residence in this special room. These
selected titles represent the cutting edge of popular and scholarly
titles available in the Olin Library Collection.