[padg] RE: outsourcing of shelf preparation/processing

["Watson, Joseph" <jwatson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Ann Marie et al,

I've been thinking about this recently too, and I'm particularly interested in finding out how many libraries that do purchase shelf-ready materials did a detailed cost analysis to compare their in-house processing cost to the cost of having an external vendor prepare the books for the shelf.  If you have compared the cost did you decide to go with shelf-ready or not?   If you did go with shelf-ready were you therefore able to completely shut down your in-house processing unit?

 

Here at Middlebury we purchase a significant quantity of books, particularly foreign language titles, from small vendors who do not offer shelf-ready materials and we would therefore not be able to completely shut down our processing unit even if we did go with shelf-ready services from our major vendor.  This means that the general overhead expenses of space, equipment, heat/lights/etc., and administration would continue pretty much as they are now.  I did a comparison of the actual cost of in-house processing (including all materials and labor) and found that shelf-ready services would cost us 450% more per book than our in-house shelf prep costs us now.  The only other cost comparison I've heard of is from another Oberlin group school and they determined it would cost them 350% more per book.

 

What I'm really wondering is this--   did anyone do this kind of cost comparison and decide to go with shelf-ready books anyway?  If so, why?   Ann Marie says she intends to compile the responses to share, so please either reply to her or to both of us.

 

Thanks,

Joseph

 

Joseph F. Watson

Preservation & Processing Manager, LIS Facilities Coordinator

Library & Information Services, Middlebury College

http://tinyurl.com/2ukhr2 ~ 802-443-5487 ~ jwatson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

 

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From: Ann Marie Willer [mailto:amwillerala@xxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Monday, April 28, 2008 3:20 PM
To: padg@xxxxxxx
Subject: [padg] outsourcing of shelf preparation/processing

Hello all,
Does your library outsource some or all of its shelf preparation activities (call number labels, security strips, barcodes, etc.)?  I would appreciate hearing your comments about cost-effectiveness and your experiences with vendors.  If a different department in your library coordinates shelf prep, please forward this query to them. 

I found a 2001 PADG discussion of shelf-ready services that focused specifically on binding, but I did not find any discussion of the other shelf prep activities.  If you know of a past discussion thread that I missed, please let me know! 

Thanks,
Ann Marie

 

Ann Marie Willer
Preservation Services Librarian
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
77 Massachusetts Ave.
Building 14-0513
Cambridge, MA 02139
617-253-5692 phone

Send ALA business to: AMWillerALA@xxxxxxxxx

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