Purpose
Shelving is among the most important work that the Circulation Staff does. It requires more of our time and careful attention than any other task. When a book is misshelved, it might as well cease to exist, since we will be unable to find it. In addition, searching for misshelved items takes time away from other important tasks. This 3-part chapter is devoted to explaining everything you need to know in order to shelve library items correctly and safely.
Schedule
Circulation Assistants are scheduled to shelve throughout the day. Occasionally, the schedule will specify a specific type of material to shelve. Otherwise, shelving should be done where the need is greatest.
Pre-shelving / Shelving prepared carts
After books are returned and checked in, they should be sorted into rough call number ranges as labeled on the “pre-shelving” shelves behind the Circulation Desk. From this pre-shelving area, books from one stack location can be put on a cart in precise call number order. Once a cart is put in order, a note should be placed on top indicating the stack area and the cart should be left to the right of the elevator. When you are assigned to shelve, take one of these prepared carts to the stack to shelve it. If you find that there are already half-finished carts in the stack, please work on those first. At the end of your shelving hour, bring unfinished carts from Stacks 3 and 4 back to the Circulation Desk; unfinished carts from Stack B and K may remain in those limited-access areas to be finished later.
When shelves are too crowded to accommodate any more books, the book you are shelving should be put into overflow. Each stack area will have a designated area for these books where they will be stored in call number order.
Sometimes, it will be possible to shelve the book with a bit of light shifting. This helps reduce overflow but is not required. Time will be set aside separately to incorporate overflow from overflow shelves.