Relocation of Kiyo Suyematsu Music Library/Collection
Due to budget reductions over the last several years, Library Services is relocating the Kiyo Suyematsu Music Library from Performing Arts to Memorial Library. We expect the move to occur between May and June 2022. No materials will be moved before the end of the Spring 2022 semester.
Deselection
To prepare for the move, library faculty and staff are deaccessioning some materials from the collection. This process is called deselection and is a regular practice for maintaining a healthy library collection. Our deselection process was guided by the late Professor Lynne Weber prior to her retirement and has been continued by Professor Bobby Bothmann. Professor Bothmann is our Catalogue and Metadata Librarian with over 25 years of experience. Librarians must maintain collections responsive to changes in use, curriculum, and technology. Although many faculty and students are disturbed when they hear that materials might be withdrawn, library faculty members focus on relevance when they make collection decisions, with the goal of 95% future use of a core library collection (Slote 1997).
Deselection Processes
Deselection decisions are based on collection size, space needs, usage evidence, and curricular and collection goals. In the case of the Music Library collections, the primary purpose behind deselection is the limited space for the Music Library footprint in Memorial Library. Use and curricular goals are factors in the decision-making process. Deselection best practices relevant to the Music Library’s collections include pertinent content, duplication in the collection, availability elsewhere (such as interlibrary loan [ILL]), and local relevance. Research demonstrates that continuous examination and deselection improve discoverability of resources that remain, make room for new resources, and overall improve use of the collection.
Specifically for the Music Library, duplicate copies of some scores may be removed from the collection to create more space. The primary criterion is usage. For a given score with more than one copy, if there has been no use in the past five (5) years (we omitted the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021) we are reducing the collection to one copy of the score. If there has been usage in the past five years, we are keeping a maximum of two copies. We will not deselect copies of scores necessary for multiple performers. If there are other special considerations from the Music and Theatre faculty, we will honor those. We anticipate that multiple factors, such as access to high-speed scanners; improvements in access to digital scores; communication with faculty for anticipated needs of specific works in a given semester (allowing for placement of related scores to be added temporarily to the Reserve collection); and access to many more scores than are available from Library Services through the use of ILL will more than adequately provide for the curricular support for the music program and the needs of music students. Duplicate scores will be kept in the Music Library for a final review by Music and Theatre faculty prior to spring break 2022.
Due Diligence
We have also conducted due diligence in consideration of the LP collection and Score Collection reduction beyond usage. The University of Minnesota (UMN), for example, no longer holds any LPs or compact disc audio, relying almost exclusively on streaming media for audio recordings. As the core ILL lender for the Minitex region (Minnesota, North and South Dakota) and the regional research university with a mission that includes being a repository, UMN does loan its scores (not monuments) through ILL. None of the major Minnesota music libraries (UMN, St. Olaf, College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University, St. Thomas) retain more than one score, except when multiple copies are needed to perform the work.
The New Space in the Earley Center for Performing Arts:
Flexible Performance/Presentation Space (PA 202)—this space in the Performing Arts building will feature a stage, seating, and multi-camera setup with audio recording and sound systems. These systems will be connected into Library Services digital databases, allowing access to materials for use in educational and performance settings. The workers will remove the existing ceiling and expose the existing concrete roof structure to allow enough ceiling height for the risers and stage. Other items will include AV/IT, furniture, and a data cooling center closet.
Digital Lecture/Classroom Space (PA 203)—this space will include a classroom with full screens on multiple walls allowing for video capture of the entire body to aid remote classroom instruction. It will also include individual computer stations with keyboards and software for a variety of media applications.
New Music Collection Space:
The Kiyo Suyematsu Music Library collections will be situated on the east end of the first floor of Memorial Library and sit beside the Dooley Map Library. Scores and sheet music will be housed on 1-2 rows of shelves that currently hold current periodicals, which are moving into the nearby compact shelving. The Compact Disc collection may be set between pillars with seating and study tables on either side. Library Services hopes to obtain a portable listening room that can be installed on the east wall. Discussions with vendors are occurring at the moment.
For further information or questions, please contact:
Prof. Bobby Bothmann
Library Services
bobby.bothmann@mnsu.edu
507-389-2010
References
Baumbach, Donna J. and Linda L. Miller. Less is More: A Practical Guide to Weeding School Library Collections. Chicago: American Library Association, 2006.
Johnson, Peggy, et al. Fundamentals of Collection Development and Management. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2005.
Gregory, Vicki L. Collection Development and Management for 21st Century Library Collections: An Introduction. 2nd ed. Chicago: ALA Neal-Schuman, 2019.
Slote, Stanley J. Weeding Library Collections: Library Weeding Methods. 4th ed. Littleton, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited, 1997.
Tucker, Dennis C. Library Relocations and Collection Shifts. Medford, New Jersey: Information Today, 1999.
Vnuk, Rebecca. The Weeding Handbook: A Shelf-by-Shelf Guide. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2015.
