The automated retrieval collection at Bruce T. Halle Library
| Pages | 142-143 |
| Date | 01 June 2000 |
| Published date | 01 June 2000 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/07378830010333482 |
| Author | Sarah Cogan,Rita Bullard |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
The automated retrieval
collection at Bruce T.
Halle Library
Sarah Cogan and
Rita Bullard
A relatively unique feature of the Bruce T.
Halle Library at Eastern Michigan University is
the automated retrieval collection (ARC). The
ARC allows for the storage of up to 800,000
items in an on-site storage area, and gives
clients the ability to request and receive items
from this collection in less than ten minutes.
When the Halle Library was being planned, a
primary goal was to create a building which
would have inviting and usable spaces for the
clients. Because of budget restraints, it was
impossible to maintain these spaces and store
all materials on linear shelving. An efficient
method of storing little-used materials was
needed. Using the storage system at Oviatt
Library at CSU Northridge as a model,
specifications were included in the plans for an
automated storage and retrieval system which
would:
.be linked to the library's online public
access catalog;
.store little-used materials; and
.bring them to a pick-up point for the clients
in less than ten minutes.
The California system was originally described
by John Kountz in an article which appeared in
Library Hi Tech, Volume 5 No. 4, Issue 20,
1987.
The ARC, as the collection was named,
contains materials which were published prior
to 1990 and had not circulated since 1994. This
means that the most often needed and the
newest materials are on the open shelving on
the third level. The browsing collection
contains more than 150,000 volumes which are
most often needed by clients. Materials which
are not frequently needed are housed in the
storage system. Through an interface developed
by the Endeavor Company clients request a
stored item using the online catalog interface,
``remote request''. This request sends a message
to the ARC software which then matches the
item barcode to one in the database, finds the
appropriate location for the item, and sends one
of the cranes to pick up the bin in which the
item is stored. The bin is subsequently
deposited on the pick station, and the item is
discharged from the bin and given to the client,
usually in much less than ten minutes.
The AS/RS (automatic storage/retrieval
system) is an industrial mini-load system similar
The authors
Sarah Cogan and Rita Bullard are Systems Librarians at
the Bruce T. Halle Library, Eastern Michigan University,
Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA. Both have been intimately
involved in linking the storage system to the integrated
library system.
Keywords
Libraries, Storage, Bar codes, Information retrieval
Abstract
A relatively unique feature of the Bruce T. Halle Library at
Eastern Michigan University is the automated retrieval
collection. It contains materials which were published prior
to 1990 and had not circulated since 1994. This storage
system is incredibly efficient because almost all items are
stored randomly, and it has been well received by the
campus community and the staff.
Electronic access
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is
available at
http://www.emerald-library.com
142
Library Hi Tech
Volume 18 .Number 2 .2000 .pp. 142±143
#MCB University Press .ISSN 0737-8831
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