The automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) in Lied Library
| Date | 01 March 2002 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/07378830210420708 |
| Pages | 71-89 |
| Published date | 01 March 2002 |
| Author | Michaelyn Haslam,Myoung‐ja Lee Kwon,Michael Pearson Marilyn,Maria White |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
The automated storage
and retrieval system
(ASRS) in Lied Library
Michaelyn Haslam
Myoung-ja Lee Kwon
Michael Pearson
Marilyn Vent and
Maria White
Introduction
Lied Library was designed to incorporate
emerging technologies, to accommodate a
growing student population, and to house ever
expanding library collections. This article
describes the process the library undertook in
determining how the collections should be
stored, taking into consideration the nature of
the collections, their formats, and usage. After
examination of other facilities, the decision was
made that an automated storage and retrieval
system (ASRS) would be installed within the
library building. Implementing the system
required defining specifications, designing a
user-interface between the integrated online
library system and the ASRS, training in
operation and maintenance, selecting and
processing materials to be stored, loading, and
using the system. During this process, the
library served as an intermediary between the
automation system vendor and the ASRS
vendors, because they had no contractual
relationship. The key to the success depended
on good coordination and communication
among all parties involved. Each of the
contributing authors played a major role at
different stages of the project, but worked as a
team from planning through implementation.
The result was the installation of a space
efficient, user-friendly system with fast delivery
of items to library users.
Planning discussion
During the 1993-1995 biennium, the State of
Nevada Public Works Board funded a
University and Community College System of
Nevada system-wide Libraries Space Feasibility
study. This study included UNLV library
preliminary programming needs for a new
library. Numerous planning discussions on
collection storage options were held. The
library hired Robert M. Hayes, a consultant
who was involved in the Space Feasibility
Study, to lead a discussion on various issues
related to future collection growth. The New
Library Planning Committee members and all
subject specialists participated in this
discussion. Issues raised during this session
included the annual print collection growth
The authors
Michaelyn Haslam (mhaslam@ccmail.nevada.edu) is
Science Coordinator, Collection Development, University of
Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Myoung-ja Lee Kwon
(mkwon@csuhayward.edu) is University Librarian, California
State University, Hayward, California, USA.
Michael Pearson (mpearson@ccmail.nevada.edu) is
End-user Computing Manager, Marilyn Vent
(mvent@ccmail.nevada.edu) is Serials Catalog Librarian and
Maria White (mwhite@ccmail.nevada.edu) is Head of
Circulation, all at University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada,
USA.
Keywords
Automated storage/retrieval systems (ASRS), Libraries,
Barcodes
Abstract
The process of bringing Lied Library's automated storage and
retrieval system (ASRS) online consisted of setting up the
system and storing materials. Setting up the system required
defining specifications, designing a user-interface between the
integrated online library system and the ASRS, training in
operation, and preparing for maintenance. Storing materials
required selecting and processing the items to be stored,
loading them into bins, and retrieving them with the system.
Library staff spent countless hours in planning, customizing,
preparing data, supplementing existing data, testing, and
learning the system. The time was well spent as the load
process went smoothly with relatively few problems.
Electronic access
The research register for this journal is available at
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/researchregisters
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is
available at
http://www.emeraldinsight.com/0737-8831.htm
Theme articles
71
Library Hi Tech
Volume 20 .Number 1 .2002 .pp. 71±89
#MCB UP Limited .ISSN 0737-8831
DOI 10.1108/07378830210420708
rate, the impact of electronic resources on the
publishing industry, new academic programs
planned for the next decade, the life-expectancy
of the new library, a realistic construction
budget, requirements for various types of user
space, and new and existing services. Based on
discussions of these issues, the following
assumptions were made:
.UNLV libraries' collections would continue
to grow at the rate of 30,000 volumes a
year, while the number of aggregate
databases with full text would increase.
.UNLV would continue to increase the
number of Masters programs as well as
selected PhD programs, which would
require more library resources.
.Judging from the last library addition in
1981, which called for another addition
within ten years, the library would not likely
get more building funds for the next 30 to
50 years, which meant that the new library
should accommodate a minimum of 1.8
million volumes.
.One-time construction budgets for higher
education in Nevada had always been
under $40 million. The State of Nevada
Public Works Board strongly
recommended that our request be no more
than $40 million.
.With advances in technology, the unit space
required by library users would become
larger, thus more space had to be assigned
to user stations.
.An aggressive space-efficient system to
house the library collections needed to be
implemented within the new library facility,
while continuing to house a portion of the
collection in open stacks.
The two most commonly used methods of
collection storage in university libraries are
conventional open stacks and compact shelving
(movable aisle system). Open stacks is the
optimal way of housing collections, as users are
able to browse shelves and serendipitously
discover items. However, this requires the most
space to house materials. Compact shelving also
provides browsability, but it requires users to
crank the shelves to open the aisles in
mechanically-assisted systems, or to push a
button for motorized systems. Many large
research libraries have been using a third
method of housing library collections ± one that
stores books in high-rise stacks in a warehouse
environment, with the retrieval of the materials
being done by cherry-picker machines. As the
materials-handling industry developed
automated systems of storage and retrieval,
libraries began to consider installing those
systems. One reason for this type of storage
system not being popular among libraries is that
library administrators are hesitant to implement
a storage system installed in a closed stack
environment with no browsability.
In the early 1990s, during the initial planning
stage of Lied Library, several members of the
library planning group, along with Facilities
Management staff members, toured new library
facilities across the nation with the Lied Library
architects from Leo A. Daly and Welles-
Pugsley. The purpose of these visits was to
inquire about the adaptation of emerging
technologies into their facilities, including new
approaches to storing library collections. One of
the sites visited was the Oviatt Library at
California State University, Northridge, where
an automated storage and retrieval system was
installed. During this visit, the administrator at
the Oviatt Library provided access to a
valuable, in-house generated consultant's
report (Chambers et al., 1993) about collection
storage options. The report summarized the
differences between storage options in terms of
space efficiency, installation cost, and long-
term maintenance cost.
A review of the library literature revealed
many articles on library collection storage that
discussed the advantages and disadvantages of
various storage options. O'Connor's (1994)
bibliography provided many good sources to
consult. Kountz (1987) compared three
different storage options and described the
ASRS system installed in the Oviatt Library.
While the Kountz article addressed more
technical and functional aspects as well as the
construction issues of the ASRS, the CSUN
consultant's report was thorough and
comprehensive in comparing storage options.
This report compared the costs to build,
maintain, and support facilities housing 1.2
million volumes. The data about the ASRS
used in this report was based on Oviatt
Library's experience after using this system for
72
The automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) in Lied Library
Michaelyn Haslam
et al.
Library Hi Tech
Volume 20 .Number 1 .2002 .71±89
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