Collection Management at NUI Galway Library

Although looking for a place to study has always been an important reason to visit libraries too, in general, most students and university staff primarily come to the library to consult books. 

Cataloguing

The Cataloguing Department staff ensure bibliographic information is accurate so that when a library user searches the library website for an item it is easily discoverable. We assign subjects to the items so that when a topic is looked up there are a wide variety of results returned. We also check titles, authors, publication information, ISBN and the punctuation and spelling. Finally we assign a class number (we use Dewey decimal classification) so that the books are shelved in the correct area amongst books of the same or similar subjects.

Shelving in the library

Our Shelving Team ensure that all books are shelved correctly and in sequence and provide a valuable service to users, keeping the shelves tidy and books re-shelved quickly and in the correct place.

Library material comes from many different sources

• Purchased books, microfilm, DVDs, maps etc.
• Gift donations
• Copyright - a copy of every book published in Ireland
• Official Publications
• European Documentation Centre
  
  
  

All are catalogued and processed by the Cataloguing Department.
We also have a large collection of print journals for users to browse through and read in the library.

Collection Review

Stock taking project ongoing at the moment where the entire collection is being checked and reviewed. All discards, relocations and corrections are done by us in Cataloguing. This review process is already making finding a book so much easier for users and will be even better when it is completed.

Sustainability in Collection Management

Library bindery on-site where books are repaired and books can be bound. This saves us having to re order books and ties in well with the libraries sustainability policies. When books are discarded or beyond repair we send them to ‘Better World Books’ who are a book selling company with a difference! They give a portion of what they earn for re-sale to support literacy, libraries and education. Better World Books divert books from landfills by collecting material from libraries, book stores, college campuses through the community and in other areas where surplus materials exist. They then sell those used books and contribute a portion of the revenue on each sale to support literacy, libraries and education.