Collection Rightsizing Effort at Morisset Library

The Morisset Library (MRT) general collection is critically beyond capacity, creating usability and safety issues for users in many areas of the stacks. As part of its broader collection strategy, the uOttawa Library is undertaking a rightsizing exercise to reduce the size of the collection held on the main campus, primarily through shifting items to off-site storage and shared print facilities. This will address space limitations and ensure room for growth. 

Under the leadership of Mackenzie Kathmann (Collections Strategy Librarian), the rightsizing effort will follow established guidelines and best practices, based on a literature review, environmental scan, data-driven strategies and our collection development policy. The Library is working to balance space constraints, the integrity of the collection, and community needs. Changes are being implemented gradually with careful consideration of user needs, and built-in opportunities for stakeholder feedback.

A library shelf overfilled with books — A shelf of of books at the Morisset Library before the Rightsizing effort

Project Goals

The goal of this effort is to strategically rightsize the MRT collection by reducing on-campus items to support users in effectively locating and retrieving material. This will be achieved by relocating materials to off-site storage and long-term preservation facilities, or by deselecting material. At the same time, we will establish ongoing maintenance processes.

The short-term goals of the rightsizing effort are to ensure that the stacks conform to acceptable capacity standards to improve accessibility and safety. The result will be a navigable user-facing collection that supports the learning, teaching, and research needs of the uOttawa community.

The Library prioritizes community needs through collaboration, transparency, and thoughtful decision-making. With sustainability in mind, this process will leverage innovative opportunities like document delivery and shared print.

Stack of books — A shelf of books at the Morisset Library after the Rightsizing effort

What to expect

The Collection Rightsizing Advisory Group has recently been established, which is comprised of members of the Research, User Engagement, Collections Strategy and Metadata and Cataloguing units. This group will provide advice and guidance about rightsizing the MRT library collection. Feedback from the advisory group will help inform strategic planning and decision-making.

Users may have noticed that there is already movement among the Morisset stacks. As of now, government documents have been removed from the third floor and are now in storage. To access those documents, users can liaise with the Library at [email protected] if necessary to locate digitized material or to organize an in-house consultation. This work has been a collaborative effort involving the Collections Strategy team, the advisory group, Research Librarians, and various shared print and retention networks. The space is being repurposed to accommodate shifting the general collection on the third and fourth floors.

As the project moves forward, we'll keep you informed with updates and opportunities to provide feedback. For more details and the latest information, visit the Library website or reach out to [email protected].