Collection Rightsizing Effort at the Morisset Library

October 2025 project update    

The MRT Collection Rightsizing Effort is now focused on shifting low-use material from the MRT open stacks to the Keep@Downsview shared print preservation facility. In collaboration with subject specialists, research librarians, the Collections Strategy team, and shared print experts, the project team developed subject-specific criteria considering factors such as usage, publication date, disciplinary nuances, language, and electronic availability. 

These criteria were applied to the collection and select materials were reviewed and identified for transfer and long-term preservation. The uOttawa Library retains ownership of all transferred items, which remain fully accessible to our community through ''Place a hold'' and ''Scan on demand''.  

To learn more about shared print initiatives, Keep@Downsview, and to read our FAQ, please visit our Shared Print Partnerships webpage or contact Monica Ward, Head, Collections Strategy and Mackenzie Kathmann, Collections Strategy Librarian at [email protected].  

July 2025 project update - Shifting on the 3rd and 4th floors of Morisset (MRT) Library 

You may have noticed the collection moving on the 3^rd floor – not by magic, but thanks to the Library's wonderful User Engagement team! Shifting the MRT general collection will relieve pressure on the 3^rd and 4^th floors and address some of the collection’s most immediate problems: items on their fore-edge, inconsistent number of shelves per bay, no breathing room at the end of each shelf, and the 4^th floor PQ overflow area. 

This has been made possible due to the relocation of the government documents from the 3^rd floor. To ensure continued access, the government documents have either: 

• Moved to MRT storage or the Annex and are available via scan on demand and/or place a hold;
• or have been weeded because they are available electronically.  

For any questions or assistance with government documents, don’t hesitate to reach out to the Research Librarian (Government Information) at [email protected]. 

Explanatory signage is posted around the area and the wayfinders are being updated as we go. Note that books in the general collection are not being weeded or moved off-site – they are moving within the MRT Library. Should you have any questions, please contact [email protected]. 

June 2025 project update

We are happy to announce the establishment of a permanent Collections Strategy librarian position, focused on supporting a more comprehensive and strategic approach to collection management. This role will advance our ongoing efforts to rightsize the Morisset Library collection while implementing long-term, sustainable maintenance initiatives. Our work will begin by planning a series of initiatives aimed at rightsizing the collection. Throughout this process, the team will prioritize clear communication, collaboration, user-centric decision-making, and data-driven strategies to ensure the collection continues to meet the unique and evolving needs of our community.  

The Collection Lifecycle Management project advisory group has been revised and reconvened as the Collection Rightsizing Advisory Group. We had our first meeting on May 14th and will now meet monthly to share sub-project information and solicit advice.

Further information will be shared as the work progresses.

April 2024 update

Project activities are now focused on the 3rd floor where library staff are actioning decisions from multiple assessments of government publications, with the aim of receiving part of the 4th floor collection. Library staff are also continuing to manage the collection on the 6th floor, with the aim of receiving part of the 5th floor collection. In addition, most duplicate copies of books identified throughout the Morisset General Collection are in the process of being withdrawn.

October 2023 update

The comprehensive review of the Morisset Library collection on the 6th floor is ongoing. Over the summer, library staff actioned decisions from completed assessments of print collections on the floor. 
As the work continues on the 6th floor, members of the Library’s Collection Strategy team have initiated two additional assessments to ease pressures in other areas of the Morisset Library. These include:

• A review of the government publications collection on the 3rd floor.
• An analysis of duplicate copies of books throughout the Morisset General Collection.

March 2023 update

Collection Lifecycle Management (CLM) work is now focused on a comprehensive review of the Morisset Library periodicals collection on the 6th floor. This collection includes journals, indexes, directories, government publications, and publications by international organizations—all in print.

The University of Ottawa Library electronic collections provide reliable and permanent full-text access to many e-journal titles. As part of this review, we expect to deaccession most print copies of 6th floor journal titles to which uOttawa community members have permanent and reliable electronic access. Some print material will remain accessible locally in the Annex or in collaboration with our shared print partners.

We expect that this comprehensive review of the 6th floor collection will make additional capacity available for easing pressures in other areas of the collection, where the collection has reached or exceeded shelving capacity

November 2022

The library’s collections have a key role in the uOttawa Library mission: “The uOttawa Library advances cutting edge research and supports transformative learning by connecting the uOttawa community to expertise, services, collections and technology in a welcoming and supportive environment” (Strategic Plan).

The active management of the Morisset Library print collection is the focus of the Collection Lifecycle Management (CLM) project. Some areas of the library stacks are under acute pressure due to long-deferred collection maintenance; navigating and browsing those parts of the collection can be challenging for library users.

The objective of the project is to develop and implement an active collection management plan to address the user experience in the stacks and to ensure that the collection aligns with the learning, teaching, and research needs of the uOttawa community.

The goals of the project are to

• Identify and retain relevant material in the Morisset stacks.
• Ensure that library users can locate and retrieve the material they need from the stacks.

The project is in the planning phase. Next steps include data gathering and analysis, and consultation with stakeholders. The project was presented to the Library Advisory Committee in October 2022; more conversations with the uOttawa community will follow.