University a Literary Pack Rat

With titles like Essays in Algonquin Bible and Traditional Gaelic Bagpiping, it may not be surprising that many of the 9.3 million volumes that make up Columbia's libraries are seldom used.

Despite the sheer size of the collection during the last fiscal year, only 540,000 titles were checked out by students. While that figure does not accurately represent the total number of books actually being used-it does not reflect the reserve books that students cannot check out-it does indicate the startling number of volumes staying shelved in the stacks.

"We're acquiring things that scholars are producing right now," said Bob Scott, head of the Electronic Text Service for Columbia's libraries. "Just because books don't get used on a regular basis, it doesn't mean they shouldn't be here."

Though many of these books never see the light of day, the enormity of Columbia's collection may result from its status as a research institution. Scott explained that Columbia's academic status informs its position on library science.

"You have libraries like the branch libraries of the New York Public Library, whose mission is to support popular reading people want to do now," Scott said. "Then you have research libraries like Columbia," which, Scott noted, serve as "archival repositories" for a lot of current scholarly research.

Terry Kirchner, director of Access Services for the Columbia library system, said that Columbia is often asked by other institutions to borrow works. "It's great to be able to share your collections with others," Kirchner said.

While research volumes, including scholarly journals, are often used, the most frequently circulated books fall under the category of literature. About 30 percent of the 216,000 books checked out of Butler from July 2005 through June 2006 were literature books, Kirchner said.

Even with almost 10 million volumes contained in the library system, the University is always looking to expand its collection-both in hard copy materials and electronic sources.

"We have 40 selectors who choose books from all different subjects," said Director of Collection Development Barbara List. "We need to be balanced among the books we acquire, and a lot of what we acquire reflect the concerns of the University."

While many of the books may never find their way out of Butler or the other libraries, many students appreciate that there's such a vast resource on campus.

The tremendous volume may also inspire further research.

"It's nice to know that if you need something, it's right on campus," said Jane Gartland, CC '10.