Off Site Storage Policy

UCSD is fortunate to have two off-site storage facilities available to accommodate materials that do not need to occupy the valuable shelf space in the Geisel building and other libraries. The UCSD Library Annex, located off Miramar Road, occupies a UCSD-leased building that also contains the UCSD Storehouse. The Annex is a large two- level facility that can house approximately 550,000 volumes from all libraries. UC’s Southern Regional Library Facility [SRLF] is located on the campus of UCLA. It utilizes high-density shelving to store collections in a climate-controlled environment that is designed to preserve the collections.

UCSD has a quota allocation at SRLF that is adjusted annually, when it is necessary to send more (or less) volumes. Sam Dunlap is UCSD’s representative to the SRLF Operations Committee and works closely with Ryan Finnerty (Metadata Services Department) and the other Collection Coordinators to establish the annual UCSD request for deposit.

Material removed from circulating collections should first be considered for transfer to SRLF, or for withdrawal in lieu of deposit. The space at the Annex is prioritized to manage: [1] “surged” collections that are temporarily housed there to accommodate building renovations/repairs, [2] occasional gift acquisitions, and [3] material of low use but considerable academic value which indicates a need to maintain it near campus in a secure location available for rapid paging upon request. 

The Collections Management Working Group (CMWG) evaluates the Annex space projects and priorities on an annual basis. The CMWG includes the Head of CM/Preservation, Facilities and representatives from Metadata Services and the Arts, Biomedical, IR/PS, S&E and SSH Libraries. The annual assessment is approved by Admin Team and shared with LMG. Requests for transfer of material to the Annex require dept head and collection coordinator approval and are presented to the Head of CM/Preservation and the Head of Facilities for scheduling and logistics planning. 

Proposals for transfer of material to the Annex, regardless of size or status as a gift, will be considered against the extent of collections already stored at the Annex and the availability of space to properly store new additions. The Facilities Department will be consulted so they are able to appropriately plan their portion of the project given their workload. In cases when the Annex cannot immediately accommodate additional material in a given subject area, a collaborative assessment of collections at the Annex will be undertaken by the CMWG to weed and make room as needed.

Material considered for the Annex should not be in disrepair or exhibit signs of mold infestation. Should these issues be present, the item should be referred to Preservation for review/repair prior to Annex transfer.