SPEC Kit 337: Print Retention Decision Making · 157
ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY
WEST: Collections Model
Page 12
The Selection and Validation Working Group recommends the following definitions and principles when
conducting collection analysis and identifying the institutions that might best serve as Archive Provider
for a title. The Project Manager would confirm commitments from potential Archive Providers prior to a
firm designation. These principles are designed to keep collection analysis costs as well as subsequent
validation costs low for the partners. The Collections Council may define additional principles over time.
“Archival locations” are defined to include separate high-‐density library storage facilities and library
locations with controlled access and appropriate environmental conditions. This hybrid model for
archive locations is recommended for various reasons:
• Provides for archiving more materials since there are capacity constraints at storage
facilities
• Allows more institutions to serve as archive locations supports distributed archiving
programs such as the Orbis Cascade Alliance Distributed Print Repository and GWLA (in
planning).
• Supports the likely progression over time for materials to move toward more secure
environments, e.g., from campus stacks to protected status to protected locations such as
storage facilities.
• Could be implemented more quickly and less expensively.
• Supports different comfort levels among participants and different incentives among archive
providers
The following principles would guide efforts to analyze collections to identify archive location
candidates:
• When multiple backfiles for the same title exist in WEST, the most complete backfile is selected
for the archive (as complete as can be discerned initially from bibliographic records.) That
backfile is completed by other members’ holdings on a proactive or passive basis (as described
in the “call for holdings and filling gaps” section.
• WEST member libraries that have access to a storage facility will move a Silver, Gold or Platinum
title’s backfile to storage, if selected for the Trust.
• WEST member libraries that have access to a storage facility may choose to move Bronze
backfiles to storage or retain them on site.
• Validation occurs at the final archival location for the backfile. This is the most cost-‐effective
way to perform validation. For libraries with storage facilities, validation occurs at the storage
facility for libraries without storage facilities, validation occurs at the library.
• Members are expected to contribute holdings when called upon to complete a backfile, even if
local backfiles must be broken up.
• When contributions of more recent holdings are of concern, a rolling-‐wall pattern can be set up.
ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY
WEST: Collections Model
Page 12
The Selection and Validation Working Group recommends the following definitions and principles when
conducting collection analysis and identifying the institutions that might best serve as Archive Provider
for a title. The Project Manager would confirm commitments from potential Archive Providers prior to a
firm designation. These principles are designed to keep collection analysis costs as well as subsequent
validation costs low for the partners. The Collections Council may define additional principles over time.
“Archival locations” are defined to include separate high-‐density library storage facilities and library
locations with controlled access and appropriate environmental conditions. This hybrid model for
archive locations is recommended for various reasons:
• Provides for archiving more materials since there are capacity constraints at storage
facilities
• Allows more institutions to serve as archive locations supports distributed archiving
programs such as the Orbis Cascade Alliance Distributed Print Repository and GWLA (in
planning).
• Supports the likely progression over time for materials to move toward more secure
environments, e.g., from campus stacks to protected status to protected locations such as
storage facilities.
• Could be implemented more quickly and less expensively.
• Supports different comfort levels among participants and different incentives among archive
providers
The following principles would guide efforts to analyze collections to identify archive location
candidates:
• When multiple backfiles for the same title exist in WEST, the most complete backfile is selected
for the archive (as complete as can be discerned initially from bibliographic records.) That
backfile is completed by other members’ holdings on a proactive or passive basis (as described
in the “call for holdings and filling gaps” section.
• WEST member libraries that have access to a storage facility will move a Silver, Gold or Platinum
title’s backfile to storage, if selected for the Trust.
• WEST member libraries that have access to a storage facility may choose to move Bronze
backfiles to storage or retain them on site.
• Validation occurs at the final archival location for the backfile. This is the most cost-‐effective
way to perform validation. For libraries with storage facilities, validation occurs at the storage
facility for libraries without storage facilities, validation occurs at the library.
• Members are expected to contribute holdings when called upon to complete a backfile, even if
local backfiles must be broken up.
• When contributions of more recent holdings are of concern, a rolling-‐wall pattern can be set up.
