The fact is, book collections in academic law libraries are continuing to grow, although the rate of growth has slowed somewhat in recent years. And I do need to worry about space, because our library is already out of space. Lack of space is not just a problem for those of us who work in the library, it affects library users too. Have you ever searched several different locations for a book before giving up and asking a reference librarian to help you find it? [Author's note: you should have asked a reference librarian earlier, but that's a subject for another column.] One reason finding books in our library is so difficult is that keeping them in logical sequence on the shelves requires more staff hours than we can afford to devote to shelving, because the shelvers must move old books, sometimes whole sections and ranges of old books, to make room on the shelves for new books. As a result, over the years the shelving plan of the library has become ever more confused. A KF classified book may be on the balcony or in the basement; a bar journal may be in one of three locations; state secondary materials are in the basement, while state primary materials are in the Annex; and so on. The student who described our shelving plan as "Byzantine" was right.
So what can we do? Well, we are already doing it. The last couple of years have been spent in a deaccessioning project. That's "library-ese" for getting rid of books we don't need. About 10,000 volumes of duplicates and superseded materials have been deaccessioned. It's important to note that the deaccessioning project did not remove unique information from the collection; we have added to the total number of titles but reduced the total number of physical volumes. Now that we have some room to maneuver, we are creating a shelving plan that will put materials in more logical relation to each other. In all likelihood, we will move nearly every book in the collection. This reshelving effort will be planned for a time when it will not interfere with classes, and we'll give you plenty of notice, but steel yourself for some frustration until you figure out the new plan. To quote another student, "You need to shelve books in this library so mere mortals can find them." Good advice. That's just what we're aiming for.
ARCHES is a UNIX account that is the swiss army knife of e-mail accounts, as not only does it connect you to worldwide e-mail, but it also provides access to OASIS for registration, telnet, FTP, and text-only web browsing, plus personal Web space for your own home page. All of these services are available from the ARCHES main menu.
In the Law School Computer Labs, ARCHES e-mail is available through a very friendly user-interface that allows the user to just point and click their way to sending e-mail. ARCHES is definitely the wave of the future in ease of use. Signing up is just as easy. Go to http://www.arches.uga.edu and click on Arches Information. Follow the instructions and in less than 5 minutes the account is ready for use. For help, please see Greg, Jeff, or Steven in the computer lab.
The contest is open to anyone except members of the Committee of Judges (see September newsletter). We'll be looking for a newsletter name that best captures the spirit of the law library and the purposes of a newsletter. Turn your entries into the box by the telephone near the Circulation Office, or the box in Anne Burnett's office (A20 - Annex), or via e-mail to aburnett@uga.cc.uga.edu.
One staff person who helps this exciting process along is Jeffery Satterfield. Jeff's main responsibility is communicating with vendors and placing orders for new books. Book orders are determined by Mr. Pages, the library's associate director, and by faculty and student suggestions. Checking in new books, periodicals and videotapes are among Jeff's duties. Everyday he backs up the Innopac system, which includes the library's online system, GAVEL, as well as the library's day-to-day technical service transactions.
Jeff holds an A.B.J., with an emphasis on newspapers, from the Henry W. Grady School of Journalism. While in college he worked a few quarters as theater critic for The Red and Black. The position with the R&B did not pay, but had its perks, such as free admission to shows. Nevertheless, Jeff realized he had an "absolute contempt for the journalism field," and decided against pursuing a career in news media; he came to the library in 1987.
His passion for English Medieval history led him to return to school, where he completed graduate work in UGA's history department. J.R.R. Tolkien is among Jeff's favorite authors, along with an assortment of other English writers, such as G.K. Chesterton and P.G. Wodehouse. He has a large book collection in his home, but he admits to being a movie buff as well. He claims, "I prefer old movies to new ones." He could also be considered a "cat person," as he has four: Mickey, Dexter, Aloysius, and Toulouse.
Jeff's office-mate Ann Smith says of him, "He is easy-going and witty...if there were anyone I would share an office with, it would be him." And they do share a typical acquisitions office. Books on carts and shelves eagerly awaiting processing, order forms, piles of paper, and the Dilbert Decision Maker are all present. It may be hard to find him in there, but Jeff plugs away daily, readying the materials that the legal community holds so dear. "When doctors make mistakes, people die," he jokes, "but I when I make a mistake, lawyers lose cases."
This newsletter is a publication of the University of Georgia Law Library. It can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.lawsch.uga.edu/newsletter/newsnov.html. Please send all contributions and comments to:
Anne Burnett, Editor
UGA Law Library
Herty Drive
Athens GA 30606
e-mail: aburnett@uga.cc.uga.edu