Collections & Off-Site Storage Policy

One of the key strategic commitments of the UC San Diego Library is to provide space for a variety of study, research, and cultural opportunities. More than ever, Library space is at a premium. Given that the print collection grows by approximately 50,000 volumes every year, ensuring the optimal use of Library space entails identifying and carefully monitoring which of the print volumes and other collections are best housed on campus.

Our first priority is to provide immediate access to those materials that are needed to support current academic and research activity. Factors considered in deciding which materials to retain on campus include use, circulation, condition, and whether the item is available online. The Library has acquired a substantial number of resources in online formats that duplicate holdings in the print collections. By transferring duplicate and low-use print materials off site, we are best able to accommodate the diverse needs of our users.

Storage Facilities

The Library is fortunate to have three off-site storage facilities: the Library Annex and two University of California maintained locations: the Southern and Northern Regional Library Facilities (SRLF and NRLF). These facilities offer quick and reliable on-campus delivery of requested items while freeing valuable space by providing off-campus housing for research-level materials, which have circulated infrequently in recent years.

The Library Annex is located off Miramar Road in a UC San Diego-owned warehouse. A large, two-level facility, the annex has the capacity for over 500,000 volumes. Items housed in the annex include lesser-used materials, additional copies of popular instructional support materials, large gifts, other large acquisitions pending processing and review, and collections temporarily displaced due to building renovations.

The SRLF, located in Los Angeles, and the NRLF, located in Richmond, are high-density, climate-controlled storage facilities designed to preserve UC collections for future researchers and scholars. These facilities support persistent retention activities across the UC campuses and enable UC libraries to coordinate collections and share print materials. Along with libraries from the other southern UC campuses, the UC San Diego Library routinely transfers materials for which current or anticipated demand is relatively low to the SRLF. Each UC library has an annual deposit allocation, which is adjusted yearly to accommodate the anticipated number of volumes to be transferred. Items which already have a copy at SRLF are not eligible for transfer, but may be withdrawn from the UC San Diego Library collection.

Circulating materials in off-site storage are included in the UC Library Search catalog. When requested, these off-site materials are delivered quickly and reliably to the Library location selected by the user for pick-up. Journal articles requested from off-site storage are generally scanned and delivered electronically.

Please contact Dave Schmitt, Director of the Collection Development and Management Program, with any questions or comments about this policy.