Specifications Library Organization Tips Wanted

Archive of Older Topics Archive - Specifications Discussions #3
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I am looking for tips on library organization and wonder how your firm organizes its mass of materials (product catalogues/ technical binders, samples, standards, code books, other reference manuals, etc.)

Does your firm keep separate "libraries" for each different type of materials? (see above)  In how many groupings? 
How do you organize the materials?  (MasterFormat Division Level 1, possibly Level 2? alphabetical, other?) 
How do handle loose, non-binder brochures? 
What specific checkout procedures, if any, do you have? 
Do you have an electronic catalogue to supplement this? 
How often is the library updated/cleaned-out? 
Are materials dated?  By year? Month, too? In what location? 
How old do you let materials get before discarding?  
Are new arrival notifications sent to architects, or materials silently catalogued? 
Do you have any special criteria for admittance into the library? 
Is there a dedicated staff person to maintain the library? (haha!) 
Lastly, would anyone be willing to share their list of *indispensable* reference titles? How about just the top 10?

Thanks in advance for sharing!

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I’m not sure I have ever responded to an anonymous post, but I just have to ask, why was this post anonymous?

3

Here is a start,

Last office sorted binders alphabtically by manufacturers name in each Division (2-16 under MF95).

Current office sorts alphabetically by company name. In other words, we ignore MF95/04 for library organization. Being Building Enclosure specialists our library focuses on products in Division 7 and 8 with some from Division 04, 06 and 09. Staff are mostly looking for binders by brand name or manu name recognition.

We keep it simple yet some people cannot remember the alphabet and from time to time the IBC 2003 will end up in the product data library.

We have a sign-out/sign-in sheet for tracking missing binders but it is hard to enforce with all of the people all of the time but easy for some of the people some of the time.

After a while, the perpetrators become known.

Our bottom line is easy retreival. This system was set up before my time and I saw no compelling reasons to change the system.

Each new binder is logged into a library database located on the server for all to search.

I try to maintain only one copy on the office shelfs to maximize shelf space.

Binders that have not been updated in 12 months are candidates for exile to file 13 or call to the rep. Reps come and go like the wind. Product data older than 5 years are candidates for deportation.

Sweets catalogs make good door stops and dead weight, but otherwise suck up valuable real estate on the shelves.

Loose, nonbinder product data (not a marketing glossy) are located in large 3-ring binders with the division marked on the spine and organized by MF95/04 section number with number(s) on the upper right hand corner with a Sharpie.

Wayne

4

When I worked in an Architectural Office we did following:

On inside cover of binder wrote with sharpie month and year. Sticker on outside of binder sometimes came off.

On outside edge of binder:
at top of binder applied label with year “06” This at a glance lets you see how old binder is.If updated my mfg put new sticker with new date over old sticker.

At bottom of binder applied rectangular label with a 3 line Sharpie listing; division no on top, next line remaining numbers from MF; next line book no. “01”, “02” etc

This keeps all related products together, so person looking up a product either in library or on line can see manufacturers that make related products, [not necessary equal, just related]. If you flle alphabtically by manufacturers name in each Division will not have product grouped together and many younger persons do not know who manufacturers what.

The book number lets you track who has checked out that particular book, also lets you enter in computer the manufacturers name under the MF listing with binder no. When a catalog is out dated, you pitch and red line it in computer. Then reasign number to next manufactuer that send you related product.

Have sign out sheet at end of each row of shelving. Having a sign out sheet in library area does not assure it will be used, but most will comply.

When I had admin help, once a year I would send out letter to manufacture to update their binder.

A binder that had not been updated for 2 years was pulled off shelf discarded, unless I knew we had a specified it on a recent project, then it went under my desk so it would not be used on future projects but if a question came up I still had reference material.

The computer listing my MF number was put on server so it was accesable to all employes, we were on several floors, and at times in 2 or 3 adjacent building.

I also had mfg reps business card taped to inside cover.

Loose, nonbinder products were filed in a 4 drawer file cabinet with swing folders with MF number. It was not keep updated nor used very much.

Now as a indepent spec writer, I file Binders using the MF number, no book number and no computer listing. But do have year if was received.

I now request new or update binder by email. It generally gets results. When I do not receive binder,they are not in my office master.

Loose product data is generally pitched.

5

If you are serious about maintaining your library contact Rachel Stallworth at www.tradesources.net. They specialize in maintaining libraries for design professionals.

I worked with they and found them to be very professional.

6

Or you can use the approach my first employer did and have your daughter come in to help during the summer. She shuffled the entire library by color! Very lovely rainbow. My first task was to reorganize it.

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Anyone considered using Table 23 of Omniclass?

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How do you organize the materials? (MasterFormat Division Level 1, possibly Level 2? alphabetical, other?)

Level 1, then alphabetical. Personally I like to group them in some more detail like level 2 so you can see a cross section of the industry on the shelf, but then you get some people who fall into 2-3 or more categories. Level 1 works good if people in the office are familiar with who the names are. If not, have them look in sweets or 4specs.com first and then the shelf.

How do handle loose, non-binder brochures?

File drawer, by MF95 number for now.

What specific checkout procedures, if any, do you have?

Unfortunately it’s a free for all. We really need to do something about this at least for code books.

Do you have an electronic catalogue to supplement this?

A database of what binders have come into the library in the past couple of years

Is there a dedicated staff person to maintain the library?

yes

Lastly, would anyone be willing to share their list of indispensable reference titles? How about just the top 10?

Usually our indispensable titles correspond with those in the MASTERSPEC Supporting Docs references. We are promoting MS Supporting Docs as an invaluable resource beyond the specs department, often a good starting point when doing research.

We are thinking of listing the renewal cycles for primary reference materials and having someone assigned the task of making sure we get them updated.

9

It may be naive and simplistic, but we just use consecutive numbering, and have an alphabetical index listing, so you locate by manufacturer’s name.

This, we find, gets the binders back where they belong more quickly than other systems.

10

Binders?
In my virtual library I sort them by MasterFormat 2004.
Paperless is the way to go.

11

Library? You guys have libraries?

One bookshelf and Google - that’s mostly what we use.

Sure, we have other resources (ASTMs TCA, a few reference books) but the days of needing a lot of product binders are gone (most product info is available online).