Obsolescence and stress

Abstract

Reports the results of a study at the main library of Cape Town University, to investigate complaints about ageing book stock and declin ing resources and observations that many books were hardly circulating. The study aimed to establish the pro portion of the books in the library which were actively circulating and whether the accepted phenomenon of decline in use with age, or obso lescence, would be supported in an environment where a reduction in the purchase of new books was evi dent. Two separate investigations were conducted: a diachronous study of accession dates, classification num bers and date labels of the open shelf collection; and a synchronous study of books on loan during the period of investigation. The resulting databas es consisted of 2654 and 1023 records respectively. Evidence suggests that older books, do not exhibit the expected characteristics of obsoles cence and, while a certain measure of decline of use with age was demonstrated, such decline may be reversed in times of decreasing resources or increasing demands from existing resources. Suggests that the Library could develop an informed weeding policy that will enable it to remove from the shelves those mat erials that have remained unused or little used for 25 years or more.