A look at how library books find their way to the shelves!

The Saline County Library is home to over 94,725 unique books and items. Among these items are DVDs, audiobooks, video games, and a host of physical tools, such as cake pans and fishing rods. But how do these books/items find their way to the shelves, and what happens to them when they have served out their purposes?

There are currently 11 selectors for the Saline County Library. These selectors are responsible for choosing which books will be ordered and added to our collection. Each selector has an area of expertise and is responsible for ordering books based on format and audience. A majority of our selectors are degreed librarians. At the Benton branch we have one selector for each of the following categories: adult fiction, adult non-fiction, audiobooks/DVDs/video games, large print, children’s board books/picture books/easy readers, juvenile chapter books/juvenile non-fiction/juvenile audiobooks, and YA books/YA audiobooks. At the Bryant branch we have one selector for each of the following categories: adult fiction/adult non-fiction/audiobooks/large print, DVDs, children’s board books/picture books/easy readers/juvenile chapter books/juvenile non-fiction/juvenile audiobooks, and YA books/YA audiobooks.

Our primary book vendor is called Ingram. One thing that makes Ingram so special is that it has a collection development team of degreed librarians who build lists of books based on “predicted bestsellers and high-profile titles.” They also have full texts of the starred reviews from Booklist, Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, Horn Book, Kirkus, Library Journal, Publisher’s Weekly, and School Library Journal. Our selectors are able to use these lists and reviews to select titles that will likely be popular among our patrons. Selectors also order books based on requests from patrons.

Once the books have been ordered and delivered, they arrive in Collections. This department is responsible for getting titles added to our catalog. A technician flips through the pages of each book to make sure there are no printing errors or loose pages. Then, the appropriate labels and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags are added to each book. Now that the book has been labeled and entered into the system, it is ready to be placed on the shelf by a shelver.

After a book is placed in the appropriate section, there are many ways that a patron can check it out. Patrons can bring books they would like to check out to the circulation desk by the front doors and present their library card. The staff member will take the items, scan them, and return them to the patron with a receipt and a smile. If the patron has forgotten their library card, they can easily be looked up in the system. We simply verify the patron’s identity by asking them to confirm their account details. Most patrons already have a photo attached to their account, so this speeds up the verification process.

Patrons can also check out books through self-service stations near the front desk. Patrons will follow the prompts on a touch screen to select a language, input their library card number and PIN, place materials on the checkout pad, and choose if they would like their receipt printed or e-mailed. Staff is always available to assist, if needed.

In order to expand the collection available to patrons, the Saline County Library has partnered with Cleveland, Dallas, Grant, and Hot Spring Counties to join the Mid-Arkansas Regional Library System. Through this partnership, if a patron wants to check out a book that is available at one of those libraries but not their own, they can borrow it! All a patron has to do is place the item on hold and select the Saline County Library as their pickup location. Deliveries from our reciprocal libraries typically arrive on Tuesdays and Fridays.

If a patron wants to check out a book that another patron currently has checked out, they are able to place a hold on that title. This means that once the first patron returns the book, instead of being placed back on the shelf, it would be held for the next patron on the waitlist. To set up a hold, the patron would simply stop by the service desk or call to speak with an associate. Holds can also be set up using a catalog computer, the library’s web site, or the Mid-Ark Regional app. The patron would log in with their credentials, then select “place hold,” and select the desired pickup location.

Weeding is the term that describes the removing of books from our collection. These are books that are seldom checked out, if ever. Because weeding is part of the cycle of selection, those who order books also handle the weeding. Fiction titles are most often weeded due to poor physical condition or because they have not been checked out in at least four years. Non-fiction titles are most often weeded because they are out of date or contain information that is no longer scientifically accurate. We rely on the CREW (Continuous Review, Evaluation, Weeding) method to help us determine when a book is ready to move on from our shelves. After a book is removed from our system, it will typically go to our Friends of the Library Used Bookstore. Some of our weeded genealogy titles are even being adopted by other libraries!

In 2022 the library processed 178,750 checkouts! This represents 71% of our physical item circulation! To review our collection online, visit salinecountylibrary.bibliocommons.com or download the Mid-Ark Regional Library System app for mobile devices.