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Oversized and Underused: Size 

Ma ers in Academic Libraries
1

D. Yvonne Jones 

Data on the collection size, shelving, and usage of oversize books in 
the general library collection was requested using an e-mail survey 
targeted at fifty U.S. liberal arts college libraries. Typical size of oversize 
collections ranged from a few hundred to almost 200,000 volumes, with 
a median collection size of 6,359 and median percentage oversize of 1.6 
percent. When the percentage circulation within the oversize collection 
was compared with the percentage circulation within the general collec-
tion, statistically significantly lower circulation was evident for oversize 
volumes (one-sided P=0.02), with a surprisingly small median difference 
of 3 percent. 

ecently, the liberal arts col-
lege library in which I work 
conducted a major shelving 
shi  that involved possible 

relocation of the oversize collection. The 
optimal placement of the oversize collec-
tion was a subject for discussion. In an 
effort to benefit from the experience of 
other, similar libraries, the library science 
literature was consulted; however, the 
best shelving arrangement for oversize 
volumes is not a popular research topic. 
In fact, a search of the Library Literature 
& Information Science bibliographic da-
tabase (which indexes major periodicals 
in the field as well as selected books and 
proceedings starting from 1984)1 resulted 
in only one article dealing with oversize 
books and shelving concerns. This 1996 
article provides building plans for big 
book racks to be used in shelving the large 
reading instruction books encountered 
in school media centers.2 Unfortunately, 
building shelving was not our concern as 

much as the best placement of the existing 
shelving to optimize access. 

A er searching the research literature, 
the next logical path seemed to directly 
ask other libraries about their shelving 
practices for oversize books. Informal 
discussions among librarians o en reveal 
the challenges of dealing with oversize 
material. There is a perception that the 
more closely the oversize material can 
be shelved to the rest of the volumes on 
the same subject, the more likely it will 
be accessed; however, there are no data to 
demonstrate this belief. This paper shares 
results from an e-mail survey conducted 
to obtain such data about shelving and 
use of oversize books and to make these 
data available to the larger library com-
munity. 

Methods 
An e-mail survey of the top fi y liberal 
arts colleges in 2005 listed by U.S. News 
and World Report was conducted during 

D. Yvonne Jones is a Reference Librarian at Olin Library at Rollins College; e-mail: djones@rollins.edu. 

325 

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326 College & Research Libraries July 2006 

January through April of 2005.3 The sur-
vey was a short five-question open-ended 
query asking for information about how 
oversize books are handled at each of 
these top colleges’ libraries. Specific ques-
tions asked whether the oversize collec-
tion circulated, the size of the collection, 
usage statistics in comparison with the 
rest of the circulating collection, and how 
oversize books are shelved at each insti-
tution. A final question invited general 
comments about the oversize collection. 
The survey is shown in appendix A. 

Response Rate 
The initial response rate from the e-mail 
survey was 58 percent (29 colleges re-
sponding from 50 surveyed). A follow-up 
e-mail request was sent to colleges who 
had not responded within eight weeks of 
receiving the survey and a further eight 
responses were received, yielding a final 
response rate of 74 percent (37 colleges). 
This response rate is considerably be er 
than the 21 percent reported by Michael 
D. Kaplowitz, Timothy D. Hadlock, and 
Ralph Levine in 2004 for e-mail only sur-

FIGURE 1 
Does Oversize Collection 

Circulate? (n = 37) 

Yes 
86% 

Partial 
11% 

No data 
3% 

veys in comparison with mail, postcard, 
or combination surveys.4 The 74 percent 
library response rate obtained here also 
exceeds the highest rate reported in a 2001 
review by Kim Sheehan of e-mail survey 
response rates.5 Sheehan’s review article 
notes a pa ern of decreasing response 
rates over time from a high of 72 percent 
in 1992 to more recent responses of 28 
and 24 percent, consistent with the 21 
percent rate reported by Kaplowitz et al. 
previously mentioned. 

Many factors could contribute to the 
higher response rate obtained in this 
survey of academic libraries. It is clearly 
a very defined population, with Internet 
proficiency expected in the professional 
staff. The libraries targeted in this survey 
are also from top-rated liberal arts col-
leges where one would expect an elevated 
level of service that extends to outside 
requests for assistance. 

Oversize Collection Description 
In response to the primary question of 
whether the library has a circulating 
oversize collection, figure 1 shows that 
the majority of libraries did have a circu-
lating collection (32 libraries, 86% of the 
sample). Three libraries noted that some 
oversize books circulated and others did 
not and that the group that was differenti-
ated was typically the art books. Either 
“only art books circulate” or “art does 
not circulate” were the added comments. 
One college responded that its oversize 
collection did not circulate; however, 
it also explained it has a policy of not 
designating any book as oversize except 
art folios, which did not circulate. Given 
that policy, this library could reason-
ably be grouped with the previous three 
with “mixed” circulation, bringing to 11 
percent the number of surveyed libraries 
with partial circulation of their oversize 
collection. One library did not answer 
this question. As figure 1 demonstrates, 
in this group of highly rated liberal arts 
college libraries, the overwhelming ma-
jority intend for their oversize material 
to circulate. 



     
      

     
      

     

   

       

     
     

      
     

     
    

     
      

     

 

 

Size Ma ers in Academic Libraries 327 

An unexpected finding of this survey 
was that the designation of “oversize” 
was not as universally used as presumed. 
In reviewing survey responses, it became 
clear that a sizable number of libraries 
use other terminology. Figure 2 provides 
a graphical depiction of the various de-
scriptor terms utilized. The majority of 
libraries (24 libraries, 65%) use the term 
oversize (sometimes further differentiated 
into super oversize, double oversize, and 
regular oversize); eleven libraries (30%) 
use the term folios and quartos; one library 
uses the designations “X” and “XX”, and 
one library did not provide data. 

Size of Oversize Collection 
Differences in the descriptor used led 
directly to exploration of the question 
of what determines the size cutoff for 
“oversize” in these colleges? The ques-
tion of what size constitutes “oversize” 
varied from library to library, although 
within fairly narrow ranges. Although 
this information was not asked directly, 
several libraries offered their cutoff in-
formation and a few responded to this 
question when asked the “size” of their 
oversize collection. Specific cutoffs listed 

FIGURE 2
	
Descriptor Used for Oversize 


Collection (n = 37)
	

No data
 
3%
 

X, XX
 
3%
 

Folio 
30% 

Oversize 
64% 

were >=27.5, 28, 30, 32, 33, 35, and 38 cm. 
Several libraries emphasized their use of 
separate oversize cutoffs for art (N), pho-
tography (TR), or music (M) materials. 
As so many books in these classifications 
are larger in size, higher cutoffs tend to 
be used to designate an oversize volume 
in these areas. 

Survey questions asking for quantita-
tive data about the oversize and general 
collections were not answered by all 37 

FIGURE 3 
Distribution of Surveyed Libraries by Size of 

Oversize Book Collection (n = 26) 

// 

0 

S
iz
e

 o
f 
O
v
e
rs
iz
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 B
o
o
k

 C
o
ll
e
c
ti
o
n

 

<1K 
1-2K 

2-3K 

4-5K 
5-6K 

6-7K 
7-8K 

8-9K 

10-11K 
11-12K 

13-14K 
14-15K 
15-16K 

19-20K 

190K 

1 2 3 4 

Number of Surveyed Libraries 

5 



 

      
      

     
    

        
     

    
    

     

     

      
     

     
     

   
      

     

 

      

     

     

     
    
    

      

 

328 College & Research Libraries July 2006 

colleges. Only 26 of the 37 responding 
libraries (70%) provided data on the num-
ber of oversize volumes in comparison 
with the general circulating collection. 
(See figure 3.) The size of the oversize col-
lections reported ranged markedly in this 
group of select college libraries, from a 
few hundred to 180,000–200,000 volumes. 
The upper level reported (180,000–200,000 
volumes or 190K as an average estimate) 
is a clear outlier, reported by the college 
with the largest overall collection (one 
million volumes) and a particularly large 
art collection. For this college library, 
the oversize collection represented 15 to 
17 percent of the total collection. A er 
excluding this library, the oversize col-
lections still varied 100-fold, from 200 to 
20,000 (mean = 7,364; median = 6,359; n = 
25). In contrast, the total circulating col-
lection in the libraries surveyed varied 
only fivefold, from 180,000 to 932,898 
total volumes (mean = 440,949; median = 
400,000; n = 25). 

Examining the oversize collection 
as a percentage of the total circulating 

collections, figure 4 shows the major-
ity of libraries with 2 percent or less of 
their collections designated as oversize. 
Twenty-one of the 26 libraries providing 
data (81%) reported < 2 percent as over-
size. Only five libraries reported higher 
percentages of 3, 4, 4, 6, and 16 percent 
from the library previously noted with the 
extensive art collection. When the library 
reporting the extremely high 16 percent 
value was included, the mean oversize 
percentage was 2.2 percent and the me-
dian value was 1.6 percent. Excluding 
this library resulted in a mean oversize 
percentage of 1.7 percent and the same 
median value of 1.6 percent. 

Shelving the Oversize Collection 
In describing where their oversize col-
lections were shelved, the responding 
libraries reported several basic strate-
gies. (See figure 5.) The most common 
strategies were shelving the collection in 
a completely separate area (17 libraries, 
47%) and shelving oversize in a separate 
area, but on the same floor with the cor-

FIGURE 4 
Distribution of Surveyed Libraries by Percentage of 

Oversize Book Collection (n = 26) 

0 

<1% 

1% 

2% 

3% 

4% 

5% 

6% 

7% 

8% 

9% 

// 

16% 

O
v
e
rs
iz
e

 P
e
rc
e
n
ta
g
e

 o
f 
C
o
ll
e
c
ti
o
n

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 

Number of Surveyed Libraries 
9 10 



     

    
    

   

  
       

      
     

    
       

    
       

     
      

     

      
     

      

    
     

    
    

    

     

     
     

     
      

      

      

    
     

      

    
    

    
      

     

      
        

      

Size Ma ers in Academic Libraries 329 

responding classification in the 
general collection (10 libraries, 
28%). Seven libraries (19%) re-
ported a mixture of strategies, 
with part of the oversize col-
lection shelved separately and 
other parts, usually the art col-
lection, interfiled or placed ad-
jacent to the general circulating 
books in that classification. Two 
libraries (6%) reported alterna-
tive strategies, one shelving 
the oversize at the start of each 
major call number breakdown 
and the other using the bo om 
shelves of each Library of Con-
gress designation. One library 
did not provide data. 

Several libraries commented 
in replying to the survey about the unique 
problems of oversize books and compact 
shelving. It is definitely worth warning 
others that in planning for shelving shi s, 
there are special concerns for oversize 
volumes. The support cross-braces found 
in some shelving limit the depth to which 
oversize books can be shelved and must 
be considered. In addition, with compact 
shelving, the distance allowed between 
shelves in the closed position may have to 
be adjusted to accommodate the overhang 
of oversize volumes on the shelf. Compact 
shelving concerns magnify the usual extra 
considerations of dealing with shelving 
oversize books. 

Circulation of Oversize Books 
In examining the key question of whether 
circulation usage of oversize books is 
the same as the general collection cir-
culation, once again, the sample size of 
libraries with complete data decreased. 
Only sixteen of the surveyed libraries 
provided sufficient quantitative data to 
allow statistical analysis of circulation. 
Oversize circulation was examined ini-
tially by comparing the percentage of the 
collection designated as oversize with the 
percentage of the annual circulation that 
came from oversize books. Theoretically, a 
selected collection such as oversize would 

FIGURE 5 
Oversize Shelving Strategies (n = 36) 

Separate 
47% 

Separate, same floor 
28% 

Mixed 
19% 

Other 
6% 

be represented in the circulation statistics 
proportionally to its size in the overall 
collection. Figure 6 shows the difference 
between the percentage of oversize in the 
collection minus the percentage in the cir-
culation statistics for the sixteen libraries 
surveyed with complete data. 

The first data point, with a difference 
of 2.4 percent more circulation of oversize 
materials than proportion in the overall 
collection, stands out as the largest single 
difference noted. The respondent from 
this library commented on this finding 
as a surprising result of answering the 
survey. Despite the fact that the oversize 
collection is shelved in a separate room 
from the rest of the circulating collection, 
this library showed markedly higher 
proportional circulation from the oversize 
collection. The library respondent sug-
gested that this result was an example 
of the success of the reference librarians 
in directing readers to the desired area. 
Certainly other assisting staff as well as 
signage may contribute to this result, as 
well as a desirable oversize collection; 
however, it is clear that this library is an 
example where the expected outcome of 
lesser oversize circulation is not evident. 

Of the sixteen libraries with quantitative 
data, only five showed the result of higher 
circulation in the oversize collection than 



 

    
      
     

       
       

     
        

       
       

       
    

      
        

     
     

      
    

     

     

      
    

    
       

      
       

    
     

      
     

       
       
   

      
     

    
      

        
      

      
      

       
       

 

330 College & Research Libraries July 2006 

their proportional contribution. Eleven 
libraries displayed results in the expected 
direction, with a lower circulation percent-
age than their proportion in the collection. 
It should be noted that because oversize 
collections contribute only a small propor-
tion to the overall collection, there is not 
a wide range of variation for differences 
to manifest themselves. In figure 6, the 
entire range covers only about 4 percent. 
No statistically significant differences 
were evident in examining the paired t-
test for these data, although if the single 
unusual result discussed above (2.4% 
higher oversize circulation) is excluded, 
there is a significantly lower circulation 
noted (one-sided P = 0.02). 

Another way to examine the circula-
tion usage of the oversize collection is to 
compare the percentage of the oversize 
collection that circulates with the per-
centage of the overall general collection 
circulating. The expectation would be that 
circulation within the oversize collection 
would be a smaller percentage than the 
circulation within the general collection. 

Figure 7 shows the distribution of the 
difference between the percentage of 
the general collection circulating minus 
the percentage of the oversize collection 
circulating. 

Examining the circulation differences 
in this way provides a greater than six-
fold higher range over which differences 
can be examined. There are still five 
libraries showing greater percentage 
circulation in the oversize collection 
than in the general collection, versus 
eleven libraries in the expected direc-
tion. However, with a greater range over 
which to examine differences, there is no 
single outstanding exception. Statisti-
cally testing these differences yielded a 
significantly lower circulation within the 
oversize collection (one-sided P=0.02). 
Although this is the expected result, 
what is surprising in these data is the rel-
atively low amount of difference found. 
The mean difference observed was 3.26 
percent and the median difference was 
only 3.05 percent. Despite the fact that 
almost all the respondents to the e-mail 

FIGURE 6 
Difference Between Percentage of Collection Classed as Oversize 

and Percentage of Circulation by Oversized Materials (n = 16) 

-3 

-2.5 

-2 

-1.5 

-1 

-0.5 

0 

0.5 

1 

1.5 

Surveyed College Libraries (n=16) 

(O
v
e
rs
iz
e

 C
o
ll
e
c
ti
o
n

 %
) 
-
(O
v
e
rs
iz
e

 C
ir
c
u
la
ti
o
n

 %
) 



      
      
      
      
         

      
     

      
   

       
     

    

      
     

      

    

 

    
       

     

      
    

    

 

Size Ma ers in Academic Libraries 331 

FIGURE 7 
Difference Between the Percentage of Books Circulating in the General 
Collection and the Percentage Circulating in the Oversize Collection, 

Statistically Significant, One-tailed P = 0.02 (n = 16) 

-10 

-5 

0 

5 

10 

15 

20 

Surveyed College Libraries (n=16) 

(G
e
n
e
ra
l 
C
ir
c
u
la
ti
o
n

 %
) 
-
(O
v
e
rs
iz
e

 C
ir
c
u
la
ti
o
n

 %
) 

oversize query mentioned at some point 
that they expected that their collection 
was being underutilized, the data show 
that although most collections are indeed 
used less, it is not by a large amount. A 
few libraries found, sometimes to their 
own surprise, that they proportionally 
utilize their oversize collection more than 
the general collection. 

A closer examination of each of the six-
teen surveyed libraries and their shelving 
strategies showed no correlation between 
the shelving strategy and the circulation 
usage. The most-used oversize collection 
was shelved in a separate room. In fact, 
four of the five libraries with greater 
proportional use of the oversize collection 
shelved the oversize collection in a sepa-
rate room. For the eleven libraries with 
decreased circulation in the oversize col-
lection, shelving was in a separate room 
for five libraries and in a separate area on 
the same floor as the general classification 
for six libraries. 

Conclusion 
The responses received from this e-mail 
survey demonstrate that oversize books 
continue to provide particular challenges 
for the personnel determining their opti-
mal location for best usage. Oversize col-
lections tend to be a small percentage of 
the total collection, typically < 2 percent. 
By definition, their size creates particular 
difficulties in arrangement on the shelv-
ing used for most of the collection. Most 
libraries shelved their oversize material 
in a completely separate area (47%); the 
next most common shelving strategy 
was to place the oversize material in a 
separate area of the same floor where the 
general circulating material with the same 
classification is found (28%). Examining 
the data on circulation of the oversize 
collection showed no apparent differ-
ence in circulation based on the shelving 
strategy used. 

Circulation of oversize books was 
significantly lower when the percentage 



 

    
    

      
    

    

    
    

      
      

 

 

 

             

332 College & Research Libraries	 July 2006 

circulation within the oversize collection 
was compared with circulation within 
the general collection. However, several 
libraries demonstrated the exact opposite: 
higher proportional circulation within the 
oversize collection. The general result of 
lower circulation with oversize books is 
the expected wisdom, but it is interest-
ing to note that the degree of reduction 
is quite small (median difference of 3% 
in circulation). Although it can only be 
speculative, as there are no historical data 

Appendix A 
Oversize Books E-mail Survey 
Oversize Books Query (Subject line) 

on this topic, the smaller than expected 
difference in circulation may be a result 
of the change in browsing and retrieving 
behavior of library patrons. Previously, 
when browsing for material physically 
“in the stacks” was a more prominent 
behavior, placement of oversize mate-
rial in a separate area might lead to their 
exclusion. The current practice of brows-
ing for material through online catalogs 
should make the location of the oversize 
collection not as important a factor. 

I write to request your help with an inquiry concerning oversize books. We are cur-
rently making shelving decisions for a move at our library and are trying to obtain 
information about the best placement of the oversize collection. It would be helpful 
for us if we could determine from other libraries the following information: 

1. Do you have a circulating oversize collection? 

2. If so, how does it compare in size with your general circulating collection? (Could 
you please provide number of volumes for both the oversize and general collec-
tion?) 

3. 	 Where do you shelve your oversize collection? (Is it in a completely separate area 
from the general circulating collection, or at the bo om of the shelf for each LC 
designation, or some other scheme?) 

4. 	 How does your oversize collection compare with the general circulating collec-
tion in usage? (Could you please provide the number of charges (checked out of 
the library) for the oversize collection and the general circulating collection during 
the past year?) 

5. Is there anything else regarding the oversize collection that you would like to share 
with us, caution us about, encourage us to do, whatever? 

Thank you so much for your help with these questions. 
Sincerely, 
D. Yvonne Jones 
Olin Library 
Rollins College 



 

             

              
     

  

            

Size Ma ers in Academic Libraries 333 

Notes 

1. Library Literature & Information Science Full Text. Available online from h p://www.hw-
wilson.com/databases/liblit.htm. [Accessed 1 June 2005]. 

2. Randall M. MacDonald, “Oh! Those Oversize Books: A Solution for Storage and Inventory,” 
School Librarian’s Workshop 16 (Apr. 1996): 9. 

3. U.S. News & World Report. America’s Best Colleges 2005. Liberal Arts Colleges: Top Schools. 
Available online from h p://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/ college/ rankings/brief/libartco/tier1/ 
libartco_brief.php. [Accessed 18 January 2005]. 

4. Michael D. Kaplowitz, Timothy D. Hadlock, and Ralph Levine, “A Comparison of Web 
and Mail Survey Response Rates,” Public Opinion Quarterly 68, no.1 (2004): 94–101. 

5. Kim Sheehan, “E-mail Survey Response Rates: A Review,” Journal of Computer-mediated Com-
munication 6, no. 2 (Jan. 2001). Available online from www.ascusc.org/jcmc/vol6/issue2/sheehan. 
html. [Accessed 31 March 2005]. 

www.ascusc.org/jcmc/vol6/issue2/sheehan
http:h�p://www.hw