items – the number already assigned a specific space in the storage facility after one year of intensive first ingestion.
Activities
The CSLS offers a wide range of services relating to printed and paper-based items and cultural property. All processes focus on managing and storing items as gently as possible.
Facts and Figures
1.5 million
220'000
items were ingested each month in the initial phase of operation.
600
orders are processed each day.
- Overview of services
‘First Ingestion and Temporary Storage’ product group
- First ingestion
- Temporary storage
- Relocation
- Deduplication of holdings which are being weeded out
- Withdrawal of items from the CSLS
‘Loans’ product group
- Lending from individual holdings by courier services or post
- Lending from collective holding by courier services or post
- Lending in the reading room
Document Delivery product group
- Scanning service
- Copying service
‘Various Library Services’ product group
- Book cleaning
- Repairs
- Banding
- Barcoding
- Holdings mutations
- Book hugging
- Tours
- Other library services
‘Space Allocation/Rentals’ product group
- Allocation of inert-atmosphere storage space (for members)
- Rental of inert-atmosphere storage space
- Rental of storage space with ambient atmosphere
- Rental of meeting rooms
First ingestion
First ingestion from 2016-2017 per month by library.
Members and customers deliver the items to the CSLS which they no longer wish to, or cannot, store themselves. During the process of first ingestion, every item is assigned an exclusive, permanent place in a specific container; the item is liked through a barcode to its container. In contrast, the container does not have a specific place in the storage area; the containers can be stored anywhere in the storage area; their location is known only to the warehouse management system
- First ingestion at the start of operations in 2016
The 200 millionth item – the book “The Arch of Knowledge” from the University of St. Gallen’s holding – is stored by librarian Astrid Bucher.
During the initial delivery period some 2 – 3 lorryloads of items arrived each day. This quantity depended on the items’ size. On average each lorry delivered 18 book carts (smart carts) with a total of 3 000 items. Processing of one book cart usually took 30 to 40 minutes.
First ingestion of the founding members’ holdings was completed in September 2017. During peak periods over 220 000 items were processed each month.
- Containers
CSLS uses two different container sizes with a maximum weight of 60 kg thanks to the reinforced base. They are made of vapour-free PPC polypropylene copolymer.
heigh low Outer dimensions 600 × 400 × 367 mm 600 × 400 × 267 mm Internal dimensions 565 × 365 × 355 mm 565 × 365 × 255 mm Net weight 3.46 kg 3.09 kg Net weight of contents ⌀ 24.5 kg ⌀ 34.2 kg Items ⌀ 19 ⌀ 31 Containers can be filled in different ways depending on the size of item.
Container layout 4-column 1-row with cardboard spacers. 
Container layout 3-column 1-row 
Container layout 2-column 1-row 
Container layout 1-column 1-row, horizontal. 
Container layout 4-column 2-row 1-line 
Container layout 4-column 1-row 1-line Should there be empty space in a container, then it will be filled using spacers (Plastazote packaging foam) to stop items moving around. After containers have been filled, the system checks their height and compliance with the maximum weight before they are moved into the storage facility. This prevents any damage to stored items or storage racks.
Loans
Illuminated transport container containing ordered books for the Central Library Zurich.
We offer our members and customers various ways to make printed and paper-based items available. Library users are able to borrow items. They can place orders at a library or have items sent by post. Other customers can use an interface to order and return their printed items at any time.
Document scans
In addition to physically borrowing from holdings library users can also order scans or print copies. Items from the CSLS’ collective holding cannot be physically borrowed; however scans and print copies can be ordered.
Cleaning
Only dust-, mould- and insect-free holdings are stored. Keeping dust levels to a minimum has a positive influence on long-term preservation of holdings and anticipates extensive conservation and restoration measures. In addition to this, cleaning reduces the risk of mould growth since dust provides an excellent environment for colonisation by microorganisms. As a matter of principle the library delivering items for ingestion is responsible for their condition. Depending on the type of agreement with the library we will dust holdings as part of the ingestion procedure.
- Book cleaning machine
The book cleaning machine’s brushes clean two books.
- The fully automated machine has rotating horsehair brushes which gently remove loose dirt particles and dust (but not caked dirt or mould).
- Books up to max. 400 × 300 × 140 mm and weighing approx. 8 kg can be cleaned in one go. A sensor identifies the book’s height and sets the brush height accordingly.
- A vacuum system removes the dust which has been cleaned off books from the immediate brush area. Despite this the machine must be cleaned every day.
- The machine can clean up to 12 books per minute.
- Very small, thin books or brochures without hard covers or very delicate items are cleaned by hand.
Banding
Banding machine with two banded items.
Banding is a space-saving, gentle method to prepare magazines, loose sheets or thin files and dissertations for storage. Its major advantage is that requires significantly less space than threaded-ribbon folders or boxes. The items are placed between emission-free cardboard lids and bases and banded crosswise using low tension. This keeps them stable and ensures a good circulation of air. Finally, a barcode sticker and shelf mark are attached to the cardboard lid and the bundle is placed in the appropriate container. The process is cheaper, easier and faster to manage than book binding or using threaded-ribbon folders or boxes.
Damage to books
Books can be damaged in a variety of ways. Mechanical damage is caused by incorrect handling, through use, by incorrect storage or by vandalism. Chemical or biological damage is caused by environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, air pollution, dust, microorganisms and insects. Repairs to holdings are currently carried out at the library which owns them. The libraries have the necessary specialist personnel and equipment to restore and conserve holdings. We can, however, carry out such work on request.
Future services
We view ourselves as also being a service centre for member libraries and customers. Our range of services is therefore continuously being expanded in line with our members’ and customers’ needs. The building already has the reserves required for this.