Shelf-ready: A cost-benefit analysis

Brigham Young University's Harold B. Lee Library conducted a time-task cost study to compare the cost and processing time of shelf-ready books to non-shelf-ready books to determine if it could better use its human resources and if it should expand the use of shelf-ready to include its approval books. The results showed that shelf-ready was, on average, 5.7% cheaper, took 47% less processing time, and arrived on the shelves 33 sooner than books processed in-house. Based on the results of the study, the library moved its approval books to the shelf-ready program and was able to reallocate catalogers tasks.

► We conducted a time-task cost study of shelf-ready materials to determine benefits.
► On average, shelf-ready books are 5.7% cheaper.
► On average, shelf-ready books took 47% less processing time.
► On average, shelf-ready books landed on the shelves 33 days sooner.
► Additional shelf-ready benefits include the ability to reallocate staff activities.