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Prospectus
About the Alliance
Library Storage
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High Density Storage for Libraries
Catherine
Murray-Rust
Dean of Libraries, Colorado State University
Former Chair, RLSC Task Force
Libraries around
the nation, including several member libraries of the Orbis Cascade
Alliance, are severely short of space for books and other library materials.
The growth of paper and film collections continues alongside increasing
access to digital materials. New services especially technology-based
programs are often crowded into existing spaces with little room to
expand, while books and journals have to be shelved in space once reserved
for faculty and students. At the same time, library funding bodies,
legislatures, and boards of trustees often are reluctant to approve
new construction and expansion of library buildings because access to
digital materials may decrease the need for space in the future.
Over the past 20
years, librarians have used a variety of strategies to efficiently manage
available space and add low cost space for collections. Compact
moveable shelving has been installed in many on-campus libraries, including
the Valley Library at Oregon State University. Some institutions
such as the University of Michigan and the University of Alberta retrofitted
commercial warehouses to create successful off campus shelving centers.
Many years ago, the State of California built the Northern and Southern
Regional Library Facilities to provide shared space for the collections
of the University of California’s research libraries. Sonoma
State, Eastern Michigan University and the University of California
at Riverside have robotic systems in operation. Pioneered by Harvard
University in the mid-1980’s, high-density warehouse style facilities
are now operating in 20 institutions and under construction in three.
The Harvard innovation
applies commercial warehousing principles to solving two library problems,
space and preservation. Advances in commercial warehouse technologies
and the latest standards in environmental conditions combined in the
Harvard design to ensure the long-term preservation of books and film
and conserve precious space on campus for heavily used collections and
services. Storing infrequently used material at a distance in
high-density modules is extremely cost effective. Based on information
from recent projects, the comparison of the cost per volume for construction
is $3.75 for a high-density facility versus $13.39 for a standard on
campus library construction.
High-density library
facilities feature two kinds of work areas. The collections space,
which is about 14,000 square feet, has 30 ft. high steel shelving arranged
in 4-6 aisles per module. Each module accommodates 2 million volumes.
The books are sorted by size and stored in low PH cardboard trays.
Non-book materials are shelved in appropriate containers such as microfilm
and archival boxes. The trays are shelved two deep and books are
arranged in the trays with the front cover facing outward. Each
book has a bibliographic record, an item or piece record, and a barcode.
During the accessioning process, the barcodes on the items are linked
to barcodes on the trays and barcodes on the shelves to ensure faultless
retrieval of the materials. Retrieval is managed with a man-aboard
lift and inventory control software linked to the library’s main
cataloging and circulation system.
The office portion
of a high-density facility, about 7,000 square feet, houses two loading
docks, one for tractor-trailers and one for vans, materials processing
areas, staff offices, and a reading room. Security and fire protection
systems protect the building, the collections, and the staff.
Recently constructed facilities include book-cleaning rooms where materials
are vacuumed as they are accessioned.
Many of the high-density
facilities offer a variety of services in addition to retrieval, either
physical or electronic, of stored collections. Other possible
services include environmental disaster recovery services, such a freezer
for water-damaged materials, and trusted repositories for digital files.
For additional information
please contact
John F. Helmer
Executive Director, Orbis Cascade Alliance
541.346.1835
jhelmer@uoregon.edu
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