Date: 08 Sep 1993 16:22:26 -0400 (EDT)
From: Tammy Hefner <thefner@S850.MWC.EDU>
Subject: RE: Newspaper Shelving (Jill Collins)

Mary Washington College currently uses flat shelving for newspapers.
When we moved into our present location, we started out with oblique
handing folders for papers.  Within one year we decided that this was
not a good idea for two main reasons.   1) the seperate location of
papers verses periodicals required seperate instructions and directions
about where to find each.  Intergrating papers with current periodicals
allowed reference and circulation staff to instruct patrons to one
locations, explaining that all current materials are shelved
alphabetically if they are in a paper format.  This simplified things
quite a bit for ref., circ., and patrons.    2) Those hanging folders
are simply a pain in the butt.   They constant fell down, they were
difficult to get into and out of, and people spent too much time trying
to locate a specific title even though they were arranged by title.
Tearing down the oblique units also allowed us to expand other areas.
While newspapers still are often found out of date order, they are much
easier to work with on flat shelves.  Needless to say, I can't imagine
us ever going back to the oblique system.    Tammy Hefner, Serials
Asst.