---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 12 Mar 1996 09:44:34 -0700
From: Mike Beier <MAB@HBLL1.BYU.EDU>
Subject: Summery of shelving issues.... (long)
Summery on questions regarding
1) Reinforcing the floor of a new building to support Compact Shelving
2) Shelving bound and unbound periodicals together
I received responses from 30 people, and corresponded further with some of
those respondents. Many of the responses dealt with only one of the
questions, or even just parts of the questions, as the respondents shared
their experience. If anyone hasn't been properly represented it is the
accidental fault of the compiler, and I would be glad to further discuss
their ideas. It seemed that the larger libraries tended to classify their
periodicals, while the smaller libraries used an alphabetic filing system.
Several people mentioned that interfiling bound and unbound seemed very
convenient for helping patrons find things, while some pointed out that
browsing is more patron friendly when the current issues are not separated
by bound volumes.
----Compact Shelving questions----
10 people responded that we should definitely have the floor reinforced to
be able to handle compact shelving if the need ever arose for it. No
one suggested that we not do it unless finances would not allow it.
14 respondents said they did use compact shelving.
5 mentioned that they are generally happy with compact shelving.
6 mentioned dissatisfaction or concerns with using compact shelving for
themselves or their patrons.
----Questions on shelving bound and unbound periodicals together----
23 respondents said they shelve bound and unbound periodicals together
in the same room or location.
3 said bound journals are shelved with the monographs.
2 libraries keeps the latest 8-10 years in "current Periodicals" room,
and store the rest.
17 people said their periodical collections are alphabetical, while
9 classify serials by LC or Dewey systems.
For those who have a central periodicals location,
17 shelve bound and unbound periodicals interfiled in the stacks,
7 separate the bound and loose (current) issues, and
3 do various unique combinations of interfiling and separating volumes
and issues.
11 mentioned they are happy with the interfiled collection
3 mentioned they are happy that they don't interfile their collection.
8 libraries mentioned using Prinston/Kroyden boxes to shelve loose
issues next to the bound issues.
2 libraries use baskets to file the loose issues flat, and
2 libraries mentioned they only keep oversize periodicals flat.
----ABBREVIATED RESPONSES----
San Francisco State University, 21,000 fte students, 8000 periodicals/
newspapers, shelved by title, holdings on OPAC, bound periodicals shelved
separate from the unbound on same floor, area open to patrons, overnight
circ, security gate, tattle tape issues, 4 copy machines, microfilm
separate area, 4 OPAC terminals. (Mitch Turitz turitz@sfsu.edu)
Louisiana Tech University, 10,000 students, loose and bound together on
shelves, microform on same floor, classified arrangement. (Judy Irvin
jirvin@vm.cc.latech.edu)
Colorado State University, Current Periodicals room and expanding to add
an area to hold bound volumes on compact shelving. (Donnice Cochenour
dcochenour@vines.colostate.edu)
Fort Hays State U. Periodicals reading room w/ 10 years of all
periodicals there, older volumes are housed in a separate room (not
interfiled with monographs (Patty Nicholas lbpn@fhsuvm.fhsu.edu)
Mississippi State, compact shelving for eventually all bound journals.
Patrons and librarians dislike it. Shelving slowed way down waiting for
people to finish in open aisle so needed aisle can be opened. (June
Breland jbreland@library.msstate.edu)
Drake U. 2,100 journals. Shelve bound and loose items next to each
other. Works "MUCH" better than as previously housed separately. Use
plastic Kroyden file for loose issues (upright like Prinston). (Teri Koch
tk5521r@acad.drake.edu)
Ursinus College, Collegeville, PA, Small college 700 current of 1,500
journal titles, Compact shelving in closed stacks area, bound and loose
together. Prinston files plus other, (Barbara Imes,
Bimes@lib.ursinus.edu)
U of Oslo, 1,400 periodicals of 2,400 serials. Bound and loose of most
recent 8 years (except current year) are in one location, shelved
together, shelved upright In Prinston boxes, older than eight years are
down on first floor in compact shelving with staff only access, requests
serviced by at least the next day. Current issue on display with other
issues until that volume is complete when it is sent for binding and/or
housed with rest of the most recent 8 years. Would prefer not to have to
use compact shelving, but needs the space. (Eva Tesaker,
eva.tesaker@ub.uio.no)
U of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Uses compact shelving currently only for
inactive runs, (but thinks they would like the space if all bound volumes
were on compact shelving), loose and bound are separate, has at a
different library filed them together with a small selected group of
popular titles most current issue in popular reading area. Use Prinston
boxes. (Kathy Schmidt Kathy_schmidt@uwlax.edu)
U of Wisconsin-Madison, bound and loose interfiled. Loose lay flat in
baskets at end of run, (Carole McEvoy mcevoy@doit.wisc.edu)
Midwestern State U, Wichita Falls TX, All serials are in one central
location but bound and loose are shelved separately. (Sue Coffey
fcoffeys@nexus.mwsu.edu)
U of Alaska Fairbanks, interfiles bound and unbound, older/less used item
go onto compact shelving. Not happy with compact shelving problems in
there electric system (range length). Use Prinston box for less
substantial periodicals. Judy Oswood (fnjlo@aurora.alaska.edu)
Wheelock (org), reinforce now if you can, currently use compact shelving,
bound and unbound journals are shelved together in alphabetical sequence,
file loose upright. (Carla, whe_cxp@flo.org)
Stanford Accelerator Center Library, small institutional lib, 600
j-titles, shelve bound and unbound together in alphabetical sequence,
separate from books. (Arsella Raman liadr@slac.stanford.edu)
Sage Colleges, bound and loose shelved together alphabetically, in
Prinston boxes. Diana Marshall (marshd@sage.edu)
Southern Arkansas U, bound and unbound together, by title, but separate
from bound inactive titles, Inactive titles are still alphabetical and
separate from books, Prinston boxes used for loose issues. (Margo Pierson
mmpierson@saumag.edu)
U of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, decentralized library collection, bound
in stacks, loose separate, has separate compact shelving area, recommends
it. (William Henderson willt@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu)
Classified collection, with bound and loose together, high patron
satisfaction, but difficult to use VTLS system for call number look-up
(Amanda Harmon ali00alh@unccvm.uncc.edu)
Cardinal Stritch College Library, Milwaukee, WI, observations: having bond
and loose separate makes browsing most current issues easier, having them
together makes finding whatever is looked for easier, classified journals
are easy to browse similar subject materials. (Louise Diodato
ldiodato@asc.stritch.edu)
Florida Institute of Technology Library, bound and unbound shelved
together in alphabetical order. (Tom McFarland mcfarlan@winnie.fit.edu)
Marymount College, bound and loose are shelved together in a central
periodicals section, alphabetical arrangement, upright box style used to
hold loose issues. (Sr. Saint Edward McLaughlin
marymnt1@metgate.metro.org)
Nicholls State U., Compact shelving problems: 1) No manual crank when it
is down, "AND BELIEVE ME it will be DOWN/DOWN/DOWN"; 2) the shelving
company went out of business, no outside maintenance; 3) parts
"impossible" to find; 4) "Company claimed the VOLUMES were too heavy for
shelving -- I don't know what they expected us to place on the shelving."
(Pam Antill EL-PBA@nich-nsunet.nich.edu)
Skidmore College, Separate area for unbound periodicals, but because of
room limits some unbound are shelved with the bound volumes. (David Eyman
Deyman@skidmore.edu)
California-Intel, compact shelving, on first level only, periodicals are
arranged alphabetically. (Diana Teasland
Diana_L_Teasland@ccm.sc.intel.com)
Wright Paterson AFB, Extensive comments (3 typed pages) on compact
shelving "lessons learned": [I can forward these comments if desired]
Compact shelving prices vary greatly (shop around), Assume nothing on the
order, specify tops, backs, sides, ramps, dividers, track ends, etc.
Determine if carpet or tile can be added after installation, the tracks
will add where to booktrucks, plan for enough space between shelves
because once it is placed you may not be able to move it. Without tops
some shelving units hold up to 7 shelves, but the tops protect the
material from the "yucky black dust"; highly used shelves cause book
sliding, and even track jumping. Get it in writing what the floors will be
able to hold when reinforced. Statistics make decisions on weeding and
storing easier. We shelve bound and unbound together, alphabetical, loose
issues are shelved in Prinston boxes. (Bill Benson bensonwo@wpafb.af.mil)
Old Dominion U., Three options used (at various locations), 1st) with
15,000 subscriptions classified in LC, kept 3 years worth of bound and
unbound together after which bound were interfiled with rest of
collection. 2nd) 600 periodicals, bound were in an area adjacent to
unbound both filed in alphabetical order. 3rd) 5,000 serials, unbound
were shelved alphabetically, adjacent to the area for bound volumes which
were LC classified. (Variety is the spice of life?!) (W. Ted Rogers
WTR100F@oduvm.cc.odu.edu)
One suggestion mentioned having current issues around the perimeter of a
room, with the compact shelving of bound issues in the center.
(orion_pozo@library.lib.ncsu.edu)
Reinforce if you can now, because it will be expensive enough for just the
shelving later, and this will give you more choices down the road. (Rita
Reisman reisman@vaxa.acdnj.itt.com)
1,040 serials collection, reinforcing now would be wise, get hand crank
rather than electric compact shelving, our current and bound are shelved
together alphabetically. (Steve Black blacks@rosnet.strose.edu)
Hongkong U of Science and Technology, Compact shelving used only for
books, could foresee problems with compact shelving in a high use browsing
collection that has bound and unbound periodicals shelved together.
(Mikg-Kan Wong LBMKWONG@usthk.ust.hk)
Phillips Academy, shelves bound and unbound together alphabetically and
chronologically. (Christine A. Malone malonca@IDEA.uml.edu)
Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State U, reinforce the floor
to be better prepared for an unknown future, satisfied with compact
shelving but some problems with having handles brake. With an
alphabetical shelving of titles. (Kimberly J. Laird
lairdk@medserv.east-tenn-st.edu)
Thanks to all who responded!
Mike Beier
Mike Beier, Periodicals Librarian
3087 HBLL
Brigham Young University
Provo UT 84602
E-mail: Mike_Beier@byu.edu FAX: 801-378-6708
