Library stack

Last updated
The stacks of the Mui Ho Fine Arts Library at Cornell University Mui Ho Fine Arts Library Cornell.jpg
The stacks of the Mui Ho Fine Arts Library at Cornell University

In library science and architecture, a stack or bookstack (often referred to as a library building's stacks) is a book storage area, as opposed to a reading area. More specifically, this term refers to a narrow-aisled, multilevel system of iron or steel shelving that evolved in the 19th century to meet increasing demands for storage space. [1] An "open-stack" library allows its patrons to enter the stacks to browse for themselves; "closed stacks" means library staff retrieve books for patrons on request.

Contents

Early development

Contemporary, cantilevered stacks at the Biblioteca Vasconcelos, Mexico City Estanteria de la Biblioteca Vasconcelos.jpg
Contemporary, cantilevered stacks at the Biblioteca Vasconcelos, Mexico City

French architect Henri Labrouste, shortly after making pioneering use of iron in the Bibliotheque Sainte-Genevieve of 1850, created a four-story iron stack for the Bibliothèque nationale de France. [2] In 1857, multilevel stacks with grated iron floors were installed in the British Library. [1] In 1876, William R. Ware designed a stack for Gore Hall at Harvard University. [3] In contrast to the structural relationship found in most buildings, the floors of these bookstacks did not support the shelving, but rather the reverse, the floors being attached to, and supported by, the shelving framework. Even the load of the building's roof, and of any non-shelving spaces above the stacks (such as offices), may be transmitted to the building's foundation through the shelving system itself. The building's external walls act as an envelope but provide no significant structural support. [2]

Library of Congress and the Snead system

One of the Widener Library's ten stack tiers during construction. The stack above is partially visible, as floor panels were not yet installed. WidenerLibraryStackTier.jpg
One of the Widener Library's ten stack tiers during construction. The stack above is partially visible, as floor panels were not yet installed.

The Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress was completed in 1897. This is where this type of book storage was first used[ clarification needed ]. The engineer in charge of construction was Bernard Richardson Green. He made a number of alterations to the Gore Hall design, including the use of all-metal shelving. The contract was won by the Snead and Company Ironworks, which went on to install its standardized design in libraries around the country. [3] Notable examples are the Widener Library at Harvard and the seven level stack supporting the Rose Reading Room of the New York Public Library. [1]

The Library of Congress bookstacks were designed and patented by Green. Although the structure was of cast iron, the shelves were made from strips of thin U section steel, designed to be as light as an equivalent pine shelf. The top surface of the U section was ground, polished and 'lacquered' (the constituents of the lacquer are not known). Green designed the stacks to be modular, able to be erected several stories high as a single freestanding structural entity incorporating staircases and floors, and even capable of supporting a roof structure. He designed the shelves so that they could adjust to book sizes using a simple lug system without the need for any bolts or fixings. Although the bookstacks were decorated and very simply embellished, they are of machine-age industrial design. [4]

Open versus closed stacks

In the design and administration of any library, a key decision is whether its stacks will be open or closed. In an open-stack library, patrons are free to enter the stacks to browse the collection and retrieve items that interest them. In a closed-stack library, only library staff are allowed in the stacks; patrons must use the catalog to identify books they want, and request that staff retrieve them. Until the late 19th century, most public libraries had closed-stack systems, but toward the end of that century open stacks increased in popularity.

A notable proponent of the open-stack system was John Cotton Dana, who became head of the Denver Public Library in 1889. [5] The first few Carnegie libraries used the closed-stack system, but later Carnegie Libraries were designed to operate with open stacks. [6] Angus Snead Macdonald, president of the Snead Company from 1915 to 1952, advocated the transition from closed stacks to modular, open-plan libraries. [2]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mezzanine</span> Architectural element

A mezzanine is an intermediate floor in a building which is partly open to the double-height ceilinged floor below, or which does not extend over the whole floorspace of the building, a loft with non-sloped walls. However, the term is often used loosely for the floor above the ground floor, especially where a very high-ceilinged original ground floor has been split horizontally into two floors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Widener Library</span> Primary building of Harvard Library

The Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library, housing some 3.5 million books, is the centerpiece of the Harvard Library system. It honors 1907 Harvard College graduate and book collector Harry Elkins Widener, and was built by his mother Eleanor Elkins Widener soon after his death in the sinking of the Titanic in 1912.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Library</span> Independent library in London, England

The London Library is an independent lending library in London, established in 1841. It was founded on the initiative of Thomas Carlyle, who was dissatisfied with some of the policies at the British Museum Library. It is located at 14 St James's Square, in the St James's area of the City of Westminster, which has been its home since 1845. Membership is open to all, on payment of an annual subscription, and life and corporate memberships are also available. As of December 2023 the Library had around 7,500 members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bookcase</span> Furniture used to store books

A bookcase, or bookshelf, is a piece of furniture with horizontal shelves, often in a cabinet, used to store books or other printed materials. Bookcases are used in private homes, public and university libraries, offices, schools, and bookstores. Bookcases range from small, low models the height of a table to high models reaching up to ceiling height. Shelves may be fixed or adjustable to different positions in the case. In rooms entirely devoted to the storage of books, such as libraries, they may be permanently fixed to the walls and/or floor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manchester Central Library</span> Building in Manchester, England

Manchester Central Library is the headquarters of the city's library and information service in Manchester, England. Facing St Peter's Square, it was designed by E. Vincent Harris and constructed between 1930 and 1934. The form of the building, a columned portico attached to a rotunda domed structure, is loosely derived from the Pantheon, Rome. At its opening, one critic wrote, "This is the sort of thing which persuades one to believe in the perennial applicability of the Classical canon".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sterling Memorial Library</span> Main library building of the Yale University Library

Sterling Memorial Library (SML) is the main library building of the Yale University Library system in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Opened in 1931, the library was designed by James Gamble Rogers as the centerpiece of Yale's Gothic Revival campus. The library's tower has sixteen levels of bookstacks containing over 4 million volumes. Several special collections—including the university's Manuscripts & Archives—are also housed in the building. It connects via tunnel to the underground Bass Library, which holds an additional 150,000 volumes.

Angus Snead Macdonald (1883–1961) was an American architect and businessman; from 1915 to 1952 the president of Snead and Company. This company, based in Louisville, Kentucky, manufactured the cast iron book stacks found in libraries all over the world in the beginning of the 20th century including the Washington, DC Public Library and Harvard's Widener Library. He led Snead and Company to revolutionize and standardize library book stacks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D. H. Hill Jr. Library</span> Library at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, US

The D. H. Hill Jr. Library is one of two main libraries at North Carolina State University. It is the third building to house the NC State University Libraries, following Brooks Hall and Holladay Hall. The current building, situated on the Hillsborough Street edge of North Campus, is the result of four stages of construction, and houses the majority of the volumes in NC State's collection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bracket (architecture)</span> Architectural element

A bracket is a structural or decorative architectural element that projects from a wall, usually to carry weight and sometimes to "strengthen an angle". It can be made of wood, stone, plaster, metal, or other media. A corbel or console are types of brackets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pallet racking</span> Material handling storage aid system designed to store materials on pallets

Pallet rack is a material handling storage aid system designed to store materials on pallets. Although there are many varieties of pallet racking, all types allow for the storage of palletized materials in horizontal rows with multiple levels. Forklift trucks are usually required to place the loaded pallets onto the racks for storage. Since the Second World War, pallet racks have become a ubiquitous element of most modern warehouses, manufacturing facilities, retail centers, and other storage and distribution facilities. All types of pallet racking increase storage density of the stored goods. Costs associated with the racking increases with increasing storage density.

Spine shelving is a book-shelving technique where the spine faces downward resting on the shelf.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Floating shelf</span> Style of furniture shelf

A floating shelf is a form of shelf with its wall fixings hidden within the shelf board, with no visible supporting brackets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mobile shelving</span> Tall shelving cabinets on tracks

Mobile shelving, mobile aisle shelving, compactus,roller racking, or rolling stack, are terms applied to shelving or storage units fitted with wheeled traction systems. Units can be closely packed when access is not required, but can be readily moved to open up an aisle to allow access. By eliminating the need for a permanently open aisle between every unit, a smaller proportion of floor space can be allocated to storage than in the case of conventional fixed shelving, or a higher capacity of storage can be met using the same footprint as fixed shelving.

In the context of libraries and archives, an inventory refers to a detailed list or record of the items, materials, or resources held within a collection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carnegie Library of Reims</span> Library building in Reims, France

The Carnegie Library of Reims is a public library built with money donated by businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie to the city of Reims after World War I. Reims was one of three "front-line" cities to be given a Carnegie library, the other two being Leuven and Belgrade. Built in the 1920s, it combined the mission of heritage conservation and of reading public library. Until 2003, the Carnegie Library was the main library of Reims.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shelf (storage)</span> Flat horizontal plane used for storage

A shelf is a flat, horizontal plane used for items that are displayed or stored in a home, business, store, or elsewhere. It is raised off the floor and often anchored to a wall, supported on its shorter length sides by brackets, or otherwise anchored to cabinetry by brackets, dowels, screws, or nails. It can also be held up by columns or pillars. A shelf is also known as a counter, ledge, mantel, or rack. Tables designed to be placed against a wall, possibly mounted, are known as console tables, and are similar to individual shelves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adjustable shelving</span>

An adjustable shelf is a shelf that can be adjusted according to needs. The most common variant is that the height intervals can be adjusted to accommodate various items. This allows more flexible use to hold items of value for storage, display or sale. Like fixed shelves, the horizontal planes are normally made of strong materials such as wood or steel, but their exact vertical positioning can be varied - usually through the use of uprights into which supporting brackets or the shelves themselves can be fixed at different heights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Main Library (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)</span> United States historic place

The Main Library is a historic library on the campus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Urbana, Illinois. Built in 1924, the library was the third built for the school; it replaced Altgeld Hall, which had become too small for the university's collections. Architect Charles A. Platt designed the Georgian Revival building, one of several on the campus which he designed in the style. The building houses several area libraries, as well as the University Archives and the Rare Book & Manuscript Library. The Main Library is the symbolic face of the University Library, which has the second largest university library collection in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cultural property storage</span>

The cultural property storage typically falls to the responsibility of cultural heritage institutions, or individuals. The proper storage of these objects can help to ensure a longer lifespan for the object with minimal damage or degradation. With so many different types of artifacts, materials, and combinations of materials, keepers of these artifacts often have considerable knowledge of the best practices in storing these objects to preserve their original state.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Petroski, Henry (1999). The Book on the Book Shelf. Alfred A. Knopf. pp. 167–168, 170–172, 184, 191.
  2. 1 2 3 Wiegand, Wayne, ed. (1994). Encyclopedia of Library History. Garland. pp. 352–355.
  3. 1 2 Snead Company (1915). Library Planning Bookstacks and Shelving. Architecture Press. pp. 11–12, 152–158.
  4. "Snead cast iron bookstack features at Hindman's Chicago sale (18 November 2018)". salvoweb.com. Retrieved 2018-11-20.
  5. Mattson, Kevin (2000). The librarian as secular minister to democracy: The life and ideas of John Cotton Dana. University of Texas Press. OCLC   64770874.
  6. Murray, Stuart (2009). The Library: an illustrated history. Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. ISBN   978-1-62873-322-8. OCLC   855503629.