Elephant folios will require special roller shelves.
Shelves in Reading Rooms
“The books most used should be stored around the walls of the reading-rooms.”—(Miss Marvin.[270]) This has been a common custom, but Mr. Dana has suggested that such shelving is out of place in reading-rooms. So H. T. Hare, in 8 The Lib. Asso. Record:[271] “The placing of books around the walls wastes floor space otherwise available for readers.” In this opinion I concur,[272] for the double reason that it bars out just so many readers, and also it necessitates movement which interferes with serious reading. As to the former objection, take a room 30 × 40 with a perimeter of 140 feet, less say 10 feet for doors, 130 feet net: If this is shelved all around, the shelving with the usual ledge, and the three feet space in front of it needed for access, inspection and passing, four feet in all, will take up 456 square feet, out of a total area of 1200, nearly two-fifths. Without the wall shelving, the room would hold tables for that many more readers—the use for which it is intended. As to the latter consideration, to get at the books every attendant fetching or returning or cleaning them, every reader consulting them, has to pass before or beside or close back of some other reader who is trying to abstract himself at a desk. If stored somewhere else in floor shelving or in a stack close by, the books would not take up more space, would be more accessible, and less in the way.
If a serious reading room can open directly into an open-shelf floor of a stack, no wall-shelving will be necessary.
The second objection would, of course, not apply so much to rooms for light reading where more or less motion and noise are expected, and less serious study is usual.
Class and Study Rooms. Here wall-shelving for reference books permanently or class books temporarily required, and sometimes floor shelving also, or a combination of wall-shelving with occasional projecting cases, like shallow alcoves, opposite good light, will be required. The purpose of each room defines its needs in arrangement and shelving, as also in staff-rooms and all special rooms. In libraries of sufficient size, each such room should have telephone connection with the staff, and if possible separate lifts or corridor railway service.