The earliest book storage was in cupboards or alcoves, the latest is in floor cases, but the persistent form between and even now is that of shelving around the walls of rooms. Mr. Dana and I object to it around reading rooms, but it now prevails, and perhaps it will still prevail even there. Certainly it will always be serviceable in most of the rooms of a small or large library. It was formerly continued even in combination with floor-cases or stacks, but it is vanishing from such book rooms to maintain its position sturdily wherever floors are not for shelves, but for tables.
In this form, the old-fashioned shelf-ledge survives, with folio or quarto shelving, or sometimes cupboards or bins below, and narrower octavo shelving above. The ledge is found serviceable in temporary examination of books and for resting them in transit.
“Every available foot of wall space should be utilized for shelving, between the windows and under the windows.”—Marvin.[273] [But not unless light comes from the other side. See below. And where there is steam heat, the space under the windows is best for radiators.]
Wall-shelving ought always to be opposite and not next to windows, because direct light in the eyes blinds the reader so that he cannot distinguish the books. But if light comes from both sides of the room, both sides can have wall cases.
Closed Cases. In private libraries and in some rare book collections in public libraries, bookcases have locked sliding doors, either glazed or with strong wire mesh (for ventilation), too small a mesh to slip books through.
It is better to back wall-shelving with wood whenever placed against brick or stone walls, to protect the books from damp and stain.
I have known buildings where the architect put a dado of expensive wood around rooms where wall-shelving was to be put up at once or was sure to come soon. This was, of course, a willful waste, as plain sheathing, to serve as a back for the shelving, would have been far better.