The masses which he thinks ought first “be selected for interment” are Hansard’s Debates, the Gentleman’s Magazine, and the Annual Register.
So far as I know only two trials of this idea have been made here; several years ago by Dr. Little at Bowdoin College, more recently by Mr. Lane at Harvard University. Both of these are wooden single cases, side by side, pulled out by the end, and locked or lockable. Both slide, not hang.
Mr. Lane has now a line of twenty-three in a row, sliding on ball-bearing wheels at the bottom, which in turn run on rails countersunk in the floor. At the top, the cases are held erect and guided, but not supported, by small wheels along the sides of a T-rail. He uses his cases entirely for rare books in an exhibition room on the ground floor, and finds them very satisfactory for the purpose, although he utters a warning that provision should be made for free access to all the mechanism, which occasionally needs repair.
Dr. Little submitted a paper describing his cases to the A. L. Institute at its New York meeting in 1911. By reference to a photographic view accompanying I see that he has a double-decker,—two stories of five single wooden cases each; each case “about six feet high and three feet long.” “These cases can be made of either wood or metal, for either octavos or quartos, supplied with either fixed or movable shelves.” [At Harvard the middle shelf is fixed as a brace, the others are movable.] “They must be mounted at the center of the base on small ball-bearing trucks which run on metal rails sunk in the floor. Their tops are at the same time guided and kept securely in place by a slot and a T-iron, the friction against which is reduced to a minimum by rollers, placed horizontally. If properly constructed and placed upon level rails, a slight pull with one hand will bring one forth. The increased storage is estimated at 100 per cent.... We also have the Patent Office Gazette on six wooden sliding cases like these, on either side of the door of the room in which they are stored.... This method of storage is especially economical in case a depository library desires to keep its sheep-bound set of Congressional Documents as a unit, arranged by their serial number.... The cost of these cases and their installation varies greatly with the material, finish and location. My first cost less than $15 each, my last about twice that amount.”
I suppose Dr. Little means this for the cost of each separate bookcase, fully equipped and mounted. Mr. Lane’s figures I have not been able to put my hands on.
So far for the statement of facts. I must confess to having approached the subject with some prejudice against the mechanism of these cases, founded on an experience of sliding doors in dwelling houses, which slide or not, as they feel like it, and whose machinery is most difficult to get at and repair. But machinery can be got under control by mechanics. I yield my prejudices in view of the evident advantages of this system, and am prepared to make definite suggestions as to its use in future repairs or building in this country.
In alterations of those architectural extravagances which have wasted so much perpendicular capacity in high rooms and corridors, I see a way to use the style of cases experimented on by Dr. Little and Mr. Lane, rather than any of the English styles. Either as a single story along a wall anywhere, or in the double story style, swung out anywhere on the vacant floor of any room or any unnecessarily wide corridor, there will be relief in the storage of any books not required for open access or frequent reference;—as Dr. Little says, “for compact storage of less used books.”
In planning new buildings I hardly think it would be necessary to set up such cases at first, except perhaps in the case of rare books as at Harvard, where locked cases and protection from sunlight were wanted, with infrequent access; or in equipping rooms for rapidly growing sets, such as Congressional or State Documents, Patent Office Reports, sets of periodicals or publications of societies, or any similar sets whose titles and volume numbers can be labelled on the ends of the cases; or for “dead” books. The Oxford pamphlet sketches a room somewhat after the “Poole plan,” equipped with tables and chairs toward the windows and a row of sliding cases along the blind wall opposite the window light. This seems to me good for many departments.
But except in rooms evidently adapted to such treatment, I would not install sliding shelves anywhere, but would most certainly leave space, in a perfectly dry basement if nowhere else, for possible future installation whenever need may arise.