Spacesaver Creates a Showplace at the University of Oregon 

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This university library had a Robotic Retrieval System, but it’s switching to Spacesaver high-bay shelving. Here’s why.

Library Robotic Retrieval System vs. Spacesaver High-Bay Library Shelving

<h2>Keeping Library Materials Accessible</h2>
<p>Like many large campus libraries, this library has evolved over the years. It was built in 1981, and the building’s interior became overcrowded. To give patrons rapid access to around 500,000 volumes, decision-makers opted to build an addition and install a Robotic Retrieval System, or RRS, in a large “vault” near the library’s circulation desk.</p>
<p>The planning and design team thought the library’s robotic retrieval system would save money on labor in the long run. The only problem? It was obsolete soon after it was installed.</p>

<h2>An Obsolete & Expensive Library Robotic Retrieval System (RRS)</h2>
<p>The robotic system’s software soon needed an upgrade. The software upgrade was expensive, but the system was difficult to use without it. The university invested in the software, only to be informed about ten years later that the software was obsolete again, and the robotic hardware would no longer be supported, either.</p>
<p>The system is still in place today, but it’s difficult to use. “It was in the upper high five figures to do that first upgrade,” said a librarian. “Now the software is obsolete again, and our robots are also obsolete. So we’re in desperate need of an upgrade, but that would be close to a quarter of a million dollars.”</p>

The robotic retrieval system on the left is now obsolete, so the university is incrementally replacing it with the <a  href="/products/high-density-mobile-systems/high-bay-mobile-system" aria-label="high bay mobile system product details">XTend High-Bay Shelving</a> shown at right.

<h2>Switching to Spacesaver High-Bay Shelving</h2>
<p>Decision-makers decided to switch strategies and invest in a proven long-term solution. In 2018 they purchased and installed a <a href="/products/high-density-mobile-systems/high-bay-mobile-system" aria-label="high bay mobile system product details">Spacesaver XTend® Mobile High-Bay Storage System</a> in the vault near the robotic system.</p>
<p>The building was already constructed and in use, so the installation process called for advance planning and complex crane work. The large frames and shelving had to be passed through narrow windows.</p>
<p>Even though the installation process was complex, it went smoothly and more quickly than expected. “The process was shockingly short,” said a librarian. “They got most of it done over the holiday break.”</p>

<h2>Long-term Reliability for Large Libraries</h2>
<p>At 100 feet long and 38 feet tall, the Spacesaver shelving system looks similar to the robotic system, but access to it doesn’t depend on robotic hardware and software. Trained staff can simply use a lift to retrieve requested materials on demand.</p>
<p>Now library staff can easily store and retrieve stored materials. Materials that are more than around 20 years old are stored on the Spacesaver system, along with newer items that are also available digitally, like the football team’s practice tapes. New books, periodicals, and other materials are placed on shelving in public areas around the library.</p>

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Spacesaver Eclipse Powered Mobile System® helps the University of California, Berkeley Law School
house their entire library in one location.

Spacesaver Eclipse Powered Mobile System® helps the University of California, Berkeley Law School
house their entire library in one location.

Compact Shelving for a University Law School Library

<h2>Running Out of Space</h2>
<p>A University Law School Library was about to run out of space due to an expansive law library and an influx of new students and faculty. The law school was founded in 1894 and moved to its current location on the southeast corner of the campus in 1951, becoming a gateway between the school and downtown. The building was originally built to house student study rooms, classrooms, and faculty offices with only the east wing dedicated to the library. In the 1960s another building was added to the west side of the school and in the 1990s another addition provided space for more library shelving and more study space for students. In 2006, when the school began to consider adding yet another wing, the existing stacks were at 170% of their capacity.</p>

<p>More than 50 years of expansions resulted in a confused visual identity. The new addition not only needed to provide more space for <a href="/libraries" aria-label="library storage solutoins">library collections</a>, students, and faculty; it also needed to create a refreshed identity for law school. This all had to be accomplished within a small footprint because the allotted space for expansion was limited.</p>
<p>By placing two of the three levels of the new building below grade, the architectural team was able to reduce the physical footprint of the new structure on the existing campus. To ensure that the new building was able to accommodate the large law library collection, a detailed space analysis was completed through a collaboration between the architect, the local Spacesaver distributorship, and the law school’s library staff.</p>

<h2>Power of Reliability</h2>
<p>The <a href="/products/high-density-mobile-systems/standard-mobile-system" aria-label="eclipse powered system product details">Eclipse Powered System®</a>, outfitted with cantilever shelving, stores materials throughout the lowest level (LL2). By placing shelving on carriages that move from side to side, aisles were eliminated. To open an aisle, patrons simply push a large, easily accessible button.</p>
<p>The design team placed special emphasis on the height of the mobile systems. The shelving was designed to use only the first seven tiers of shelving for public access. The 10’ high units provide three additional tiers of shelving to accommodate future growth.</p>

<h2>Storage Systems Adds to LEED Certification</h2>
<p>By eliminating empty aisles and maximizing shelving height, the team was able to move the entire library collection (close to 875,000 volumes and volume equivalents) to one location, using only 85% of the allotted floor space on LL2. Because the library collection is housed on LL2, the upper level spaces are used for student study areas, lecture halls, faculty offices, and a café.</p>
<p>Now students, faculty, and guests can enjoy a roof-top garden and because only one level is above ground, visual impact on the surrounding buildings is limited. In addition, the recycled content value of Spacesaver’s high-density mobile storage and fixed steel shelving contributed to the facility’s Materials and Resources Credit 4: Recycled Content, as well as its LEED® Gold Certification.</p>

law library mobile shelving project install

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A space designed for storing special collections in a library features museum-quality trays, rolled textile racks, compactors, and more.

Libraries often serve as de facto archives for their communities. Here’s how faculty and staff designed spaces to protect and preserve special collections in a campus library.

Hood College Archives

Library Director

<h2>Outgrowing storage space</h2>
<p>Like many colleges and universities, Hood College has a rich history and holds precious memories for students, faculty, and staff. Unfortunately, though, the institution lacked a centralized and accessible place to store the physical objects associated with those historic events and everyday campus life.</p>
<p>Because the existing archives storage area was too small to store the growing collections, objects were stored where staff could find space. “This meant artifacts were often stored in attics or in closets where they couldn’t be enjoyed by library users,” said Mary Atwell, Archivist and Collection Development Services Librarian.</p>

Archivist and Collection Development Services Librarian

<h2>Complete Solutions for Archival Storage in the Library</h2>
<p>The Baltimore-based Spacesaver consultant visited the library to look at the space and learn more about the collections. “She had knowledge of libraries and archives and she took the time to listen to our needs,” Peterson said. “She measured our collections, toured our space, and quickly presented a plan to address our current preservation needs while also allowing for future growth.”</p>
<p>Together they designed a workroom and a collections storage area that protects materials, provides convenient access to stored items, and offers room for the collection to grow as time goes by.</p>
<p>In the workroom, counter-height <a href="/products/shelving/4-post-case-type-shelving" aria-label="4-post shelving product details">4-Post shelving</a> and overhead <a href="/products/shelving/cantilever-shelving" aria-label="cantilever shelving product details">cantilever shelving</a> provides space for students, staff, and faculty to process and work with the collections.</p>

<h2>The archives and special collections are now consolidated in one location.</h2>

<h2>Efficient Collections Storage and a New Work Area</h2>
<p>Now the college has plenty of room to preserve and protect items in its special collections area. Student interns can even gain hands-on experience in processing items and performing other archival tasks. The archive supports engaging classes with materials from the library’s special collections.</p>
<p>Spacesaver’s in-person design assistance and ability to manufacture a wide variety of collections storage equipment was key to the project’s success, Peterson said. “We’ve been a customer of Spacesaver for many years, so we already knew the product was excellent,” he said. “We really wanted to deal with a company that would stand behind their product, and the local consultants were outstanding.”</p>

special collections being stored draws and tray

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Storing Special Collections in a Library

This library was designed to bear the live load of high-density shelving, which opened up renovation options ten years later.

Planning for future floor loading requirements during this library’s initial design process opened up renovation options ten years later.

Forward-Thinking Library Design

Architect

<h2>Same Space, New Uses</h2>
<p>When the Addlestone Library at the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina, got the green light for a major renovation, the project team approached the design process with three student-centered goals:</p>
<p>Building an addition was beyond the budget, so the team had to get creative and make the best use of the library’s existing structure. Fortunately, thanks to foresight and help from the local Spacesaver consultant, the building had been designed from the start to eventually accommodate the live load of high-density shelving systems.</p>

<h4>Compact Shelving Adds More Capacity in Less Space</h4>
<p>The project team worked with the architect and their local Spacesaver representative to develop a comprehensive solution that would meet their goals.</p>
<p>They started with an assessment of their existing assets. Spacesaver had provided shelving throughout the main library during initial construction in 2005, and the shelving was still in excellent condition. A small portion of the shelving had been installed on high-density shelving systems, but the vast majority was stationary (non-moving). The Spacesaver consultant helped estimate how much space could be gained if all that shelving were to be placed on <a href="/products/high-density-mobile-systems/standard-mobile-system">compact shelving systems</a>, which would eliminate wasted space in the aisles and consolidate printed materials.</p>

<p>The space savings was substantial, and the library had actually been designed to bear the extra weight. “By planning for future growth at the time of design and construction, we were able to build capacity into the floor slabs for eventual compact shelving throughout the stack area of the building,” said the architect, Michael Cohen, soon after the building’s completion in 2005. “The structural requirement for the floor load, or weight, of compact shelving is [up to] 300 pounds per square foot [in a library], versus 150 for standard shelving, so the columns and floor slab had to be stronger. This adds a relatively small increase in the cost per square foot, but it gives you the potential of two to two-and-a-half times the capacity in the long term.”</p>

<p>Universities are like small cities, with a variety of facilities from libraries and sports arenas to police departments and hospitals. That’s why campus space management is so important, download our guide for more information and ideas.</p>

Canvass the Campus

<p>The planning team determined that <a href="/products/high-density-mobile-systems/standard-mobile-system">compact shelving</a> could free up enough space to gain additional seating and a new technology-enabled classroom. The <a href="/products/shelving/cantilever-shelving">Spacesaver cantilever shelving</a> purchased at the time of initial construction, combined with additional new shelving, meant that the compact shelving system would actually increase storage capacity despite taking up less space. This solution would meet the needs of students and provide the collections with room to grow in the future.</p>

<p>To get the best pricing on the best products and fast-track the competitive bid process, the university purchased Spacesaver shelving and compact mobile storage systems via the <b>State of South Carolina contract</b>. Spacesaver products are available on many state contracts! <a  href="/contact-us">Contact us to learn more</a>.</p>

<h3>‘Thrilled with the Outcome’</h3>
<p>Because the option to install compact shelving had been built into the library from the very beginning, the renovation met the planning team’s goals while staying within the budget. In addition to accommodating one million volumes and 200 additional seats for students, the move to compact shelving also freed up space for a “smart” classroom that features large monitors on three walls, mobile furniture, and whiteboards on casters.</p>

library floor loading considerations install story

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Library Floor-Loading Considerations for Future High-Density Shelving

Creating open space for endless possibilities at Harper College's campus library. 

Remodeling a Campus Library with Moveable Shelving

Dean, Resources for Learning

<h2>A Commitment to Learning</h2>
<p>On most campuses, the library is a lively hub of learning and collaboration. But students and faculty at Harper College in Palatine, Illinois, found that working in the old campus library was more about endurance than enjoyment. The aging building hadn’t been remodeled in more than 20 years, and it was dark, overcrowded, and noisy. Perhaps most importantly, the building’s labyrinthine layout made it difficult for students to find their way around.</p>


<h2>An Open, Flexible Concept</h2>
<p>When the campus acquired funds to renovate the library, faculty and staff knew exactly what they wanted: flexible, <a href="/blog/student-center-design-forward-thinking-campus-hub" aria-label="student center install story">student-centered spaces</a> that would take advantage of natural light and expansive views. They also wanted a space to secure the college’s archives, which were growing steadily every year.</p>
<p>The planning committee worked with the Chicago-based Spacesaver distributorship to design shelving that not only stored books and other printed materials, but that also coordinated with the team’s design goals.</p>

The planning committee wanted more flexible spaces and a brighter, more open feel.

<h4>Counter-Height Library Shelving Creates Bright, Flexible Spaces</h4>
<p>The library’s main level is bright, open, and busy. The planning team wanted to provide casual collaboration spaces on this level, along with access to popular periodicals, digital media, graphic novels, and other materials. Counter-height <a href="/products/shelving/cantilever-shelving" aria-label="cantilever shelving product details">cantilever shelving</a> contributes to the open feel, allowing natural light from large windows to fill the space. A-frame carts provide storage and display for DVDs and other media. <a href="/products/shelving/flexible-shelving" aria-label="flexing shelving product details">Flexible Shelving</a> that is fitted with Concealed Caster Bases, that allow staff to move their shelves when they want to repurpose the space.</p>



The third floor is dedicated to independent research and quiet study. Tall cantilever shelving units house the majority of the library’s collection, and study carrels offer privacy.


<h3>Custom End Panels</h3>
<p>Throughout the library, Spacesaver shelving was fitted with custom end panels that integrate with the rest of the building’s interior design. The result is a sleek, clean look that unifies the facility while also providing convenient access to the library’s collection.</p>



<h2>Library ‘Carts’ for Any Setting</h2>
<p>Moveable library shelving can look and function much like a library cart, or the casters can be concealed for a more streamlined appearance.</p>



<h2>A Secure Space for Campus Archives</h2>
<p>The design team also worked with the local Spacesaver consultant to design a secure area to house the college’s archives and special collections.</p>
<h3>Archives with Room to Grow</h3>
<p>The planning committee chose 4-Post shelving mounted on a high-density mobile system to store archival boxes and printed materials. The archives were designed with room to grow. Some of the <a href="/products/high-density-mobile-systems" aria-label="high density mobile sytem product details">high-density storage shelves</a> are currently empty, awaiting future acquisitions.</p>



<h3>Shelving with doors create budget-friendly ‘cabinets’</h3>
<p>The archivist also needed to store odd-sized items including plaques, dinnerware, and other objects associated with the institution’s history. Due to budget considerations, and because the objects didn’t need the more extensive protection offered by museum cabinets, the planning committee chose <a href="/products/shelving/4-post-case-type-shelving" aria-label="4-post shelving product details">Spacesaver’s 4-Post shelving units</a> fitted with doors and museum trays. The trays fully extend, allowing researchers to view objects without disturbing them, and the doors have keyed locks to provide an additional layer of security.</p>



university library mobile shelving solutions install project

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The Philadelphia Free Library is helping bridge the digital divide through modern library design.

A public library helps bridge the digital divide through modern library design.

Modern Library Design

<h2>Historic building, new opportunities</h2>
<p>The Free Library of Philadelphia’s Parkway Central location is the library system’s hub and a striking example of Beaux Arts architecture. The building opened in 1927 and originally featured reading rooms and other public spaces along with restricted areas that included administrative offices, mechanical rooms, and an enormous four-story room that stored approximately one million books on six tiers of stacks.</p>

<p>Despite the building’s large size, only a third of its space was open to the public. The need for an addition or expansion became evident in the 1960s, but efforts to add on to the historic structure repeatedly ended in disappointment. In 2006 the library’s leadership began exploring ways to repurpose space within the existing building, rather than pursuing an expansion.</p>
<p><b>The primary goal was to create more public spaces that would help bridge the city’s “digital divide,” the growing gap between residents who had convenient, affordable internet access and those who did not.</b> Providing powerful wifi access, meeting spaces, and other resources would create more opportunities for the city’s residents. The library’s leadership hoped to accomplish these goals without expanding the building’s footprint.</p>



President and Director of the Free Library of Philadelphia

Vice President of Property Management

<h2>Translating ideas into reality</h2>
<p>Tackling an extensive renovation in a beloved historic building is no easy task. For five years, the local Spacesaver consultant worked with library staff and the architectural team to bring the architect’s vision to life. His services were backed up by Spacesaver’s world-class engineering and manufacturing expertise.</p>


<h2>Off-site book storage</h2>
<p>The first step was to figure out how to store nearly one million books while also keeping them accessible. Spacesaver provided shelving for the library’s off-site location, creating a solution that allowed staff to promptly retrieve and replace volumes on request.</p>



<h2>On-site book storage</h2>
<p>In an effort to keep as many volumes on site as possible, the local Spacesaver consultant designed three high-density shelving systems in the library’s lower level. The systems were custom manufactured to fit around structural columns and varying ceiling heights to create a solution that makes optimal use of the available space.</p>


Spacesaver high-density shelving systems in the library’s lower level kept materials accessible on site while also freeing up space for modern uses.

<h2>The Art Walls</h2>
<p>The “bookshelves” or art walls in The Common presented a number of creative challenges for Spacesaver’s engineers. Working from conceptual drawings, they figured out how to integrate monitors and glass panels into the shelving, and they designed shelves that fit around structural columns and appear to extend through the ceiling. An in-house project manager scheduled weekly calls with the local sales representative, the engineering team, the general contractor, and the architecture team to ensure that all aspects of the project were proceeding as planned. Several months before the installation date, the Spacesaver team provided a prototype ahead of time to ensure a perfect fit.</p>
<h6>The end result is an inspiring space that invites all city residents to learn, collaborate, and explore new opportunities.</h6>







	
	

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Modern Library Design - Free Library of Philadelphia

The National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon houses rare materials and archives related to George Washington's presidency, his daily life at Mount Vernon, and his enduring legacy.

George Washington Library

<h2>Fulfilling Washington’s Vision</h2>
<p>Near the end of George Washington’s life, he wrote that he had achieved nearly all his goals regarding his estate at Mount Vernon — except building a library to store his papers for posterity. “I have not houses to build except one,” he wrote, “which I must erect for the accommodation and security of my military, civil and private papers, which are voluminous and may be interesting.”</p>
<p>More than 200 years later, his vision was finally realized: the Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington at Mount Vernon opened on a 15-acre portion of Washington’s original farm. The library houses thousands of books, journals, analog AV materials, and electronic resources, including rare books and more than 6,000 historical manuscripts. The library continues to collect rare and important artifacts related to Washington’s life and legacy.</p>

<h2>Open Stacks: Setting the Tone</h2>
<p>The library’s main level features meeting areas, a rare book collections space, and open stacks. The entrance opens onto an expansive reading room with large windows offering a view of the grounds.</p>
<p>When the library was still in the early planning stages, the nearby Spacesaver representative worked with the architect and library staff to design shelving and storage systems that would securely accommodate the library’s collections while also blending in with the building’s aesthetics.</p>

<p>The design team took a number of considerations into account, including the nature of the materials being stored, the weight of the materials and the shelving, and layout options that would maximize space while promoting comfortable workflows. <a href="/products/shelving" aria-label="metal shelving product details">Steel Spacesaver shelving</a> was painted to match the sycamore veneer that covers wall surfaces throughout the first floor, and the end panels were fitted with custom wood panels to complement the first floor’s open, airy feel.</p>

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Chief Librarian and Archivist

<h2>Secure Stacks</h2>
<p>The library’s lower level is home to an extensive archival collection. At the time of the library’s construction, the intent was to house books in the lower level, but Santangelo soon realized that archives of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association were located in various areas around the Mount Vernon estate. Wanting to consolidate the records and maintain them in a proper preservation environment, he worked with the local Spacesaver representative to configure the archival collections storage area appropriately.</p>
<p>The end result is a space that truly educates and inspires. “George Washington didn’t live in a vacuum, and our collection includes subjects on his family, his farm, military history, the founding era, the early republic, and the presidency.” Santangelo said. “We also carry the legacy piece. It’s an enormous task to try to collect and preserve all those legacy items from his lifetime even to today.”</p>

george washington libray exterior of building

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See how the Texas State Library and Archives Commission created a modern archives storage system in a 1960s-era building. 

Preserving Texas History with Spacesaver Archives Storage

<h2>A Challenging Structure</h2>
<p>The Zavala State Archives and Library Building in Austin, Texas, first opened its doors in 1961 and was named a national Literary Landmark in 2009. The building houses the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, and while the building has its charms — it’s across the street from the State Capitol and features an impressive facade and entryway — its structure has also posed a challenge for librarians and archivists.</p>

<p>Do you need to store archives? See how the Texas State Library and Archives Commission created a modern archives storage system in a 1960’s-era building.</p>

Download this Story

speaking at the dedication of the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building as a national Literary Landmark

<h2>Creative Library & Archives Storage Solutions</h2>
<p>Over the years, the local Spacesaver team’s attention to detail has allowed staff to optimize the available space, relocate shelving within the building and among various satellite locations, and develop creative storage solutions for a variety of irreplaceable historic materials.</p>

State Archivist and Director, Archives and Information Services Division at Texas State Library and Archives Commission

<p>In the late 1990s the institution began to outgrow the available space and approached the Texas State Legislature for funds to completely rethink the use of space throughout the building. Those funds were awarded in 2008, and staff reached out to the local Spacesaver team for assistance in designing new storage solutions. “As we’ve grown — in more ways than one, staff as well as collections — we’ve seen the need to rethink the shelving,” said Jelain Chubb, the state archivist and the director of the Archives and Information Services Division at Texas State Library and Archives Commission.</p>

<p>The main challenge involved vertical supports located every nine feet throughout the building’s storage areas. This posed a major problem when trying to design an archival shelving and storage system that would make the best use of the available space. The local Spacesaver team devised an innovative solution: they developed a layout that included stationary shelving units alternating with mobile shelves that slide on rails.</p>

<h2>An Enduring Relationship</h2>
<p>The Commission continues to fine-tune its archival shelving and storage areas, and the local Spacesaver team is always ready to help with space planning advice, insights and ideas from other clients, and technicians who can assist with relocating shelving or installing new systems.“It’s been a good thing to know that we can break it down, and move it around, and adjust it, and reconfigure it to our needs,” Chubb said. “That’s been really good.”</p>

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See how Mount Royal University used contemporary research to inform its undergraduate library design.

Undergraduate Library Design

<h2>A New Library for a New University</h2>
<p>Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta, has undergone big changes since its founding in 1910. Originally a junior college, the institution later became a community college and officially earned its designation as a university in 2009. This new designation reflected expanded degree program offerings and higher expectations for undergraduate and faculty research. </p>
<p>But there was a hitch: the institution’s library had been built in the early 1970s and it did not support these new expectations. “At the time it was built, we were a community college, a much smaller institution with different users,” said Alice Swabey, a professor and subject librarian at Mount Royal University who was instrumental in the new library’s design. She added that the 70s-era library consisted of a single large room that took up nearly an entire floor of the main campus building. As Mount Royal grew, the library became overcrowded with students and books.</p>
<p>The institution underwent an accreditation process as it transitioned into its designation as a university. The library was given a rating of ‘woefully inadequate,’ which actually helped the library’s advocates acquire funding for a new and improved library.</p>

<p>Do you need to make more room for students? See how Mount Royal University designed and planned a new library with students as the main focus.</p>

Download our case study about making library materials accessible on campus

a professor and subject librarian at Mount Royal University who was instrumental in the new library’s design.

<h4>Studying students: How do undergraduates use the library?</h4>
<p>As part of the planning and design effort for the new library, Swabey and a colleague conducted a study to observe how undergraduate students use academic libraries. They spent hundreds of hours observing students and distributing and analyzing surveys. “It gave us a sense of the types of spaces that are important for students to be able to do their work,” Swabey said. “We could see areas that were busier than other areas. We found that many students come to the library for at least two hours per day, and some students spend up to four or more hours per day. So they need variety. They need comfort. They need to feel like it’s their own safe place to be. And they want to have inspiring spaces.”</p>

<h4>Illuminated Library Shelving</h4>
<p>The design team wanted the stacks to be visually appealing to encourage browsing and contribute to the building’s bright, airy design. Spacesaver’s illuminated <a href="/products/shelving/cantilever-shelving" aria-label="cantilever shelving product details">library shelving</a> provided the perfect solution.</p>

<h4>Compact Storage in Archives and Special Collections</h4>
<p>The university’s archives and special collections are housed in a secure, climate-controlled area on the library’s top floor. The archives area makes efficient use of space with a Spacesaver <a href="/products/high-density-mobile-systems" aria-label="mobile system product details">mechanical-assist compact storage system</a>, in which shelving moves on rails.</p>



<h4>Pull-out Browsing Bins</h4>
<p>The university’s music collection is stored on shelving and in pull-out browsing bins, providing a convenient way for students and faculty to find CDs and other materials.</p>

<h2>Making the Collection Accessible</h2>
<p>As for the physical collections, members of the planning team were determined to keep the entire collection in the library and display materials in a way that would encourage browsing. “Our goal was to be able to house our materials in a way that would make students want to borrow them and be able to borrow them,” Swabey said. “We’re an undergraduate university, and we know undergraduate students don’t want to wait around for an item to come out of storage. So we were very committed to having everything available.”</p>

 Mount Royal University professor and subject librarian

<p>Another consideration was the fact that libraries are rapidly evolving, and no one really knows what the future holds. “We wanted to be open to the fact that universities change,” Swabey said. “The needs of students change, and the needs of faculty change. So that was another guiding principle.” Static shelving can be relocated or mounted on <a href="/products/high-density-mobile-systems">compact mobile systems</a> at a later date, giving the library space added flexibility.</p>
<p>Spacesaver’s illuminated shelving enhances the building’s light-filled aesthetic. The shelves are designed to conceal wiring, resulting in a clean, bright look that makes it easy for students to browse and borrow books and other materials.</p>

<h2>Space for Faculty</h2>
<p>While student needs were important to the planning team, the needs of faculty were considered as well. “It’s not just a library for students,” Swabey said. “We have other campus services in the building, and those services have their own space requirements.” In addition to high-tech spaces like a large-scale visualization wall, a black-box immersion environment, and well-equipped presentation practice rooms, the new building features a pedagogic institute and an academic development center for faculty use.</p>

Mount Royal University professor and subject librarian

<h2>Space to Grow</h2>
<p>The building was designed with an eye toward change and future growth. “Each floor of the building was planned so that it could bear the load of book stacks even though we don’t have book stacks all the way up,” Swabey said. “Our stacks don’t really begin in earnest until the third floor. But we want to be prepared for growth in the future.”</p>
<p>The end result is a library with varied settings to serve a range of needs. “A lot of people come to libraries so that they can get away from the rest of their life and think,” Swabey said. “And at the same time they want to know that they’re part of something larger than themselves. And I think that a library does that. We’re all here for similar purposes, but we also need different settings to do our work. So we try to provide as much variety as we can.”</p>

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The University of Calgary demonstrates an emerging model of high-bay library design.

An Emerging Model for High-Bay Library Design

<p>High-bay library shelving facilities can seem more like warehouses than academic institutions. The buildings are typically windowless to minimize stored materials’ exposure to harmful UV rays, and the rows of books can extend up to around five stories tall.</p>
<p>While these features are necessary to store and maintain millions of volumes in the best possible preservation environment, a new model is emerging. Modern high-bay facilities are being designed to welcome visitors and encourage more interaction with the university campuses they serve, and they offer spacious reading rooms for visiting researchers and pleasant work areas for archivists, conservators, and other staff.</p>
<p>The University of Calgary has embraced this new model by expanding its off-site library shelving facility to better integrate with on-campus services. The new building features Spacesaver’s high-bay shelving in large, climate-controlled storage areas, along with staff work areas, comfortable reading rooms for visitors, and multi-purpose rooms to host training events and field trips.</p>

<p>Do you need more space on campus? See how the University of Calgary expands its off-site library shelving facility to better integrate with on-campus services.</p>

Download the Whole Story

<h2>The original off-site shelving facility model</h2>
<p>The University of Calgary built its original off-site library shelving facility in the late 2000s on a university-owned parcel on the outskirts of the city. The building was designed in conjunction with the new central library on campus, so it also includes Spacesaver art racks and shelving for artwork storage as pieces are rotated out of display in the library’s gallery.</p>

University of Calgary, Associate University Librarian for Research and Learning Services

<p>The decision to build the original off-site facility was controversial at first, according to Tom Hickerson, Vice Provost for Libraries and Cultural Resources. He was hired to oversee the design of the central library in tandem with the University of Calgary’s original high-bay facility. He had seen first-hand the success of Cornell University’s high-bay shelving facilities and he and other campus leaders were committed to the principle. “We decided early on that we would never see the storage of print materials drive users out of the library,” he said. </p>
<p>At the same time, the project planners were sensitive to librarians’ concerns that browsing functionality should be preserved. “Having good metadata is more critical than spatial proximity,” Hickerson said. “We devoted more resources to bibliographic access at the same time as we were advocating a move off campus.”</p>

<h2>Building on a good idea</h2>
<p>When the time came to consider expanding the facility, the University of Calgary arrived at a new approach. The institution is still acquiring paper-based materials, so proper storage for these materials is still a priority, but the design team also wanted to push beyond the concept of a typical off-site “warehouse” model to consolidate vital services and better integrate with campus.</p>

<p>To achieve these goals, the University of Calgary added two additions to its original high-bay facility in 2017-2018. One addition features Spacesaver XTend® Mobile High-Bay Storage Systems to keep materials organized and protected, and the other features office space, work areas, and an expanded reading room.</p>

<h2>Deciding to go mobile</h2>
<p>The University of Calgary’s original high-bay facility was fitted with Spacesaver’s XTend® High-Bay Storage System. The planning team decided to use XTend Mobile for the new addition, which allows the facility to not only take full advantage of the building’s vertical height but also eliminate wasted space in the aisles between rows of shelving.</p>
<p>The university’s rapidly growing archives were a driving force behind the decision to install mobile high-bay shelving. “We didn’t anticipate how quickly some of those areas would grow,” said Claudette Cloutier, the University of Calgary’s Associate University Librarian for Research and Learning Services. “Our standard print materials have tapered off and for every volume that we purchase in a given year, we send a volume off-site. But our university records and archives collection is growing exponentially and we didn’t really account for that in the design and the development of the original facility. We’ve taken that into consideration for the addition, which is why we’ve moved to mobile shelving to increase our storage capacity.”</p>

<h2>The University of Calgary’s decision to install XTend® Mobile was based on a variety of factors:</h2>
<ol>
<li>Parcel size (adding offices and other workspaces decreased the amount of square footage available for storing printed materials)</li>
<li>Construction costs (larger envelope = higher cost)</li>
<li>Ongoing operating costs (larger facility = higher costs)</li>
<li>Need for future capacity</li>
</ol>

<p>Planning a high-bay shelving facility is a complex task. Learn about considerations to account for early in the planning stages that will help ensure the most efficient construction and move-in processes.</p>

Download our complete guide to planning a high-bay facility

<h2>More staff, more workspace</h2>
<p>While the original facility housed a staff of only five employees, around 30 staff will work at the expanded building. Along with training areas and other general-use spaces, the new addition has two large staffing areas. One area involves archival description and management — those vital metadata services that promote the collections’ accessibility — and the other area centers on the ingestion of physical materials and the preservation of cultural resources. These staff had been located in various areas around campus, and the services they provide can now be consolidated in one building. “Anything that comes in to us in a physical format will come to the High Density Library first,” Cloutier said. “It won’t come to our collections unit on campus anymore. So a lot of the folks who do the cataloging, the description, a lot of the metadata work — they will work out there.”</p>

Because of these increased staffing levels, the facility design team wanted to create a welcoming workplace. The new workspaces were designed to promote openness and to take advantage of the site’s expansive mountain views. In the end, the expanded facility shows how a modern university can care for and share its collections in a way that best serves the academic community now and into the future.

<h2>Ready to learn more?</h2>
<p>Spacesaver’s XTend specialists can help with all aspects of planning and implementing a high-bay shelving system. Our in-house engineering and project management teams, paired with our network of local distributors, offer years of experience and unparalleled expertise in high-bay library design. We look forward to meeting you and working with you on your project.</p>

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The Seattle Central Library not only changed the way patrons use their public library, but it was also used as an instrument of creating environmental awareness. Many strategies were implemented during the design process to achieve this certification, from using recycled materials, to constructing the library near access to public transportation, to ensuring that 90 percent of all regularly occupied spaces have access to daylight and views.

Library Revolution

<h4>From Passive Service Providers to Active Forces in Community</h4>
<p>The 362,987-square-foot, state-of-the-art 11-story facility houses 1.4 million volumes of books and is consistently referred to as an inspiring, innovative and futuristic space that redefined the function of a modern public.</p>
<p>The building was truly designed for the library patron of the 21st century, providing access to not only books, but to over 400 computers, several community gathering places, special children’s areas, meeting rooms and a cafe. Over the last ten years, the library has served as an example for other <a href="/libraries/public-library" aria-label="public library resources">public libraries</a> across the country – demonstrating how they too can make the transition from passive service providers to active and vital forces in their community.</p>



Managing Architect , LMN Architect

<h2>Lighting the Way for Sustainable Design in Seattle</h2>
<p>The Seattle Central Library not only changed the way patrons use their public library, but it was also used as an instrument of creating environmental awareness. The building received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in 2005, becoming one of the 50 first buildings in the nation to receive a Silver rating.</p>
<p>Many strategies were implemented during the design process to achieve this certification, from using recycled materials, to constructing the library near access to public transportation, to ensuring that 90 percent of all regularly occupied spaces have access to daylight and views.</p>


Managing Architect, LMN Architect

<p>The use of light was actually a critical factor in every aspect of the library’s design, not just a sustainable element. From the exterior maze of windows that wraps the entire building, to the interior 11-floor atrium and polycarbonate ceiling that help to distribute light, to the glass walls that divide the sides of the spiral stacks, every detail was considered in maximizing the natural light.</p>
<p>In keeping with this principal design concept, the design team didn’t want the book stacks to create a visual barrier, so they chose a translucent acrylic material for the top and end panels of the shelving. Engineers at Spacesaver tested different acrylic materials for scratch resistance, durability and strength. The engineering team also sourced unique, stainless steel pins that were used to off-set the panels from the shelving frames and designed special lighting brackets for a custom overhead lighting solution. All shelving units were also seismically reinforced with gussets and additional welded spreaders to assure code compliance and safety. <a href="/sustainability-practices">Learn more about Spacesaver sustainable practices</a> and how we can work with you to achieve your goals.</p>

<h2>A New Way of Delivering Books</h2>
<p>The majority of the library’s nonfiction collection is housed in this four-level book spiral. The aisles have a gradual upward slope of about 2 degrees, creating a continuous ramp designed to display the library’s nonfiction collection without breaking up the Dewey Decimal System classification onto different floors or sections.</p>
<p>The collection spirals up through the four stories on a continuous series of shelves, outfitted with the acrylic end panels that allow light to flow freely through the space.</p>
<p>In addition to the <a href="/products/shelving/cantilever-shelving" aria-label="library shelving product details">conventional bookshelves with acrylic end panels</a> that are found throughout most of the library and in the spiral stack area, several high-density mobile shelving systems were installed in non-public areas for infrequently accessed material, like books, periodicals, and even personnel records in locked drawers.</p>
<p>Four of the <a href="/products/high-density-mobile-systems" aria-label="mobile system product details">mobile systems are electrically powered</a> and open and close with a simple push of a button. These units sit on the 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th floors, all situated directly over top of each other. They vary slightly in size but in general are about 30’ in length with between 20 and 32 mobile carriages.</p>

<p>A fifth system is a Mechanical Assist Spacesaver system, operated by a hand crank, and is located behind the children’s area on the main floor. It has 12 carriages and they are 12 feet in length.</p>
<p>These <a href="/products/high-density-mobile-systems" aria-label="high-density mobile shelving product details">high-density mobile shelving systems</a> provided double the capacity of traditional shelving systems, and helped the library bring everything back to one location. Prior to construction of the Central Library, a large portion of the collection was located in a building a few miles away from the library and was mostly unavailable to the public. If there was a book or document that a patron wanted to view they would have to put in a special request and the book would then be temporarily transferred to the library for viewing. This transfer could take several days.</p>


<h2>A Gift Shop Unlike any Other</h2>
<p>A sixth <a href="/products/high-density-mobile-systems/standard-mobile-system" aria-label="moible system product details">high-density mobile system</a> is used in the main lobby of the library to house a gift shop. OMA’s Mark Von Hof-Zogrotzki designed the cabinetry that would be used and then worked with Spacesaver to install the cabinets onto mobile carriages that run on tracks in the floor. The carriages are carefully concealed beneath the cabinets, so all that is seen is the custom cabinets.</p>
<p>The shop can easily be opened each day by manually rolling the custom cabinets along the tracks in the floor. Once the aisles are opened, each cabinet can be plugged into a floor outlet in order to light merchandise and power the cash register. Special carriage rail covers were designed to provide a convenient, safe public space. At the end of the day, the entire shop can be locked into a tight cube.</p>

<h2>Redefining Storage Solutions</h2>
<p>An Authorized Spacesaver Representative helped develop the technical specifications for both the fixed and mobile shelving used throughout the library. He even took designers to a local job site to educate them on the benefits of mobile storage.</p>
<p>Custom elements were incorporated throughout the project, beyond just the acrylic end panels used on most of the static shelving. For example, specially designed drawers were added to the cantilever shelving to accommodate the library’s existing card catalog.</p>

‘A testament to style and function’

Library Storage Projects

Library Robotic Retrieval System vs. Spacesaver High-Bay Library Shelving

Compact Shelving for a University Law School Library

Storing Special Collections in a Library

Library Floor-Loading Considerations for Future High-Density Shelving

Remodeling a Campus Library with Moveable Shelving

Modern Library Design - Free Library of Philadelphia

George Washington Library

Preserving Texas History with Spacesaver Archives Storage

Undergraduate Library Design

An Emerging Model for High-Bay Library Design

Library Revolution

Campus Libraries Transformed by Off-Site Library Shelving

Philadelphia Free Library

Sheet Music Storage in a Music Library

Sustainable Stacks Boosts LEED Library Design

Configurable Library Shelving for a Growing Community

Library Book Storage Protects Archival Collections

A Beacon for Preservation

Renovating a Historic Library