High Bay Shelving Stores University Archives

high bay mobile shelving storing the historical archives collectionA historical university’s collection of archives and regional history includes books, journals, archives, monographics, and bound periodicals that date back to the 1700s. Parts of the collection were stored across three different buildings, making accessing items a challenge. To solve their problems, the university constructed a new building and installed high bay mobile shelving. The new building and specialized shelving has helped to preserve the collection and ensure items are easily accessible.   

Why the University Needed Better Storage for the Historical Archives Collection

Available on Sourcewell State Cooperative Purchasing Contract Previously, the collection was stored in three different buildings including an old gymnasium. The multiple locations made accessing the archives a challenge for students, faculty and researchers. Library staff often found themselves escorting researchers all over campus to find what they needed. In addition to the accessibility barriers, the conditions of these facilities were not ideal. Since the original buildings were never intended to be libraries, there were issues with temperature and humidity control.

Moving all of the collections under one roof made the most sense to improve accessibility and better preserve stored items. It also made a great deal of economic sense for the university, because they were maintaining some very outdated buildings. To keep building costs down and ensure the space was optimized, high bay mobile shelving was chosen to house the collection.

high bay mobile shelving compacts to save floor spaceHow the High Bay Shelving Stores the Collection

The new building is climate-controlled, with temperature regulated by a geothermal heating and cooling unit and built with a vapor barrier to keep out moisture. The high bay mobile shelving installed features 201 specially-designed sections of shelving that are 34 feet high which equate to approximately 15 lineal miles of storage. The shelving houses 450,000 book volumes and 25,000 archive record boxes and can move 180 tons of weight with the push of a button.

The installation of high bay mobile shelving within the new building has allowed the university to keep the materials in an ideal environment, which is more efficient for the faculty, students and researchers. Staff will be able to access research materials quickly and get them to the patrons in a much more reasonable amount of time.

Contact Us for High Bay Mobile Shelving for Your Collection

Southwest Solutions Group® provides design and installation services for high bay mobile shelving. SSG will even provide a free consultation to determine your exact needs before the design process begins. To learn more or to speak with a specialist, call us at 1-800-803-1083 or send us a message today.

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