Journal of Interlibrary Loan Document Delivery & Electronic Reserve · 2003 · 15 citations · 0 references
ComputingInformation TechnologyInformation RetrievalKnowledge StorageStorage SystemsArchival StorageDigital ArchivingDocument PreservationStorage EquipmentStorage FacilitiesStorage TechnologyDocument Delivery SystemsDocument Storage ManagementDocument Storage SystemsHigh-density Storage SystemsLibrary CollectionsLibrary InfrastructureOff-site Material StorageShelving Systems
ABSTRACT This article describes a high-density off-site book storage facility operated by a consortium of the University of Colorado and the University of Denver. Opened in 2001, it has capacity to house nearly 1.5 million items in only 9,500 square feet by shelving books by size on thirty-foot tall shelving. Materials are retrieved upon patrons' electronic request and delivered to the library daily. By removing seldom-used material to off-site storage, valuable library space is made available for patron-service activities. As millions of volumes are moved off-site in favor of on-demand delivery, the nature of the research library will change. This article describes the high-density off-site storage facility at the University of Colorado, the reason for its existence, the retrieval and delivery system. This paper also explores some implications of high-density off-site storage for library materials.