[Publib] Angled Bottom Shelf

[Mark Arend]

Hi Susan-

 

Let me know if you come up with something.   About 20 years ago I
invented a shelf "un-angler" and winning the patent infringement suit
would let me retire with your millions.  

 

But seriously, years ago I bought some old library shelving with angled
bottom shelves.  I didn't like the angle because the books kept sliding
down making it hard to read the spines of those that were smaller.  So I
cut some wooden wedges just as you describe to level the shelves.  My
innovation  (patent # 123456789) was to drill a hole in the wedge that
would line up with the ones that the manufacturer had used to hold the
shelf to the base and drop in a bolt to hold everything together.  

 

I don't see any reason you couldn't do something similar to angle the
flat shelves.  There'd be a gap between the shelf and the base but no
one would see it unless they were lying on the floor.  And you'd lose an
inch or so of shelf height but that's probably not a major issue.  

 

Of course, the books will still slide down.  The shelves I bought had
strips of some rough material on them, similar to the non-skid strips
you put in bathtubs, but that didn't solve the problem.  You may want to
try it out in one area before you convert the whole building. 

 

 

-------------------------------

 

Mark W. Arend, Assistant Director

Winnefox Library System

106 Washington Ave.

Oshkosh, WI  54901

(920) 236-5222           fax: (920) 236-5228

 

mailto:arend at winnefox.org <mailto:arend at winnefox.org>
http://www.winnefox.org/ <http://www.winnefox.org/> 

 

 

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From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Susan Pieper
Sent: Thursday, February 05, 2009 10:03 AM
To: publib at webjunction.org
Subject: [Publib] Angled Bottom Shelf

 

Hello all,

I have looked for, and can't quite find, a shelving component that would
fit into the bottom shelf of our wooden stacks that would be able to
angle the bottom row of books up a bit for easier reading. I'm imagining
some sort of animal that is like a triangle wedge that can be placed on
the bottom shelf with books leaning on it so spines would angle up. It
brings to mind the designs of magazine "face out" metal display shelves
with the lip to hold the magazine. I can see it in my head, but am
having a hard time visioning it to you. Does anyone know of such a
product? Or do you think my best bet is to invent something, patent it
and then retire with my millions? Look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks in advance!

Susan

-- 
Susan Pieper, Director
Paulding County Carnegie Library
205 S. Main Street
Paulding, OH 45879
419-399-2032 voice and 419-399-2114 fax
Editor, Rural Library Services Newsletter
www.pauldingcountylibrary.org
ALA Councilor-at-Large
PLA Executive Board Member
ARSL Board Ex-Officio

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