[Publib] magazine shelving

[Elizabeth Thorson]

Elizabeth, we tried this type of shelving in our old building and decided it did NOT work for us. I will answer your questions and then add my opinions:
 
1. I can't remember how we calculated how much to buy, but our back issues did NOT fit behind the shelves. For most titles we keep two years, but we couldn't fit even a year of the weekly titles. We ended up installing a regular shelf under the flip shelves, and putting the extra issues in Princeton boxes below the flip shelf. For the bottom flip shelf, the Princeton box went on the floor. (From the top, it went flip/flat, flip/flat, flip/floor)
 
2. I don't remember what type we bought. We did not like it.
 
3. We didn't retrofit.
 
4. We did not leave the bottom shelf empty (frankly, we were in violation of half a dozen ADA standards already and we definitely did not have room for empty shelves). We had a lot of complaints about people trying to get the back issues from behind the bottom shelf - you practically had to lie on the floor to get to them.
 
We also found that many, many people did not "get" the concept of the flip shelves, no matter how many signs we put up and how much instruction we gave. They just assumed that there were no back issues if they couldn't see them.
 
Also, we found that piling the magazines on top of each other was a disaster. It was impossible to keep them in neat piles (we used all sorts of dividers to no avail), they slid off the back into the space between the shelves, the larger format magazines always got in the way, and the magazines got horribly torn up by people trying to find a specific issue.
 
In our new facility, we installed a slanted shelf for current issues and a regular shelf for Princeton boxes. I would not go back to flip shelves for anything!
Elizabeth
 
 
Elizabeth Cuckow Thorson
Manager, Reference & Technical Services
Laramie County Library
2200 Pioneer Ave., Cheyenne WY 82001
307-773-7230

>>> "elizabeth fraser" <kcplmove at gmail.com> 12/30/2008 2:51 PM >>>
Hi
   My boss wants us to look at shelving our magazines on the public floor using the "flip up" displays, where backfile goes behind and the current issue is on faceout display.
 
   I have been looking at the vendor catalogs and it looks like there isn't much room behind for the backfile, once you flip the display part back.  I called the library wholesalers and didn't get much help.  I have a call out to the actual manufacturer of one, but they are still on vacation.
 
   So my question to you is
 
1. If you own this type of shelving, how did you calculate how much to buy?  For example if you keep a year of Time magazine will it all fit on one shelf behind the flipper.
2. Whose shelving did you buy and do you like it?
3. Did anyone retrofit existing shelving?
4. Did you leave the bottom shelf empty to meet the ADA requirement of no magzines lower than 18 inches off the floor or is there a work around?
 
Actually that is four question, but your help is greatly appreciated.
 
Elizabeth

-- 
Elizabeth Fraser
Reference Services Head
Kanawha County Public Library
123 Capitol St
Charleston WV 25301


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