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In library science and architecture, a stack or bookstack (often referred to as a library building's stacks) is a book storage area, as opposed to a reading area. More specifically, this term refers to a narrow-aisled, multilevel system of iron or steel shelving that evolved in the nineteenth century to meet increasing demands for storage space[3]. When the majority of a library's books are shelved in a manner accessible to the public, this is called an "open stack".
Early Development[edit]
French Architect Henri Labrouste, shortly after making pioneering use of iron in the Bibliotheque Sainte-Genevieve of 1850, created a four story iron stack for the Bibliothèque nationale de France[4]. In 1857, multilevel stacks with grated iron floors were installed in the British Library[3]. In 1876, William R. Ware designed a stack for Gore Hall at Harvard University[1]. In contrast to the structural relationship found in most buildings, the floors of these bookstacks did not support the shelving, but rather the reverse, the floors being attached to, and supported by, the shelving framework. Even the load of the building's roof, and of any non-shelving spaces above the stacks (such as offices), may be transmitted to the building's foundation through the shelving system itself. The building's external walls provide protection but no significant structural support.[4]
Library of Congress and the Snead System[edit]
For the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress, completed in 1897, Bernard Richardson Green made a number of alterations to the Gore Hall design, including the use of all metal shelving. The contract was won by the Snead and Company Ironworks, which went on to install its standardized design in libraries around the country[1]. Notable examples include the Widener Library at Harvard and the seven level stack supporting the Rose Reading Room of the New York Public Library[3].
Decline[edit]
Due to the cramped nature of these facilities, many were considered unsuitable for public access. Increasing concern with opening stacks to the public[4], the desire to construct buildings adaptable to changing uses[3], and concerns over the feasibility of storing truly comprehensive collections of books contributed to the decline of the Snead stack. Angus Snead Macdonald, president of the Snead Company from 1915 to 1952 , himself advocated for the transition to modular, open plan libraries in the mid twentieth century[4].
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Snead Company (1915). Library Planning Bookstacks and Shelving. Architecture Press. pp. 11–12, 152–158.
- ^ Lane, William Coolidge (May 1915). "The Widener Memorial Library of Harvard College". The Library Journal. 40 (5): 325.
- ^ a b c d Petroski, Henry (1999). The Book on the Book Shelf. Alfred A. Knopf. pp. 167–168, 170–172, 184, 191.
- ^ a b c d Wiegand, Wayne, ed. (1994). Encyclopedia of Library History. Garland. pp. 352–355.
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