[DCRM-L] Criteria for identifying books needing flat shelving

[Kate Moriarty]

Hello, All,

We are looking at reconfiguring our rare book stacks and are starting to
address how we shelve very large pre-1820 volumes. We shelve our pre-1820
volumes according to format and currently have three areas: 1) 12mos and
smaller, 2) 4tos and 8vos, and 3) folios. We're going to have to create a
fourth area for volumes that are large enough to require flat shelving. Is
there a measurement cut-off point that people use to identify books
requiring flat shelves? A height at which books really should not be shelved
vertically? We're considering going with flat shelving for anything that is
44 cm. or larger. Of course, if a book is shorter than that but in bad
condition we'll also consider flat shelving.

Thanks for your help,

Kate

-- 
Kate S. Moriarty, MSW, MLS  |  Rare Book Catalog Librarian  |  Pius XII
Memorial Library  |
Saint Louis University  |  3650 Lindell Blvd . |  St. Louis, MO 63108  |
 (314) 977-3098 (tel)  |  (314) 977-3108 (fax)  |  moriarks at slu.edu  |
http://libraries.slu.edu/
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