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Universal Branch Building Program: Return to UBBP Table of Contents
5.2 Adjacencies 5.3 Design Issues 5.4 Components and Furnishings publish date: 14 March 2000
5.0 General Collection5.1 Function
The adult fiction collections, interfiled non-fiction collection, new books, large type books, other languages, adult basic education and media collections are covered in this section.
One of the goals of the Seattle Public Library is to display and merchandize their collections so that library users will find it a pleasure to browse in the library. The interior design of the building should take this into consideration. Shelving needs have been calculated to allow for display on shelf and stack ends. Materials and literature display spaces should be incorporated throughout the branch design, utilizing end panels, shelf ends and free shelves throughout the shelving areas.
The majority of the adult books will be housed on 84" shelving, but each branch has 66" units as well. It is anticipated that new books, some media and large print books will be housed on these shelving units.
Circulation Desk
Reference/ Information Desk
A mix of 84" and 66" and 45" should be utilized to enhance visibility and openness. Shelving calculations are based on each shelf being no more than two-thirds full to allow for display and growth. For 66" shelving, 4 shelves are planned. For 84" shelving, the fiction area will have 7 shelves and the non-fiction area, 7 shelves per section.
Shelving manufacturer, heights, shelf widths and colors should be standardized throughout the system to maximize flexibility.
Shelving must be earthquake braced in accordance with current seismic standards
Slotwall end panels can hold signs, booklists and book displays.
A system wide end panel signage system and display method should be employed. A signage system that allows for uniform branch generated replacement signs for shelf labeling is required.
Shelving should be arranged to preserve visual supervision of the library and be as intelligible as possible.
Aisles should be at least 42" wide and ranges composed of three-foot sections should allow for the efficient arrangement of the collections and movement of people. Runs should not be longer that 15' unless it improves the branch design or the logic of the materials collection layout.
Shelving ranges should allow for access from both ends, and not dead end against walls.
Canopy tops will be used where the height of the shelving will allow for display or consulting materials on top of the shelves.
New books and media collections should be near the circulation desk for ease of reshelving and monitoring.
Adult and juvenile non-fiction is interfiled except for books for the youngest readers, so shelving should not exceed 84" in height, with minimal use of the top and bottom shelves whenever possible.
Shelving and display needs for multilingual, fiction genres such as mysteries and science fiction, English as a Second Language (ESL), Reading Place and other specific collections need to be specified for each branch.
New book shelving should be located in a visible browsing area which will accommodate a number of people simultaneously.
Media such as CD's, videos, books on tape, CD-ROM's, and paperbacks should be housed on specialty shelves within the standard shelving sections to visually simplify the library and maintain an uncluttered appearance.
The large type collection should be housed on 66" shelving without utilizing the bottom shelf. Benches from which it is easy to arise should be placed before the large print collection. This collection should be conveniently located for older patrons.
Stand up height computers for catalog access should be located strategically throughout the collections, perhaps at stack ends.
Stack lighting affixed to the 84" shelving is recommended unless the building affords similar light levels in another manner.
Single and double-faced shelving units, 84" and 66" and 45"
Stand up height computers for catalog access located strategically
Safety stools for reaching higher materials.
Benches, one or two depending on collection size, for large print area.
Stack lighting