Core Library Storage Interest Group

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  • 1.  Advice on Predicting Capacity

    Posted Oct 03, 2022 03:45 PM

    Hello everyone,

     

    I've been tasked to figure out how many volumes our high-density facility can theoretically store. I'm a little sheepish asking this, but how have other facilities predicted this number ("such-and-such library can hold up to 3mil volumes," for example)?

     

    So far, I've taken an average number of items per range based on what we already have filled and then applied it to the amount of empty ranges we have yet to fill for a rough estimate. Is it as simple as that?

     

    Thanks in advance for any advice,

    Charlotte

     

     

    Charlotte M. Johnson (she/her) | @liber_aesthete

    Research Collection Coordinator, ULS Thomas Blvd

    University Library System

    University of Pittsburgh

     

    Need to talk faculty union? Ask me!

    Libraries Communication and Action Team (CAT) Coordinator

    Union of Pitt Faculty

     



  • 2.  RE: Advice on Predicting Capacity

    Posted Oct 04, 2022 07:34 AM

    Charlotte,

     

    I'm just going by what I know working in a public library, but is everything in that room in a specific holding code? Can you run a report (example we use TLC's ls2reports) of everything in a specific holding code to get a ballpark number of what that room can handle? Hope this helps!

     

    Anita Rose

    Cataloger

    Blackwater Regional Library 

    ext. 313

    @blackwaterlib9

    Hours: 8:30-4:30 (eastern)

     






  • 3.  RE: Advice on Predicting Capacity

    Posted Oct 04, 2022 07:47 AM
    Hi Charlotte,

    We have a lot of experience in this area. To be frank, it highly depends on quantities of different types of materials you are storing. For example, we fit about 350k items per aisle based on our overall average, but aisles that don't have any boxed material (like archival boxes) can hold 20%-25% more.  We have also found that our libraries that store a higher percentage of serials have a significantly lower number of average items on shelves.

    Our methodology is not dissimilar to yours, but we have the luxury of having a large facility with four large libraries. That gives us a lot of data allowing us a greater resolution.

    We're happy to talk in detail if you like.

    Ian Bogus
    Executive Director
    Research Collections and Preservation Consortium (ReCAP)
    400 Forrestal Road
    Princeton, NJ 08540

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    Ian Bogus
    Executive Director
    ReCAP (Research Collections & Preservation Consortium)
    He/Him/His
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  • 4.  RE: Advice on Predicting Capacity

    Posted Oct 05, 2022 09:17 AM
    Charlotte, Yes, that is how we've predicted capacity for our remote storage area --exactly how you mentioned. We tend to list the number as maximum capacity. Where it gets tricky is with non-book formats as we tend not to know how much we plan on sending until a project is happening.
    Shelly

    Shelly McCoy

    Associate University Librarian for Public Services and Space Planning

    University of Delaware Library, Museums and Press

    302-831-6363  |  610-329-9328 (for urgent matters)