Dear Michael,
You might be able to get your hands on B.J. Irvine’s book: Facilities
Standards for Art Libraries and Visual Resources Collections – on page
40 the weight-bearing load for art book stacks is examined.
This is quoted from that publication:
“The weight-bearing load for art book stacks should conform
to the standard 150lb. per square ft. (7.324 kN/m2). For compact moveable
shelving, the standard is 300 lb. per sq. foot (14.647kN/m2) (Metcalf 1986,
327). (See also American National Standards Institute 1972; Cohen and Cohen
1979, 89-92; Eyman 1987, 97; and Smith 1987.)”
Appendix III is also devoted to data for stacks.
Hope this is helpful,
Kraig
Kraig A. Binkowski
Chief Librarian
Reference Library and Archives
Yale Center for British Art
1080 Chapel Street
P.O. Box 208280
New Haven, CT 06520-8280
Phone: (203) 432-2846
Fax: (203) 432-7180
From: ART LIBRARIES
SOCIETY DISCUSSION LIST [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Michael
Young
Sent: Wednesday, July 01, 2009 11:15 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [ARLIS-L] Calculating load of book stacks
Good morning,
Is anyone on this list aware of a standard calculation or
expression of the load/weight of library stacks filled with books? I need this
to plan the move of a collection, and to ascertain whether the new location is
strong enough to withstand the weight of the books and stacks. Is there a
minimum strength/capacity for a building level housing book-filled
library stacks? (e.g. 300 lbs per square foot—not a serious
estimate, just an example of the kind of figure I am looking for).
Many thanks!
Michael Young
Art & Design
Librarian
Homer Babbidge
Library
University of
Connecticut
Storrs, Connecticut
06269
Tel. 860-486-4953
Fax 860-486-6100
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