subject: Library Underground! [print this page] Notwithstanding many people speak about modern technologies and their attack on usual lifestyle it is not fair to consider the entire range of public activity. The domination of high-tech is obvious, but it cannot solve all the problems of individuals. Probably, the very thing that modernization cannot touch is cultural aspect of livelihood, its heritage and continuing progress. As an example, this article encloses the development of written sources, especially books.
It is obvious that most of the humans are aware of online libraries and eBooks existence, but has anybody thought of published ones? Where do they go? Well, to start with, there is no way the quantity of printed sources got less, when Internet appliances appeared, but there is definitely lack of space to store them. Modern academic libraries have faced the predictable problem - too many books are issued. Some libraries use the practice of remote repositories. However, this practice tends to create multi-day delay between the request for the grant of the book and the actual output. Hence, even this method has run out of steam.
Chicago University has established the technology, which is completely surprising, but top-performing. Its library introduced a system of automated book storage service, which can contain a volume of 3,5 million items, usually covering the one-seventh of the space of a traditional storage. The reason this system was provided is the fact that Chicago University receives nearly 150 thousand books per year, and, as one could guess, the space to store them is pretty limited.
The main feature of this store is that it will sort books by size. This technology also obtained the support of Dematic Company, which is engaged in the design and development of automated storage systems for Boeing, Ford and IBM. In particular, this firm constructed five-stored underground storage facility, operated by five automated robotic lifts. Dematic is no stranger in this area, it has already created 17 automated libraries around the world, but the University of Chicago is the most difficult. The company is also building three more libraries. The storage of one shelf might contain 24 thousand books, which are stacked on 12 metal racks 15 meters high. The majority of shelves have height from 18 to 48 inches; they are divided into several compartments, and contain about 100 books of average size. This book storage supports the optimal conditions for the state of paper - 60F and 30-percent relative humidity. Therefore, maybe methods and systems for eBook storage and presentation will become less appropriate in comparison to this novelty?
