College and Research Libraries


Optimum Storage of Library Material. 
By Julius Grady Cox. Lafayette, Ind.: 
Purdue University Libraries, 1964. xv, 
222p. 

This study is one in a series in develop-
ment at Purdue University where the li-
brary and some of its problems are being 
examined by tyro industrial engineers. This 
particular problem, compact storage, has 
been investigated and reported in the form 
of a doctoral dissertation. It is important 
that this be kept in mind, for this may ex-
plain and perhaps justify the presentation 
and limitations of the content. 

The abstract (p. xiii) which precedes the 
formal report, states, "the primary purpose 
of this research is to develop, discuss, and 
demonstrate compact storage models." The 
"models" in the language of the engineer 
here are arithmetic, statistical, or mathe-
matical models, and not a group of actual 
mockups, which are occasionally used in 
library building planning. The author used 
the libraries of Purdue University and Au-
burn University in Alabama as physical 
models for on-site investigation. 

The study touches on a wide range of 
elements which contribute to creation of the 
problem area. Most of these elements are 
recorded and briefly defined, mainly with 
questions of costs in view. All of the factors 
alleged are valid and require attention, but 
the treatment is cursory and in no place is 
consumer reaction considered. The author 
moves too quickly into the clearly favored 
and more familiar ground of purely physical 
considerations. He does point out that other 
studies at Purdue and elsewhere will treat 
these skimmed areas separately. 

His research on shelf storage of books 
presumes continuous and full lo:tding in 
linear, in height, and in depth variants. In 
addition he considers vertical spacing of 
shelves in single sections, length of ranges, 
and over-all height of ranges. He develops 
tables for optimum use in terms of cubic 
space and compares this with standard or 

I 250 

Book Reviews 
unsized shelving. For each pertinent factor 
one finds full tables of variations, together 
with a multitude of mathematical formulas 
designed, it seems, to clarify the graphic 
presentation. In merely two hundred pages, 
beginning with chapter two, this research 
paper proves beyond any question (a) that 
you can shelve more books if they are 
grouped by size, (b) that you can shelve 
even more books if you use shelves to their 
full depth, and (c) that you can divide 
most books into three to five average 
heights. There is extensive discussion of 
the "constraints" which influence the meth-
ods of shelving books, elements such as 
varying thickness, height or width of the 
book, the thickness of the shelf itself and 
over-all height of shelf units, as well as 
flexibility of shelf handling. Each of these 
is faithfully analyzed, tabulated, and curved 
and now constitutes a reliable record of 
all the various ways shelving can be used 
for the storage of long series of oblong or 
similar objects of varied sizes. r 

The author honestly states in the final 
paragraph of his work "This research, at 
best, has made a contribution to only one 
aspect of one library function." This is a 
fact. It is also a fact that the contribution is 
purely academic, and as such, it will join 
thousands of other unread (except by re-
viewers) and unused doctoral dissertations. 
As an exercise in method, from the view-
point of the industrial engineer, this is un-
doubtedly a classic example of good prac-
tice. From the point of view of the practic-
ing librarian, this is a classic example of 
reductio ad absurdum.-]errold Orne, Uni-
versity of North Carolina. 

Library Support of Medical Education 
and Research in Canada. By B. V. Si-
mon. Ottawa: Association of Canadian 
Medical Colleges, 1964. xvii, 133p. $2. 

This survey was initiated when a Royal 
Commission on Health Services was ap-
pointed by the Canadian Government in 
1961 to "inquire into and report upon the