One thing that I really like about school are the field trips. Somehow it makes the day go by faster and it makes everything that you've talked about come together in a very different way. Last Friday we went on a field trip to the Harvard Depository.
The Harvard Depository is a pretty nifty place. It is a high-density storage site for Harvard where they keep millions of their lower use books and periodicals. They store the books on shelving units that are about 30 feet high and are arranged in aisles about 200 feet long. I wish I could give you some kind of comparison to illustrate how very big that is, but this picture will kind of give you an idea. They also store their books in a highly climate controlled environment so the books are kept at around 45 degrees Fahrenheit at about 30% relative humidity. Though they do have one aisle of stacks that are kept colder, at more 40 degrees (this is where they store many of their films and other things that need the colder environment. It is a very fascinating operation.
The Harvard Depository is a pretty nifty place. It is a high-density storage site for Harvard where they keep millions of their lower use books and periodicals. They store the books on shelving units that are about 30 feet high and are arranged in aisles about 200 feet long. I wish I could give you some kind of comparison to illustrate how very big that is, but this picture will kind of give you an idea. They also store their books in a highly climate controlled environment so the books are kept at around 45 degrees Fahrenheit at about 30% relative humidity. Though they do have one aisle of stacks that are kept colder, at more 40 degrees (this is where they store many of their films and other things that need the colder environment. It is a very fascinating operation.
 |
| 30 foot high stacks in the Harvard Depository |
No comments:
Post a Comment