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Warehouse & Distribution

<p>“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” – Abraham Lincoln. An important reminder from the 16th President of the United States that just as (if not more) important than the action, is the care and consideration you put into its planning.</p>
<p>For public libraries who are ready to develop, expand, and/or optimize their space, taking the time to thoroughly develop a plan can provide exponential value for the communities they serve. Part of this plan should include examining available funding sources you can utilize and the systems necessary to accommodate the needs of residents for years to come.</p>
<p>In our third and final Public Libraries solutions blog series piece (read the Off-site Storage & Adaptive Spaces and Transformation & Meeting Spaces), we’ll provide several funding and purchasing options you can employ, as well as tips on how to ensure you’ve considered every current need and potential future demand, allowing you maximize every square foot.</p>
<h2>The Fundamentals of Funding</h2>
<p>According to WordsRated 93.86% of library funding comes from the government (local, state, or federal), while the remaining 6.14% comes from other sources including private donations, fees, fines, or grants.</p>
<p>As you consider one or more of these funding sources for your library project, make sure you don’t forget that contracts can also offer a powerful option for purchasing the items you need. Contracts are systems set up by state governments and other organizations to evaluate products and negotiate pricing with esteemed vendors. This process, in turn allows most libraries and archives in the U.S. and Canada to save time and money when purchasing these vendors’ products by using Sourcewell, Omnia Partners, and/or state contracts.</p>
<h2>Appealing To The Census</h2>
<p>Today’s public libraries have become an outlet for most forms of expression and learning that patrons could imagine. Whether it’s a room for children to enjoy a book read aloud, makerspace to master a new skill, or a quiet corner to explore their favorite genre of literature, visitors utilize their library’s available space for an assortment of reasons that vary day to day. Knowing this, is a great way to kick off your space planning efforts is to uncover and understand the needs of your patrons.</p>
<p>Now that you’ve acquired a firm understanding of what your community and its members demand from a library, it’s time to evaluate your current configuration’s ability to fill those needs and what additions/subtractions would help in facilitating them in the future. Here is where employing the services of an expert storage specialist (ideally one that understands your local market) can help optimize your space and budget.</p>
<h3>Choose Your Own Adventure Space Planning</h3>
<p>You’ve polled the masses and brought in the experts, now it’s time to fill your space with functional solutions. Unlike static storage systems of the past, adaptability is a requirement for modern solutions, so that staff and users can arrange their space to best suit the day’s needs. Let’s take a look at a few of these options, designed to optimize your space planning and ensure the greatest amount of value can be produced each day.</p>
<p>Open space facilitates endless possibilities. This is why utilizing high-density mobile shelving in your library can help provide increased opportunities for your patrons. Capable of storing the same volume of materials in half the amount of space needed for static shelving, high-density mobile shelving eliminates unused aisle space and frees up room for pursuing a variety of productive avenues.</p>
<p>When a more adaptable solution is required to keep up with on-the-fly adjustments, opting for solutions like Spacesaver’s Flexible Shelving units could be the perfect choice. Mounted on concealed or exposed casters and designed for versatility, these units can move at the pace of your project’s need, ensuring you’ll arrive at a happy ending no matter where your path leads you.</p>
<p>With so many outlets for learning and growth, a visit to the library can be an all-day affair for patrons young and old. That said, adding secure storage options for personal belongings to your space plan can go a long way for staff and visitors alike. Day Use Lockers provide a secure solution that can be customized to fit your library’s look, while giving your patrons the feeling that their possessions are safe while they explore all the building has to offer.</p>
<p>While these three pieces are important for creating an environment that is ideal for community learning and interaction within your library, there are additional options within our portfolio that you can employ. Check out our full lineup of library solutions and reach out to your local Spacesaver representative for more information on how to better serve the public in your library.</p>

Spacesaver’s solutions open up new opportunities for public libraries, learn the basics of space planning and funding library solutions

Public Libraries: Space Planning and Funding

Helping bring libraries’ visions to life.

<p>With growing demand from residents for communal space to meet, collaborate, and connect, public libraries are constantly looking to fit an increasing number of materials into a decreasing amount of on-site storage space. This is of particular concern for locations that need to expand their collections while offering open, flexible workspaces such as shared work areas, classrooms, makerspaces, and meeting rooms.</p>
<p>Most public libraries tend to be situated in the heart of a busy town center. This means that for most, the opportunity to expand their footprint is close to non-existent. To allow the greatest level of access to their patrons, many of these building-locked locations have turned to off-site storage locations and solutions. These options provide a cost-effective way to improve patrons’ experiences while keeping stored materials organized and protected, allowing library professionals to continue adding to their collections while still offering convenient access to materials.</p>
<p>In this, the second of our Public Libraries solutions blog series (read the first), we’ll take a closer look at the different types of off-site storage solutions that are offered, as well as their contribution to a more adaptable and functional environment for library staff and patrons.</p>
<h2>First, A Bit Research Before Development</h2>
<p>Driven by an increase in demand, the market cost per square foot for industrial and warehouse space has continued to rise year over year. With this fact and a finite budget allocation for public libraries, it is imperative that libraries go through a planning and design process when considering utilizing an off-site facility for storing their excess materials.</p>
<p>This process includes key considerations such as site selection – which will ensure the space is within a radius that allows for efficient material transport; space requirements – which determine if the facility is capable of handling the projected amount and types of materials your location currently has and anticipates attaining in the future; and environmental control – which will determine the facility’s ability to provide the precise temperature and humidity settings required for each specific piece.</p>
<h3>Next, Manufacturing Your Maximum Mix</h3>
<p>Depending on your institution’s needs, off-site facilities can be outfitted with static shelving, mobile shelving, or a combination of the two to store materials most efficiently. Now that you’ve taken the time to assess the elements of your library’s learning lineup, let’s dive into each of these storage solutions and how they combine to create a functional off-site facility.</p>
<p>High-bay shelving is an increasingly popular option among institutions as it allows operators to efficiently use vertical space. Available in static and mobile applications, Spacesaver’s XTend® High-Bay Shelving is designed to stand up to 35 feet high to take advantage of the increased vertical space many warehouses provide. To further aid in condensing collections and creating more storage in less floor space, the system’s shelves can be adjusted based on book size or box type, and shelving units placed on rails that allow aisles to be opened only at the point of need, eliminating wasted aisle space, optimizing space for future growth, and decreasing long-term operating costs.</p>
<p>For storing and protecting hanging art collections that are rotated within the library throughout the year, Spacesaver offers a lineup of six versatile art rack systems with a myriad of accessories and screen options to ensure each piece remains secure until it’s ready for use.</p>
<h2>Off of Site, But Not Out of Mind</h2>
<p>By moving seldom-utilized library materials and their traditionally static storage systems to an off-site facility, librarians are afforded the opportunity to provide a variety of use cases for patrons in the same space. Furthermore, freeing up space can boost your library’s service offerings to include cafes, classrooms, and access to the latest technology.</p>
<p>To support more efficient access for librarians and patrons, portable storage options like Spacesaver’s Flexible Shelving units allow users to transform available space into the most functional environment for their use. Customizable with a wide variety of shelving and caster options, these units are designed to provide the exact mix of fit and purpose for your needs.</p>
<p>As important as the ability to store excess items in an off-site location is the ability just as easily recall these materials when needed. Available with a wide range of accessories centered around accessibility, high-bay solutions provide a way for researchers and residents to have access to the full breadth of your collections within a short period of time.</p>
<h3>Beneficial For Both Buildings</h3>
<p>Whether they’re for increasing capacity or expanding adaptability, having versatile storage solutions at your disposal can be a vital resource for your library and its unique set of needs. From planning and designing a brand-new off-site building or simply looking to create a more effective floor plan in your existing space, Spacesaver can help. Our knowledgeable consultants are ready to help you create a storage solution package that fully integrates with your facility, optimizes space, protects materials, improves organization, and expands and improves services offered by your location. </p>
<h3>Taking Efficiency Off-Site</h3>
<p>Our USA-made solutions help provide increase capacity and access for off-site facilities storing library materials, while also freeing up space for other uses within your library. Contact your nearby Spacesaver distributor for a no-obligation assessment of your library and its respective collections.</p>

Spacesaver’s solutions open up new opportunities for public libraries.

Off-Site Storage and Adaptive Spaces

Creating more space and possibilities for patrons.

<p>“Let’s go to the library!” A phrase that decades ago meant that you were
    on your way to checking out books in one (or many) of the literary styles
    of your choice and perhaps a VHS, CD, or cassette featuring your favorite
    artist or movie star. Today, the object of this phrase comprises a wider
    range of possibilities, including community meetings, educational sessions,
    speakers, and so much more.</p>
<p>As such, <a href="/library/public-library-shelving/">public libraries</a> are
    utilizing versatile storage solutions like those from Spacesaver to expand
    the capability of their available space and meet the diverse needs of their
    community’s members. Our <a href="/contact-us/">team of storage experts</a> works
    to help staff find space for new uses while still accommodating book collections
    and other materials.</p>
<p>In this blog – the first in a three-month series focusing on supporting
    Public Libraries with functional storage systems – we’ll provide examples
    of common challenges library staff face when working to accommodate their
    patrons’ demands by providing spaces for all types of activity; all while
    preserving an ever-growing collection of books and other materials.</p>
	<h3>Indexing Your Library’s Storage</h3>

<p>While simply adding more square footage to your library seems like the
    obvious solution, due to budget constraints it is almost never the most
    practical or popular one. With that, taking the time to assess how your
    space is currently used and outline how patrons would like to use it is
    key to a building a successful foundation for transforming the look and
    function of your space.</p>
    
    <p>One of the most common inhibitors to a library’s versatility is the type
    of shelving it uses to house materials. By employing static systems, aisle
    space is left for this sole purpose, leaving a large amount of space underutilized.
    <a
    href="/products/high-density-mobile-shelving/">Spacesaver’s High-Density Mobile Shelving (HDMS) systems</a>allow libraries
        to save space and store more materials in a smaller footprint, creating
        more room for staff and patrons.</p>
        
        	<h3>Increasing Circulation for Activities</h3>

<p>Now that you’ve created more space in your library, how will you use it?
    As demand for communal space has significantly increased in frequency and
    variety over the years, librarians must be able to adapt to the day’s use.
    Whether it’s to support a class, presentation, or meeting, <a href="/products/commercial-metal-shelving/cantilever-library-shelving/#flexible">Spacesaver’s Flexible Shelving</a> not
    only provides ample storage space and varied configurations for the task
    at hand, but its caster bases allow the system to be relocated at a moment’s
    notice, allowing more participants and greater impact for the community.</p>
    
    	<h3>A Reference to Secure Access</h3>

<p>According to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.librarianshipstudies.com/2017/09/five-laws-of-library-science.html">S. R. Ranganathan’s 5 Laws of Library Science – a theory detailing the principles of operating a library system</a> –
    the fifth law is that the library is a growing organism. As such, librarians
    must create an environment that facilitates this growth by offering modern
    applications and securing quick, convenient access to all available materials.
    Spacesaver’s proven <a href="/library/">library storage systems</a> allow
    staff to create space for and protect these materials, but what about the
    personal belongings patrons may bring with them? How can library goers
    have the confidence their possessions are protected while they seek out
    information digitally or within the library’s four walls?</p>
    
    <p><a href="/products/day-use-lockers/">Spacesaver’s Day Use Lockers</a> provide
    secure storage options for patrons to keep their possessions secure while
    utilizing the library’s resources. Available with a variety of locking
    mechanisms and finishes, librarians can choose the correct configuration
    for their patrons and aesthetics to match their location’s design elements.</p>
    
    <p>Whether your library is planning for a brand-new library, a major renovation,
    or simply a more effective floor plan, Spacesaver can help. Our USA-made
    solutions help provide convenient access to materials while also freeing
    up space for social distancing or other uses. With support from your nearby
    Spacesaver distributor and a variety of purchasing options to choose from,
    you can get started today and create inspired spaces for learning.</p>

Helping libraries stay flexible for all functions.

Public Libraries: Transformation and Meeting Space

<p>Spacesaver’s custom design and manufacturing capabilities create unique opportunities to collaborate with architects and designers. For instance, the architect for the library of this new public school in the Washington D.C. area wanted the library to have a modern, open feel while still staying within the school district’s budget.</p>
<p>The architect chose plywood as the primary finish material. Designers are increasingly using plywood as a finish in modern interiors to take advantage of the product’s warmth, versatility, and affordability.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">The architect worked with Spacesaver’s engineering team on a custom design for this public school library.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Custom public school library shelving can be affordable and interesting.</p>
<h3>Custom cantilever shelving integrates with plywood to create a bright, modern look in this new public school library.</h3>
<p style="text-align: center;">Plywood is being used more frequently as a finish material in modern buildings. The wood is warm and versatile in addition to being affordable.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Spacesaver can design and manufacture custom or standard cantilever library shelving for any space.</p>
<p>The architect worked directly with Spacesaver’s in-house engineering team on the library’s layout as well as the design of custom cantilever shelving. The shelving uprights were installed flush with the plywood walls to create a smooth surface and maintain the librarians’ ability to adjust shelving heights without special tools.</p>
<p>The end result is a versatile and visually appealing shelving system that integrates with the rest of the building’s bright, modern design.</p>

Creating an affordable new library at this public school.

Public Library

Public Libraries: Space Planning and Funding

Off-Site Storage and Adaptive Spaces

Public Libraries: Transformation and Meeting Space

Case Study: Public School Library Shelving