Exp 5: How can we improve circulation from lower shelves?

Research questions:

  • Will quarter rounds on lower three shelves increase circulation from lower shelves? Ralph R. Shaw demonstrated in 1938, see previous research below, that tilting shelves upward so spines faced browsers improved circulation from lower shelves. Since tilted shelves are expensive, can we can a similar effect by placing quarter-rounds on the front of shelves to elevate the spine of books?

  • Do folding chairs in aisles improve circulation from lower shelves? Another way to make lower shelves easier to see and reach is to lower people's heads by allowing them to sit on chairs in library aisles. Step stools help patrons reach top shelves, but are so low, older patrons who sat on a step stool would have trouble getting up. Folding chairs have higher seats. Folding chairs also have the advantage of being cheap, light enough to be easily moved up and down aisles, and can be folded out of the way when not in use.
Previous research:
Test hypotheses:
  • Lower three shelves with quarter rounds will have greater circulation than regular lower three shelves without quarter rounds.
  • Lower three shelves in aisles with folding chairs will have greater circulation than regular lower three shelves in aisles without folding chairs.
  • Lower three shelves with quarter rounds in aisles with folding chairs will have greater circulation than regular lower three shelves without quarter rounds, lower three shelves with only quarter rounds, and regular lower three shelves in aisles with folding chairs.
Instructions for conducting experiment
  1. Write down the letters for the following conditions on individual pieces of paper and place them in Box 1

    • A. aisles with folding chairs,

    • B. aisle with quarter-rounds on the front of shelves,

    • C. aisle with both folding chairs and quarter-rounds and,

    • D1. aisle without folding chairs or quarter rounds (control group).

    • D2. aisle without folding chairs or quarter rounds (control group).

  2. Number your fiction aisles; write down the numbers of each aisle on individual pieces of paper and place them in a Box 2.

  3. To assign experimental and control conditions to the aisles, pull out pieces of paper from each box until all the conditions in Box 1 have been pulled out and assigned to an aisle number from Box 2 by filling out Table #1 of the experiment instructions.

  4. In the aisle assigned to letter A, place a folding chair.

  5. In the aisle assigned to letter B, tape quarter-rounds on the top front of the lower three shelves.

  6. In the aisle assign to letter C, tape quarter-rounds on top of the top front of the shelves and place a folding chair in the aisle.

  7. Do nothing to aisles D1 and D2.

  8. For the next three months, as books are reshleved on the lower three shelves in the assigned aisles, put a hashmark in column 3 in the appropriate row of Table 1.

  9. At the end of three months, write the following changes on Table #2 of the experiment instructions.

    • Write the Aisle # beside A in the table above beside D1 table below.

    • Write the Aisle # beside B in the table above beside C in the table below.

    • Write the Aisle # beside C in the table above beside B in the table below.

    • Write the Aisle # beside D1 in the table above beside A in the table below.

    • Write the Aisle # beside D2 in table above beside D2 in table below.

  10. For the next three months, as books are reshelved on the lower three shelves in the assigned aisles, put a hashmark in column 3 in the appropriate row of Table 2.

  11. For credit, email Chris Rippel the filled out tables on the experiment instructions or the Excel spreadsheet, tab called “Exp5LowerShelves”.
What a successful experiment looks like on the Excel spreadsheet














What a failed experiment looks like on the Excel spreadsheet