The Influence of sloping shelves on book circulation 2

by Ralph R. Shaw
The Library Quarterly
Vol. 8, No. 4, October 1938, pp. 480-490.

Hypothesis accepted: Sloping the lowest four shelves increases circulation from these shelves because the spines face upward and are easier to read.

Experiment supporting hypothesis

Location: Gary (Indiana) Public Library

Groups:

• Experimental group: Section of seven shelves with lowest three shelves tilted upward 45 degrees, so spines face browsers. The lower shelves are also moved forward into the aisle closer to browsers.
  
• Control group: Section of seven regular shelves, i.e., all shelves are horizontal.

Experiment:

• Test period #1: Two-week measurement of daytime and nighttime circulation from each shelf for both experimental and control groups. One section was just inside the room entrance. The other section was 15' inside the room.
• Test period #2: Two-week measurement of daytime and nighttime circulation from each shelf for both experimental and control groups. Location of regular shelves and tilted shelves are switched.
  
• Measurement of reflected light from books on both types of shelves.

Results:

• Tilting the shelves did not increase the amount of circulation from the section of shelving. However, it did increase the pattern of circulation from the shelves within the section.


• Measurement of foot-candles of light reflected from the books on each shelf clearly shows that tilting the lowest three shelves dramatically increases the amount of light reflected from books on the lowest shelves.
  

• Increasing the light reflecting from the books on the lowest shelves evened out circulation across all shelves. On the straight shelves, circulation from the bottom three shelves is much lower than from shelves 2, 3, and 4. When the shelves are tilted, circulation is almost even across all seven shelves.
  

• In the evening, reflection of light from books on the straight shelves was extremely bad. Tilting the lowest shelves helped.
  

• Despite the bad lighting of the lowest shelves, circulation from these shelves was surprisingly good. I found no explanation for this anomaly.