Open Government, Closed Stacks: Onsite Storage of Depository Materials

Storage of growing collections is an ongoing problem for libraries. Past attempts at using the industrial solution of automated storage and retrieval systems (AYRS) ended in failure. However. improvements in these mechanisms. especially computer control and the ability to interface with online library catalogs. make them a viable option for libraries. Questions remain about the appropriateness of treating intellectual material like industrial parts. In addition. access is still an issue especially in regard to government depository documents. A literature review shows that while there is a tremendous amount of research available on the design of AYRS. little is written about its application in libraries.