High-Density Library, University of Calgary

High-bay library shelving facilities can seem more like warehouses than academic institutions. The buildings are typically windowless to minimize stored materials’ exposure to harmful UV rays, and the rows of books can extend up to around five stories tall.

While these features are necessary to preserve and maintain millions of volumes in the best way possible, a new model is emerging. Modern high-bay facilities are being designed to welcome visitors and encourage more interaction with the university campuses they serve, and they offer spacious reading rooms for visiting researchers and pleasant work areas for archivists, conservators, and other staff.

The University of Calgary has embraced this new model by expanding its off-site library shelving facility to better integrate with on-campus services. The university worked with HBI to come up with a solution for new, high-bay shelving.