The Eye | Lead
How a Book Warehouse is Changing Columbia’s Library System
Volume XXIV Issue 6
By Katherine Gerberich / Senior Staff PhotographerAn employee at ReCAP picks an order off the shelves using a forklift.By Kara Schechtman • March 9, 2018 at 3:00 AM
By Katherine Gerberich / Senior Staff Photographer
By Kara Schechtman • March 9, 2018 at 3:00 AM
Photo by Katherine Gerberich / fullwidth
An employee at ReCAP picks an order off the shelves using a forklift.
Photo by Katherine Gerberich / first image
Butler, left, contains nearly three million books for browsing. ReCAP has almost 20 million, kept in boxes.
Photo by Katherine Gerberich / first image
We spot various institutional insignia around ReCAP: a crown on a cart, a box from the Rare Book and Manuscript Library, a NYPL stamp.
Photo by Katherine Gerberich / first image
The book titles are only visible from the exterior of the aisle; browsing is impossible.
Photo by Katherine Gerberich
Books at ReCAP all receive barcodes upon accessioning; the barcode allows for books to be located on the shelves.
Photo by Katherine Gerberich
Who’s counting? Sixteen books, among three million total, on the shelves at Butler.
Photo by Katherine Gerberich / fullwidth
Some of the seven million new volumes Columbia gains access to with the Shared Collection.
Photo by Katherine Gerberich
Books line the shelves at the Research Collection and Preservation Consortium facility in New Jersey.
Photo by Katherine Gerberich
The BorrowDirect processing area at ReCAP. Columbia used to need to request books from Princeton in ReCAP through the service—even if they were just feet away on the shelves.
Photo by Katherine Gerberich / first image
ReCAP’s processing area, where books are shelved. Right, a new book awaits its placement.
Photo by Katherine Gerberich / first image
“We would love a giant building [on campus] that would hold everything,” Howard says. Instead, the giant building is in New Jersey.
Photo by Katherine Gerberich / first image
Three million books line the shelves at Butler. These are a few of them.
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