In 1910, under the direction of University Librarian, J.C.M. Hanson, the University of Chicago library adopted the Library of Congress cataloging system making it one of the first private institutions to organize its collections in a continuous and undivided fashion. Director Hanson’s decision enabled the University of Chicago library to evolve into one of the world’s best organized and most easily accessible collections.

As a premier research institution, the library today is widely recognized as an institution that is uniquely adapted for scholarly research due to its easily navigated and accessible collections. Not only has this trait attracted noted researchers but serves as a major draw for undergraduate and graduate students to the University. Additionally, major University staff and instructors find the easily accessible collections a major draw for wanting to work specifically at the University of Chicago over other institutions.

When the University began planning for a library expansion to help address the need for more storage capacity, a global reputation was at stake.

The library has over 7 million volumes spanning 6 libraries, and 80% of these volumes are stored in two adjacent libraries — Regenstein & Crerar. It was realized that soon these libraries would be functionally full. A dedicated research team was formed to begin studying expansion solutions with a key goal of figuruing out a way to keep all collections on campus and readily accessible.

The planning committee began on an exhaustive study of numerous solutions that included evaluation of various off-campus and on-campus scenarios. After scrutinizing solutions that included stack shelving, compact shelving, and the Harvard model, it was concluded that the Dematic Automated Library System (ALS) solution provided the unique traits that the University of Chicago was looking for.

The ALS solution was selected as the ideal way to address the key goal to keep its collections on campus and readily accessible. By using the ALS solution, the University of Chicago was able to realize greater than 50% higher storage capacity and an access time of less than 5 minutes to any item stored within the ALS vault. Additionally, the ALS proved ideal for maintaining and monitoring temperature and humidity requirements for the libraries large archival collection.

Located within the campus, and next to the Regenstein library, the ALS design for the University of Chicago’s Mansueto library incorporates a combination of bins and shelving units that can be automatically retrieved and delivered to any of 12 pick stations that are positioned on the first floor level of the library. What makes this ALS design unique is that it is located below the first floor. Operating beneath this architectural curved glass wonder are five robotic cranes accessing and retrieving millions of volumes within minutes of an electronic request from a library patron or staff member.

• The collection remains on campus with requested volumes delivered in minutes.
• System allows for environmental consistency that assures the preservation/conservation of the collections for future generations.
• The library efficiently integrates into the existing Regenstein library.
• The solution provides for collections growth beyond the next 20 years.
• It is approximately 1/3 the cost of conventional shelving solutions.
• It takes approximately 1/7 the space of conventional shelving solutions.  

• Four-aisle miniload, One-aisle unit-load, 50 ft tall
• Custom lift workstations
• 24,966 storage bins, 1,200 shelving units
• Sirsi-Dynix Catalog System