Back to B Level Map

The Basement level ("B-level") now houses 1.4 million volumes on compact shelving. Construction was completed in December 1999.

Folios in Compact Shelving

Folio (oversized) items in the call number ranges on B-level are shelved in a separate sequence on the fixed ranges that are labelled with ORANGE range markers. Folio items are identified by the lowercase letter "f" preceding the call number. Click here to see a map of the compact shelving; folio ranges are shaded blue.

Elephant Folios

Elephant folios (materials with "xf" preceding the call number) are not housed on B-level. In May of 2000, a special elephant folio shelving sequence for all general collections was created on the 2nd floor.

How do I operate the compact shelving?

Simply press the green button next to the aisle you wish to open. After you do so, the other range(s) will slowly move and eventually create an open aisle for you to walk down.

Safety Features

The system has numerous safety features. For example, the pressure-sensitive floor ensures that if a reader is standing in an open aisle and another user attempts to open a different aisle, the ranges will not move. An infrared floor sweep will detect any materials lying on the floor.

What happens if the compact shelving stops (or is not) working?

Please use the hotline phone near the restrooms on B-level to contact the Circulation Desk.

What is now housed in compact shelving?

A

HB-HJ

J501-JZ

L-LJ

U-VM

Q-S

T-TX (except TR)

Y4

Z-ZA

Harvard Yenching Collection