currently we have a couple of types of compact storage systems,

one is an electronic compact unit in our library - and for the most part it
works well, occassional problems with the electrics and after a bay has been
open for any lenght of time you have to hit the reset button (usually about
5 shelves away from you)before you can move the units again.

our other systems are all manual crank and they have been absolutely
reliable - you never have to worry about power outages, they move smoothly
etc - a lot depends on the quality of the rails and the actual mechanisms
that are used.

We are also in the process of building a new museum and all our collections
will be going into compact systems and one of the requirements is that the
systems be manual. This will be going to tender etc, so we do not yet know
who will be producing the systems. We will be loading great weights on some
of these systems and have been assured that it won't be a problem. Plus we
have also seen first hand just how easy it can be to move several hundreds
of pounds of material on a hand crank system - The Canadian Museum of Nature
recently moved to a new storage facility - and they have fossils, geological
specimens, steel herbarium cabinets etc all stored on compact systems with a
hand crank system that is easy to move, and glides smoothly along the rails,
they also have a combination of all new storage units or shelves and
instances where they have mounted their existing storage furniture on the
carriages. No difference in the carriages ability to move what is on them
smoothly.

I have taken the liberty of attaching a couple of web sites for some of the
more widely known companies who produce compact storage systems. If I had my
choice - a good quality manual crank carriage would be what I would select.

http://www.montel.com/
http://www.systematicsinc.com/spce_str.htm
http://www.spacesaver.com/

Carol Reid
Collections Manager, Archives
Canadian War Museum
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