Re: VHS on metal shelving?

Karen Driessen (karend@selway.umt.edu)
Mon, 24 Jan 2000 15:46:58 -0800 (PST)

When I was doing research for my book on A Library Manager's Guide to the
Physical Processing of Nonprint Materials I had heard similar stories. In
everything I could uncover, I found no evidence of metal steel shelving
having caused any magnetic problems for magnetic materials. What you need
to be more concerned about is housing magnetic videos near anything which
might create an electromagnet field such as electric equipment, older
security system demagnetizers, large banks of computers, etc. I can tell
you from first hand experience that we have housed VHS videos since 1980 on
metal shelving with no adverse effects showing up at this time.

At 02:27 PM 01/24/2000 -0800, Rebecca Locke-Gagnon wrote:
>Hi, all - we're in the process of planning a move to
>new quarters, and the powers that be are planning to
>give us metal shelving for a good portion of our VHS
>collection. Now some ten or so years ago, we were
>informed that metal shelving was *bad* for magnetic
>materials and we fought to have all our shelving
>changed to wood. It seems we must do this all over
>again - but they want some proof or documentation.
>Anybody got any ammunition for us? Thanks!
>Becky Locke-Gagnon
>Toledo-Lucas Co. Public Library
>Toledo, OH
>gagnon@tlc.lib.oh.us
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Karen C. Driessen, Director Phone: 406-243-2856
Instructional Media Services (MMLAO1) FAX: 406-243-4067
32 Campus Drive #4968 E-mail: karend@selway.umt.edu
The University of Montana
Missoula MT 59812-4968