Few scholars are admitted to these stacks, but even if they were allowed to wander among the towering rows, they would be hard-pressed to find a particular book. To take advantage of every cubic inch of space, volumes are arranged by size and shape rather than by topic. Researchers can request any of the 2.5 million items in the Harvard Depository, as it is called, through an on-line catalogue. A van then delivers the materials to on-campus libraries within 24 hours. Among the institutions that have built book warehouses or are planning them are Columbia and Yale Universities, the Johns Hopkins University, the University of Missouri at Columbia and the University of Texas at Austin.
Some universities are creative in finding locations for the new depositories.
Ohio University opened a storage library this year in a converted car dealership. The University of Pennsylvania is building one in an old newspaper warehouse near its campus. Cornell University is planting a depository at the edge of an apple orchard. The main benefit is financial. The climate-controlled storage sites also do a better job of preserving books, microfilms, and other items.