Patent ID: 7106538

Claim:
A library apparatus comprising: a storage shelf that has a plurality of cells for housing a cartridge that stores a plurality of recording media; a recording and reproducing unit that performs recording/reproducing of information to/from the recording media; a conveying mechanism that conveys the cartridge to a predetermined position in the storage shelf, between the storage shelf and the recording and reproducing unit, the conveying mechanism including a first conveying mechanism that conveys the cartridge during a normal operation of the library apparatus and a second conveying mechanism that conveys the cartridge during an abnormal-operation of the first conveying mechanism; an abnormal-operation detecting unit that detects the abnormal-operation of the first conveying mechanism; an elevating unit elevates the first conveying mechanism up and down; a lowermost-position detecting unit that detects a lowermost position of the first conveying mechanism; and a conveying unit that conveys the first conveying mechanism to a maintenance area where a maintenance of the first conveying mechanism is performed, wherein when the abnormal-operation detecting unit detects the abnormal-operation of the first conveying mechanism, the elevating unit elevates the first conveying mechanism down, and when the lowermost-position detecting unit detects that the first conveying mechanism is down to the lowermost position, the conveying unit conveys the first conveying mechanism to the maintenance area.