[PADG:1460] FW: Booklock shelving system

["Andi" <andit-@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Has anyone investigated the "Booklock" shelving system?
(http://www.booklock.org/index.htm)  A salesman came by our library the
other day and showed me a sample.  I asked him what type of plastic the
shelves were made of, and he stated it was ABS plastic.  I got additional
information about what ABS plastic is composed of from
http://www.matweb.com/abspolymer.htm. I know that this plastic is not
polyethylene or polyvinyl, which makes me wary of using it.  The salesman
(of course) assured me that the plastic would not offgas.  Does anyone have
any idea about the long-term effects of ABS plastic on library materials
such as books, audio/visual media, etc.?  Are there any other things I
should know or try to find out about this system?

Thanks,
Andi Windham
Library Assitant
Austin Public Library
-------
Graduate
The Center for the Cultural Record
Preservation and Conservation Studies
Graduate School of Library and Information Science
The University of Texas at Austin