I would appreciate hearing any advice about "hinged display units""
for current periodicals in an open stack area. I don't think I'm
going to like what you may have to report.  It was recently decided
that the Current Periodicals area for 3000 titles in our new
library building (to open this summer) will have vertical display
shelves, the kind with a hinged front for the most recent issue
which lifts up; other unbound issues are placed vertically in
the bin behind.  This strikes terror in my heart. I understand
that the large amount of space that will be taken up by these
shelves compared to our current horizontal shelving is some-
thing the library admin. is willing to accept in order to dis-
play the current periodicals attractively.  BUT, we have found
that with the similar shelving we use now for newspapers, the
issue on the front can go flying over the top if lifted vig-
orously.  More importantly, we can't see what kind of disarray
periodicals are in without opening every bin.  And since we
do our pulling for binding by scanning the shelves, we'll
also be slowed down by having to open every bin.  Will we
want to bypass use of the hinged fronts and leave all bins
open, not using the front? Please tell me that some of you
really like this kind of shelving and that we will love it.
[I can't recall ever seeing this kind of shelving in a
large academic library.]  Thanks.
   Marcie Kingsley
   Head, Acquisitions and Serials
    Western Michigan Universityy