Paul Dawson 2019
Automated book storage, UBC Library
The automated book storage system consists of hundreds of metal boxes, retrieved by an automated module and brought to librarians on a mezzanine at the far end (glimpsed in reflection at the top). Each drawer is tightly packed with books. My inner librarian mourns the inability to scan the books on a shelf, to feel the paper, cloth, and leather, smell the dust and words. But it rejoices at the sheer hoarding glory, like a dragon on its treasure trove, and loves the tidy orderliness of the room.
Automated book storage, UBC Library
The automated book storage system consists of hundreds of metal boxes, retrieved by an automated module and brought to librarians on a mezzanine at the far end (glimpsed in reflection at the top). Each drawer is tightly packed with books. My inner librarian mourns the inability to scan the books on a shelf, to feel the paper, cloth, and leather, smell the dust and words. But it rejoices at the sheer hoarding glory, like a dragon on its treasure trove, and loves the tidy orderliness of the room.