Estey Library Shelving

Because the frame is welded rather than bolted at the corners, a bookstack section can be removed as a complete modular unit from anywhere in a range without disturbing the adjacent units, and relocated and reused without acquiring additional parts. Uprights are punched for bolting additional Weld Frame units into an existing range, so a collection that grows can be extended rather than replaced.

Frames are available with either a closed fixed base shelf or an adjustable base shelf with kickplate, and the same shelving is designed for either static installation or mounting on high-density mobile carriages. That single design decision is why Estey bookstacks show up in both open public stacks and compacted closed-stack storage rooms.

• ✓Fully welded upright frames — no corner-post obstruction across the bay
• ✓Shelves adjustable on 1″ centers, one shelf at a time
• ✓Modular sections removable and reusable without extra parts
• ✓Static or mobile carriage installation from the same product line
• ✓Seismic bracing, anchoring and gusset options for code compliance

Uprights, spreaders and levelers

• Upright columns: not less than #16 gauge steel formed into a channel with 3/4″ total stiffening flanges on the inside. Overall 2-1/2″ in the web and 1-1/4″ across the front and rear surfaces.
• Slot pattern: perforated the full height with 1/4″ x 5/8″ slots on 1″ vertical centers, located within 5/16″ of the outer web surface. Every fifth and sixth slot has square corners against the remaining rounded slots, so shelves can be levelled by eye across a range.
• Top spreaders: not less than #16 gauge tubular steel, 1″ x 3″ in cross section, electrically welded to the uprights.
• Bottom spreader: #16 gauge channel 1″ x 1-3/4″, welded with the open face up, punched to receive leveling nuts and two adjustable floor levelers. Levelers are inverted hex-head mushroom type as standard, conical pin type optional, with an optional elastomeric plastic shoe to prevent units “walking” on hard floors.

Shelves, brackets and bases

• Adjustable shelves: #18 gauge steel with front and rear edges box-formed to a 13/16″ high profile that receives wire book supports and snap-on label holders. Nominal shelf depth is 1″ greater than the actual dimension. Rated 50 lbs. per linear foot without deflection in excess of 3/16″.
• Shelf end brackets: not less than #16 gauge, flared outward roughly 1/4″ on all but the rear edge, with two crimped hooks at the top and a positioning tab at the bottom to prevent accidental dislodgement. Brackets extend at least 6″ above the shelf surface and allow “walking the shelf” up or down without disturbing other shelves.
• Closed base brackets: no less than #16 gauge, with a 90-degree flange at the bottom to rest on the floor covering and levelling hardware included.
• Closed base shelves: #18 gauge one-piece construction that fits snugly around the base brackets without fasteners. Front height 3-5/16″, sides stiffening-flanged.

Finish

Electrostatically applied epoxy powder in an Estey standard or special colour, minimum average thickness 1.0 to 1.8 mils, medium gloss. Abrasion resistance requires a minimum of 60 liters of sand to remove the finish to bare metal, per Library Technology test guidelines.

Capacity

Minimum clearance between end brackets is 35-13/32″ on a 36″ nominal unit. Properly installed units support 50 lbs. evenly distributed per linear foot of shelving, multiplied by the number of shelves per unit.

Seismic compliance

The Weld Frame system conforms to seismic code standards through sway bracing, floor anchoring, trapezoidal gussets, or any combination of the three. Seismic welded frames eliminate the need for separate sway braces.

Overhead top bracing

#18 gauge steel measuring 7/8″ x 2″ x 96″, used at a ratio of one length for every three units of double-faced bookstack sections.

Depths

• Single-face shelf depths: 8″, 9″, 10″, 12″, 13″ and 16″ nominal.
• Single-face base depths: 8″, 9″, 10″, 12″, 13″ and 16″ nominal.
• Double-face base depths: 16″, 18″, 20″, 24″, 26″ and 32″ nominal.
• Remember the 1″ rule: an adjustable shelf’s nominal depth is 1″ greater than its actual dimension, so a 10″ nominal shelf gives 9″ of usable surface. Plan oversize art books and archive boxes against the actual figure.

Frames and bracing

• Welded frames: 42″, 54″, 66″, 78″, 84″, 90″ and 93″ (catalog W4236 through W9336), with a 2″ profile series also available.
• Seismic sway braces: available for 66″ and 78″ units (SSBR6036A) and for 84″, 90″ and 93″ units (SSBR7336A).
• Seismic welded frames: 78″, 84″ and 90″ (SWF7836, SWF8436, SWF9036) — these eliminate the need for sway braces.
• Reinforcing gussets: fixed-base gussets for units mounted on mobile carriages with a fixed base shelf, adjustable-base gussets where an adjustable base shelf is used. Specified left or right, in single-face and double-face depths from 8″ to 32″.

A library range rarely holds only spine-out books. Estey builds the display formats onto the same Weld Frame uprights, so a periodical wall, a face-out new-titles end and a run of ordinary bookstack can share one continuous range and one finish.

Sloping periodical shelving

Adjustable alternating display and storage shelves. Sloped display shelves are at least 12″ actual height with a 1-5/16″ flange at the bottom, boxed and flanged upward with an inside safety hem, set at roughly 30 degrees from vertical. Display shelves carry rubber bumpers on the support brackets for sound deadening and stay positively located without being held open. Flat storage shelves may be any standard size, mounted on inverted brackets.

Pivoting periodical shelving

Display shelves hinge to brackets that engage the upright slots, so the display face lifts to reach the storage shelf behind it. Sloped display shelves are 14″ actual height at roughly 20 degrees from vertical, with a 12″-deep nominal storage shelf included.

The accessory list is where a library bookstack separates itself from industrial shelving. Every item below is a published Estey component, not an aftermarket add-on, so it engages the same slots and matches the same finish.

• Wire book supports: 6″ or 9″ high, zinc plated 3/16″ diameter steel wire, profiled to position into the underside of the shelf flange above, with a return leg and a rubber boot on the opposite leg to stop slippage under book weight.
• Plate-type book supports: non-losable, 6″ or 9″ high, #16-19 gauge steel with a non-skid composition base. Lock-on versions hook over the adjustable shelf edge.
• Shelf label holders: plastic, gripping the edge of book or divider shelves for a 5/8″ x 3″ card.
• Card holders: #20 gauge with standard black powder coat, sized for 3″ x 5″ cards, supplied with double-faced tape for end panel mounting.
• Range finders: #22 gauge formed into a “V” shape, black powder coat, sized for 3″ x 5″ cards.
• Steel back panels: one-piece with two mounting channels, filling the space between upright channels from base shelf to the underside of the top spreader, #18 gauge.
• Corner fillers: #18-20 gauge to the dimensions required, each with a tightly fitting cap, for turning a range through a corner.
• Work shelves: 36″ wide x 24″ deep on #14 gauge inverted brackets, high pressure laminate over a 1-1/8″ core, self-edged with a balancing sheet underneath.
• Sliding reference shelves: #18 gauge on ball-bearing double-extension slides, extending to the same depth as the shelf above.
• Newspaper racks: #16 gauge, holding six or ten newspaper sticks, adjustable vertically on the unit.
• Shelf backstops: #18 gauge, 3″ overall height, with return stiffening flanges and slots that engage the shelf end bracket tabs.

Steel end panels

Full height and depth of the unit in one-piece #18 gauge construction, flush profile with a 1-1/2″ square edge and an exposed return flange of no less than 3″. Double-faced panels carry a full-height channel resistance-welded to the panel for rigidity and sound deadening.

HPL wood end panels

High pressure laminate over a particleboard core on all exposed surfaces and edges, 3/4″ or 1-1/4″ overall thickness as specified, core density not less than 45 lbs.

Steel canopy tops

No less than #19 gauge with a 13/16″ front edge, extending the full width and depth of the unit base, supported on #14 gauge brackets engaged in the frame uprights.

HPL counter tops

High pressure laminate over a particleboard core on top and edges, 1-3/16″ overall height, balancing sheet on the underside, on #14 gauge brackets engaged in the upright frames.

On mobile carriages

Estey shelving is designed for either static or mobile installation, which makes it the natural bookstack for a closed-stack or archive room where floor space is the constraint. Mounted on high-density mobile carriages, ranges compact against each other and share one or two roving aisles rather than needing an open aisle at every bay. Reinforcing gussets are specified for carriage-mounted units — fixed-base gussets where the unit uses a fixed base shelf, adjustable-base gussets where it uses an adjustable base shelf, each called out left or right.

If a compacted system is where you are heading, our mobile shelving and electric mobile shelving pages cover the carriage, rail and drive options that sit under the bookstacks.

Bracing and anchoring

The Weld Frame system conforms to the standards of seismic codes through sway bracing, floor anchoring, trapezoidal gussets, or any combination of the three. Overhead top bracing of #18 gauge 7/8″ x 2″ x 96″ steel is used at one length for every three double-faced bookstack sections. Seismic sway braces are published for 66″ and 78″ units and for 84″, 90″ and 93″ units; seismic welded frames are available in a 2″ profile and remove the need for separate sway braces entirely.

In Utah and across the Mountain West this is a plan-review item, not a preference. We size the bracing for the building and the jurisdiction, produce the submittal package, and pull the permit where one is required — the same way we do on pallet rack projects.

Over 30 years of experience

We have been designing and installing library, archive and high-density storage in Salt Lake City and nationwide for more than three decades.

Custom options

Heights, depths, widths, finishes, end panels, canopy tops and every accessory in the Estey line — configured for your room rather than pulled off a stock list.

Layout and submittals

Measured floor plans, shelf-foot counts, seismic bracing and permit drawings, so the bookstack clears plan review the first time.

Installation and phasing

Our own crews set, level, anchor and brace the ranges, and move collections in phases so the library stays open.

Competitive pricing

Authorized dealer pricing on Estey and the rest of the Tennsco line, quoted against your actual configuration.