The Molesworth Institute conducted a year long experiment on the shelving practices of two academic libraries of comparable size, with similar user populations. Results show that the practice of leaving the middle two shelves empty for future expansion cannot be recommended. Measurements include accumulation of dirt; usage; and incidents of…

Sprucing up the microform reading area, with attention given to the human and environmental aspects discussed here, will contribute to changing users' attitudes from negative to positive regarding this format. (Author)