Minnesota Library Access Center: Cavernous Storage!
Monday, January 9, 2023 at 2:24AMArticle by Becky Fillinger
MLAC is located 85 feet below Elmer L.Andersen Library on the University of Minnesota’s West Bank campus.
Think you know all about Minnesota libraries? How about a mega-storage facility located 85 feet below the Elmer L. Andersen Library – in caverns? We talked to MLAC staff, Kate Brownrigg and Michelle Penna, about the history and capacity of the Minnesota Library Access Center. You might want a tour – keep reading.
Q: Please tell us the history of the Minnesota Library Access Center.
A: The Minnesota Library Access Center (MLAC) is the state- and university-funded cornerstone of Minnesota libraries’ efforts to provide cost-effective storage, access, and preservation, while promoting the use, and ensuring the long-term survival of the knowledge and culture contained in the collective library resources drawn from multiple library collections throughout the state.
MLAC is operated by Minitex, a joint program between the University of Minnesota and the Office of Higher Education. Many Minnesotans might not know that Minitex exists, but library staff sure do. At Minitex, it’s our mission to collaborate with each and every one of Minnesota’s libraries to help them do their best for their communities. Working together, we offer what just might be the highest quality library service of any state in the nation. We provide interlibrary loan, free online databases, and a whole lot more (check out our website). MLAC is emblematic of that spirit of cooperation. After all, MLAC is a collection of books from 22 separate institutions, managed expertly, and made available to any Minnesotan who wants or needs them, at no cost to the patron.
MLAC is located at the University of Minnesota. It opened January 2, 2000. The service was designed to help relieve space shortages for Minnesota academic, government, and public libraries. No other university or state at that time had tried to develop a storage center that would serve all types of libraries in a state.
MLAC includes items from over 20 academic, public, and government libraries across Minnesota. The largest single-day deposit of books at MLAC came in February, 2001 when over 24,000 books packed in seven semi-trucks arrived from the St. Paul Public Library. The smallest deposit was a single book from the Goddard School.
MLAC is a University of Minnesota program located on the Twin Cities campus. MLAC operates as an integral program of the University of Minnesota Libraries, Twin Cities, and Minitex on behalf of all Minnesota libraries.
Q: How many volumes are stored at MLAC?
A: Currently, 1.5 million volumes are stored in MLAC. Books in MLAC are shelved by size, not by subject or alphabetically like a typical library. The goal is to shelve at the highest density possible to maximize space usage. Unlike a typical library, our shelves are 17 feet tall.
Q: Is there a risk of reaching capacity in terms of storage? If yes, what would happen then?
A: The facility where MLAC is located is at capacity — in fact, it’s beyond our expected capacity. This demonstrates that there is a need for collective management of library materials, and is one example of how Minnesota libraries have fully embraced collaboration as a method to meet that need. Libraries know that we need to work together to preserve unique library materials and that working together provides benefit to all. In June 2022, the University of Minnesota Board of Regents approved funding for a new Off-site Collections Facility to provide capacity well into the future.
Q: Where is MLAC located?
A: MLAC is currently located in the caverns, 85-feet below Elmer L. Andersen Library on the West bank of the University of Minnesota. The caverns, dug into the Mississippi riverbank, are connected to the above-ground Elmer L. Andersen Library by a 40-square-foot shaft containing elevators, 140 stairs, ventilation equipment, and a custom-built conveyor system for moving library materials.
Q: Who may access the materials stored at MLAC?
A: Minnesota library patrons may request items for delivery to your local public library through MNLINK, which provides access to materials from libraries across the state. University of Minnesota students, staff, and faculty may request items for pickup at any University of Minnesota library location through the University of Minnesota Libraries catalog.
Q: Are tours available?
A: While MLAC is not directly open to the public, tours of the caverns are available through the University Libraries’ Archives and Special Collections’ First Fridays event series. Tours are provided upon request at the conclusion of each in-person presentation event.
