Before Georgia State's Law Library got its upgrade, it lived in a converted parking garage. The space was windowless, narrow, and dim. It was the kind of place where the shelves rattled louder than the HVAC. Functional? Sure. But inviting? Not exactly.
So when the university broke ground on a new building for its College of Law, they decided to rethink the library entirely. Not just its look and layout, but the way students would actually use the space. That means giving the library its rightful place: the two top floors, complete with views, light, and plenty of room to grow.
But good light and square footage don't organize themselves. That's where choosing the right school library shelving made all the difference. By combining high-density shelving with reused materials and a tighter footprint, the new setup gave Georgia State more room for students, less waste, and a library that actually works the way it should.
Here's how it all came together, and what you can learn from it.
New Space, New Feel
The old library setup might've technically held the collection, but it wasn't doing it any favors. Law books are dense — in every sense of the word — and traditional shelving was struggling under the literal and logistical weight. Add in the quirks of the original building layout (hello, underground loading dock), and the shelving had become more of an obstacle than a solution.
"The old law library was on the first floor of the building, and part of it was a converted parking area and loading dock," recalled Kristina Niedringhaus, then-Associate Dean for Library & Information Services with the Georgia State University College of Law. "The shelving had an early '80s vibe. Though it was big, the space felt closed in. So moving over here, the law school and the faculty decided to give us the best space on the top two floors to benefit the students."
Space wasn't the only issue. Accessibility mattered too. With students and professionals relying on the collection every day, the staff needed a system that made materials easy to find, easy to use, and safe to store. And while the old mechanical-assist system was a solid option on paper, there were concerns about long-term performance and shifting weight loads on the upper floors.
The team had a choice: try to work around the limitations, or build something that better fit the way the library functioned. That's where better school library shelving came in: compact enough to fit a large collection in a smaller footprint, but strong enough to keep up with everyday use.
Building Around the Books
When you're planning library shelving for a collection that's heavy, extensive, and constantly in use, the storage has to do more than just sit there. It needs to work with the building, the books, and the people.
That's why Georgia State didn't just drop shelving into place and hope for the best. They partnered with Patterson Pope early in the process, before layouts were locked and concrete was poured. That gave everyone time to work through the details, like how to deal with tricky floor beams or how to prevent shelf drift under the weight of thousands of legal volumes.
Instead of settling for a mechanical-assist system, they opted for powered high-density shelving with built-in safety features. Not only did that make the system smoother to operate, but it also avoided expensive structural upgrades down the line.
And because sustainability matters, they reused part of the shelving from the old library. It was a smart choice that ended up saving Georgia State 25% on new shelving costs (and kept a lot of perfectly good material out of the landfill).
The end result was a thoughtful, tailored school library shelving solution that was made to fit both the space and the students (and staff) who used it every day.
A Library That Feels Like a Destination
On the first day the new library opened, students walked in wide-eyed. Some headed straight for the terrace with books in hand. Others snapped photos of the skyline before settling into sunlit corners with their laptops. The space looked better, but more importantly, the students felt like it belonged to them. It was a place made for studying, staying, and coming back.
Instead of cramming the perimeter with static shelves, the library gave that space back to the students. "We now have almost 98 percent of the collection in high-density shelving," said Kristina Niedringhaus. "That means we can fit the collection into a smaller footprint. We've also been able to free up space for the students." Outdoor terraces and seating areas now line the windows, making the library a place people want to be.
The shelving itself covers more than 4,500 square feet and holds six-plus miles of material. But thanks to the powered system, it doesn't feel like it. Everything's accessible, nothing is cluttered. And students aren't left hunting for what they need.
"Having a nice space creates an area where students want to be," Niedringhaus added. "It draws them in and lets us have more face-to-face time with them. That's just terrific."
Build the Library, Not Just the Shelving
Good shelving holds books, but great shelving can hold up the entire library experience. The Georgia State Law Library got it right, not because they used every inch, but because they used it well.
High-density shelving opened up space for study areas, powered systems made heavy volumes easy to access, and smart planning gave students a space that was both inviting and functional. Whether you're working with decades of legal texts or simply trying to create a space where students want to spend their time, school library shelving plays a much bigger role than people give it credit for.
If you're rethinking your own library layout, we're here to help. Download the full Georgia State case study to see how their story came together, or reach out to a Patterson Pope rep to start a conversation about your own school library shelving project.
