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Re: Map folders = ? linear feet



Linear footage works great for document boxes, but it's not terribly useful
for oversized flats.

Here's the real question: What are you really trying to measure?

If you want to know how much physical shelf space you need for a collection
(you might be planning a move), a map folder or box that occupies both sides
of a range of four foot shelves (you've passed it through the center), would
take eight liner feet.  Regardless of how high the stack of folders/boxes
is.

If you want a measure that allows you to compare the size of one collection
to the other, you should divide the physical space required (as above) by
the portion of the maximum the materials actually occupy.  So you have a 3"
high box that takes eight liner feet.  You would never put stack the boxes
more than four high, so this one box gets a fourth of the eight linear feet.

Now, this works for the rather common solution of putting oversized
materials on shelves.  However, if you're using map cases, you might
consider a different linear measure of "map drawers."  A statement of extent
might read

Buster and Bubba Pickup Company Records, 1962-1974.
   27 l.f. : mss.
   2 map drawers : mss.

Richard Pearce-Moses

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