>> [MUSIC] What's up Aggies. It's Gage Duffin here today,
and we're back for another adventure.
You should get excited because this one is.
[NOISE].
So prepare to be [NOISE].
Never gets old.
[MUSIC]
Today, I'm at the Merrill-Cazier Library,
one of the newer buildings on campus,
equipped with pretty much everything
a student needs to succeed in college.
Little did we all know that this library is
also equipped with a book retrieval system,
unlike any in the state of Utah
and perhaps even the country.
Regular libraries have a book retrieval time
of around 24 hours,
but with the help of some ingenious technology,
USU shaves that time down to about 15 minutes.
Wow. Spencer here is
our friendly librarian and he's going to be
giving us a tour of this place.
He actually went to library school.
Spencer, tell me what's
going on behind the wall here today.
>> This is a big part of the library,
a 2005 construction.
They built this really neat automated retrieval system.
Let me go ahead and show you how it works.
[MUSIC]
>> I love that I always get to go
through employee-only doors.
[MUSIC] The Merrill Library built-in 1930,
served as the first USU library.
In just 10 years that building reached
capacity and satellite libraries
started appearing all over campus.
In 1995, the Cazier Science and Technology Library
was built to house special collections
specific to science and engineering.
Eventually, it just made more sense to consolidate,
which meant bye-bye Merrill library [NOISE].
The initial idea was to add an entire floor to
the science and technology library to make
room for 1.5 million volumes.
But an idea emerged to
instead add an automated retrieval system,
something seldom done with books.
In fact, the company USU
chose to hire for the project usually serves
major commercial companies such as
Frito-Lay or giant meatpacking plants.
USU is a one of a kind client.
[MUSIC] How does this thing work?
>> Basically we have three different cranes.
Basically, it goes in, the crane grabs a cart,
and then it pulls it off and puts it down.
You can see it right there. Then that
gets released onto there and then gets pushed forward.
Oh, perfect. You can see it right away.
We're able to have
all these titles at our fingertips rather
than having to wait
for off-site storage to go pick it up.
So 24 hours versus
a 15-minute turnaround is pretty great.
>> There's a toolbox sort of the Titanic.
Did you know the Titanic had 10,000 light bulbs,
like exactly 10,000 light bulbs?
Then the anchor weighed two tones.
I really like the Titanic.
Can I press the button and send it back?
>> Go for it. [MUSIC]
>> Sayonara.
Honestly, I'm tempted to Night at the Museum style,
just hanging out in here for an evening.
I cannot believe how deep it is.
>> If you want to go check out
the inside of this barn, let's go do it.
>> Let's do it.
[MUSIC] How many floors does the barn span?
>> Essentially five stories really because
the lower part and then the four stories above it.
>> Let's go. Let's rock.
[MUSIC] Oh my gosh.
What I've learned today is honestly,
the library is awesome.
I got to go home and sit on this.
Maybe I'll see you all here. Stay real Aggies.
[MUSIC]