The top of fixed shelving units which had previously been earmarked for storage were removed from the inventory of usable space because to have stored material there would have interfered with the operation of sprinkler systems. This reduced in a slight reduction of available shelf space in the nonfragile storage area. Some shelves in fragile storage were cleared of equipment stored there and videos and tapes were stored in two rows on shelves where this was possible, resulting in a slight decrease of occupied space. This summary does not include the large 1999 accession of World Wide Picture films, since it was stored at an alternative location in the building and did not affect the basic storage situation.
The following measurements are not in square feet or cubic feet. They are in shelf or linear feet, that is, the length of a piece of shelving. Thus, in 1991 the Archives had 10,685 feet of shelving or a little over two miles. The actual square footage of the Archival storage area has, of course, remained the same since its construction in 1980. It occupies 2730 square feet. This includes aisle space, processing tables, doors, etc. as well as shelving. The number of shelving feet in the storage areas changes as the staff adds shelving units or discovers ways to adjust shelving to make the most efficient use of the area. The current ratio of shelf feet to square feet is 3.9 to 1.
| 96 | % | 97 | % | 98 | % | 99 | % | 00 | % | |
| Current shelf space in entire storage area | 10686 | 100% | 10686 | 100% | 10686 | 100% | 10686 | 100% | 10615 | 100% |
| Current shelf space in nonfragile storage | 7182 | 67% | 7182 | 67% | 7182 | 67% | 7182 | 67% | 7111 | 67% |
| Current shelf space in fragile storage | 3065 | 29% | 3065 | 29% | 3065 | 29% | 3065 | 29% | 3065 | 29% |
| Current shelf space in fifth floor cage | 438 | 4% | 438 | 4% | 438 | 4% | 438 | 4% | 438 | 4% |
| Total occupied shelving in entire storage area | 8211 | 77% | 8346 | 78% | 8142 | 76% | 8252 | 77% | 8343 | 79% |
| Total occupied shelving in nonfragile storage area | 6260 | 87% | 6232 | 87% | 6055.5 | 84% | 5886 | 82% | 5962 | 84% |
| Total occupied shelving in fragile storage area | 1591 | 52% | 1754 | 57% | 1714.5 | 56% | 1994 | 65% | 1970 | 64% |
| Total occupied shelving in fifth floor cage | 360 | 82% | 360 | 82% | 372 | 85% | 372 | 85% | 412 | 94% |
In addition, audio cassette cabinets in storage can hold 4580 cassettes and the audio cassette cabinet in the Reading Room can hold 528 cassettes. Microfilm cabinets in the microfilm reading room can hold 2400 35mm reels. There are 5 large map cabinets with a total of 74 drawers in the fragile storage area and 3 file cabinets, each with four drawers, in the nonfragile storage area. The reading room has temporary secure storage space for 18 linear feet of materials.