diff --git a/code/libraries/slop/java/nu/marginalia/slop/column/primitive/ShortColumn.java b/code/libraries/slop/java/nu/marginalia/slop/column/primitive/ShortColumn.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..820dd502
--- /dev/null
+++ b/code/libraries/slop/java/nu/marginalia/slop/column/primitive/ShortColumn.java
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+package nu.marginalia.slop.column.primitive;
+
+import nu.marginalia.slop.desc.ColumnDesc;
+import nu.marginalia.slop.storage.Storage;
+import nu.marginalia.slop.storage.StorageReader;
+import nu.marginalia.slop.storage.StorageWriter;
+
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.nio.file.Path;
+
+public class ShortColumn {
+
+    public static ShortColumnReader open(Path path, ColumnDesc columnDesc) throws IOException {
+        return new Reader(columnDesc, Storage.reader(path, columnDesc, true));
+    }
+
+    public static ShortColumnWriter create(Path path, ColumnDesc columnDesc) throws IOException {
+        return new Writer(columnDesc, Storage.writer(path, columnDesc));
+    }
+
+    private static class Writer implements ShortColumnWriter {
+        private final ColumnDesc<?, ?> columnDesc;
+        private final StorageWriter storage;
+        private long position = 0;
+
+        public Writer(ColumnDesc<?, ?> columnDesc, StorageWriter storageWriter) throws IOException {
+            this.columnDesc = columnDesc;
+            this.storage = storageWriter;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public ColumnDesc<?, ?> columnDesc() {
+            return columnDesc;
+        }
+
+        public void put(short value) throws IOException {
+            storage.putShort(value);
+            position++;
+        }
+
+        public long position() {
+            return position;
+        }
+
+        public void close() throws IOException {
+            storage.close();
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static class Reader implements ShortColumnReader {
+        private final ColumnDesc<?, ?> columnDesc;
+        private final StorageReader storage;
+
+        public Reader(ColumnDesc<?, ?> columnDesc, StorageReader storage) throws IOException {
+            this.columnDesc = columnDesc;
+            this.storage = storage;
+        }
+
+        public short get() throws IOException {
+            return storage.getShort();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public ColumnDesc<?, ?> columnDesc() {
+            return columnDesc;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public long position() throws IOException {
+            return storage.position() / Short.BYTES;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void skip(long positions) throws IOException {
+            storage.skip(positions, Short.BYTES);
+        }
+
+
+        @Override
+        public boolean hasRemaining() throws IOException {
+            return storage.hasRemaining();
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void close() throws IOException {
+            storage.close();
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/code/libraries/slop/java/nu/marginalia/slop/column/primitive/ShortColumnReader.java b/code/libraries/slop/java/nu/marginalia/slop/column/primitive/ShortColumnReader.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0ee240dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/code/libraries/slop/java/nu/marginalia/slop/column/primitive/ShortColumnReader.java
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+package nu.marginalia.slop.column.primitive;
+
+import nu.marginalia.slop.column.ColumnReader;
+
+import java.io.IOException;
+
+public interface ShortColumnReader extends ColumnReader, AutoCloseable {
+    short get() throws IOException;
+    void close() throws IOException;
+}
diff --git a/code/libraries/slop/java/nu/marginalia/slop/column/primitive/ShortColumnWriter.java b/code/libraries/slop/java/nu/marginalia/slop/column/primitive/ShortColumnWriter.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8fa6b182
--- /dev/null
+++ b/code/libraries/slop/java/nu/marginalia/slop/column/primitive/ShortColumnWriter.java
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+package nu.marginalia.slop.column.primitive;
+
+import nu.marginalia.slop.column.ColumnWriter;
+
+import java.io.IOException;
+
+public interface ShortColumnWriter extends ColumnWriter, AutoCloseable {
+    void put(short value) throws IOException;
+
+    void close() throws IOException;
+}
diff --git a/code/libraries/slop/java/nu/marginalia/slop/desc/ColumnType.java b/code/libraries/slop/java/nu/marginalia/slop/desc/ColumnType.java
index 08fe4f2f..5bd8b60f 100644
--- a/code/libraries/slop/java/nu/marginalia/slop/desc/ColumnType.java
+++ b/code/libraries/slop/java/nu/marginalia/slop/desc/ColumnType.java
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ public abstract class ColumnType<
     public static ColumnType<ByteColumnReader, ByteColumnWriter> BYTE = register("s8", ByteOrder.nativeOrder(), ByteColumn::open, ByteColumn::create);
     public static ColumnType<CharColumnReader, CharColumnWriter> CHAR_LE = register("u16le", ByteOrder.LITTLE_ENDIAN, CharColumn::open, CharColumn::create);
     public static ColumnType<CharColumnReader, CharColumnWriter> CHAR_BE = register("u16be", ByteOrder.BIG_ENDIAN, CharColumn::open, CharColumn::create);
+    public static ColumnType<ShortColumnReader, ShortColumnWriter> SHORT_LE = register("s16le", ByteOrder.LITTLE_ENDIAN, ShortColumn::open, ShortColumn::create);
+    public static ColumnType<ShortColumnReader, ShortColumnWriter> SHORT_BE = register("s16be", ByteOrder.BIG_ENDIAN, ShortColumn::open, ShortColumn::create);
     public static ColumnType<IntColumnReader, IntColumnWriter> INT_LE = register("s32le", ByteOrder.LITTLE_ENDIAN, IntColumn::open, IntColumn::create);
     public static ColumnType<IntColumnReader, IntColumnWriter> INT_BE = register("s32be", ByteOrder.BIG_ENDIAN, IntColumn::open, IntColumn::create);
     public static ColumnType<LongColumnReader, LongColumnWriter> LONG_LE = register("s64le", ByteOrder.LITTLE_ENDIAN, LongColumn::open, LongColumn::create);