To find the total weight of the 12 books, we can multiply the weight of each book by the number of books:
\[ \text{Weight of one book} = \frac{15}{16} \text{ lb} \]
\[ \text{Total weight of 12 books} = 12 \times \frac{15}{16} \]
Now, we perform the multiplication:
\[ 12 \times \frac{15}{16} = \frac{12 \times 15}{16} = \frac{180}{16} \]
Next, we simplify \(\frac{180}{16}\):
- Find the GCD of 180 and 16, which is 4.
- Divide both the numerator and the denominator by their GCD.
\[ \frac{180 \div 4}{16 \div 4} = \frac{45}{4} \]
Now, we convert \(\frac{45}{4}\) to a mixed number. We divide 45 by 4:
\[ 45 \div 4 = 11 \text{ remainder } 1 \]
Thus,
\[ \frac{45}{4} = 11 \frac{1}{4} \]
The shipping weight of the 12 books, excluding the box, is
\[ \boxed{11 \frac{1}{4}} \text{ lb} \]