Moving Library Collections: A Management Handbook (2nd ed.)

Citation

Lee Eden, B. (2011), "Moving Library Collections: A Management Handbook (2nd ed.)", Collection Building, Vol. 30 No. 1, pp. 68-68. https://doi.org/10.1108/01604951111105041

This book is mandatory for anyone having to plan, execute, and accomplish any type of move of library materials from one space to another. The author brings a wealth of experience to this topic; she initiated a major move of library materials into one building in 1990 at Northeastern University Libraries, and consults on facilities design issues.

This new edition has added more information on temporary moves, moves to storage facilities, and the needs of public and smaller libraries. There is a new section in Appendix A to aid public libraries in planning shelf space requirements, as well as an expanded section on moving archives. Appendix B has also been brought up to date, and all of the spreadsheets in the book are available for download from www.elizabethhabich.com

The book is divided into five parts. Part 1 discusses issues related to planning collection space. The three chapters answer the following questions: How much material does the library have? How much space must be allowed for future collections? How should the material be arranged? Part 2 assists in answering general considerations during a collections move, for instance, whether to use library staff or a moving company, how long might the move take, how should materials be packed and moved, how best to handle public relations, and the special challenges posed by temporary moves. Part 3 and its four chapters provide resources if the decision is made to use a moving company. Chapter 5 looks at mover and library responsibilities from both perspectives; Chapter 6 examines how to prepare a Request for Proposal (RFP); Chapter 7 discusses the whole process of selecting, checking, evaluating, and accepting an RFP; and Chapter 8 provides information on methods for working effectively with a mover.

Part 4 is for libraries planning to do their own moves in‐house. Chapter 9 discusses planning logistics, a moving calendar, the differences between small‐ and large‐scale moves, how to do PERT and Gantt techniques, and preparing a master schedule and budget. Chapter 10 assists in the many issues involved in executing a collections move by oneself: recruiting and training workers, facilities issues, daily operations, monitoring progress, security, health and safety, and communications with the public. Part 5 covers unique and special situations that sometimes arise during a move: when and how to clean whole collections of bound volumes, and what to do when the collection is in a disorganized state.

Besides the good advice in the main portion of the book, it is the appendices that are the real gems of this volume. Appendix A provides numerous charts on the average width of library materials in both academic and public libraries, broken down by class or category. Appendix B summarizes data for 200 library moves that are reported in the Anglophone literature from 1929 to 2006. The chart shows duration of move, container type, type of labor, brief citation to the article, number of items moved, approximate date, means of transportation, and special problems encountered. There is also an extensive annotated references section from 1929 to the present.