Here are a few of the many responses to my question about packing a library.
Thank you all for your responses and helpful hints.
Just a note on packing boxes: go shelf by shelf; put a label inside:
from (call no.) to (call no.) Put the same information on the outside and
then number the boxes by section. You can line them up by number
and reshelve fairly quickly. Just made a complete move two years ago.
I had one box per shelf when I had to pack up the high school library last
year. I marked each shelf with a number using a washable marker. I then
marked each box with the same number. I then added the section. For
example, fiction was F2, F3, F4, ect. Nonfiction was NF 2, NF 3, ect. This
way, when it came time to unpack, all I had to do was match the number to
the shelf. I didn't have to search around for boxes or worry about all of
the books being completely out of order. I also contacted the Ft. Riley
Army Base and asked them for their packing boxes. They sent over a huge
pile of boxes that were all the same size. We had to pay a little bit for
them but the janitor's were happy because with them being all the same size,
they were easier to store and move.
If your shelves lift out of your bookcases, I HIGHLY recommend getting big
rolls of plastic wrap from your cafeteria and wrapping the books right to
the shelves they are on. If you label the shelf (I used removable stickers
with letters for the bookcase run and numbers for the shelves, so a shelf
with a sticker that said D27 went in row D, shelf #27), then reassembly is a
snap. You also don't have to collect boxes, or buy them, pack them, unpack
them, and then throw them all out (not to mention, figure out which books go
on which shelves).
If you search "Moving a Library" in the archives, you'll get lots of
advice. I posted detailed directions about exactly how I did the plastic
wrap move. My whole 12,000 volume library fit in one classroom, and
reassembly only took a few hours.
We moved 24,000 books. We ordered boxes. Be careful to to get ones which
are two large, you have to carry them. We started out by measuring linear
feet of books by Dewey and planning where the books would go when we moved
back. We then ordered boxes. They come flat, we paid students 10 cents a
box to put them together. Our boxes were of such a size that if a shelf was
entirely full it took two boxesd. We printed labels for the boxes with
consecutive numbers. No matter how many books were on a shelf we packed
them in two boxes. The left half in odd uumbered boxes the right half in
even.
We maped out where the booxes were to go when we moved back in. When books
were moved in they were placed in front of the appropriate shelf row. When
books were unpacked in each row one started with the lowest numbered box
placing thm on the left side of the shelf and the second box on the right.
We paid no attention to order of individual books. AFter everything was
finished we spent some weeks shelf reading, but meanwhile could easily
locate books.
As far as how, I'd suggest that you weed first. Then, start at the beginning
of a section and put the books in the box IN ORDER. You won't be able to
completely fill the box, but you aren't shipping them across the country,
either. Mark the box #1, and continue with #2. Just keep going until every
shelf is empty. You will refill the shelves in reverse order, so if you want
to start filling shelves at the beginning you will start unpacking at the
end.
Lay the books flat. If you put them spine up, they could be crushed
when more boxes are stacked on top. Be sure you
label the box with what's in it. I color coded mine. Pink label was
fiction. Blue was reference, Green was the career section, and so on.
I had a diagram of the shelve with a number assigned to each one and that
number went onto the box with the dewey range, too. Made it easier to
unpack them in order. It takes less time to pack than it does to unpack.
It took me and my one aide, three weeks to unpack our 1960 boxes of 19,000+
books, supplies, av items, periodicals, etc.
And we were exhausted! Tried to get students to help, but they really
messed up the order. So I just had the wrestlers and ROTC kids sorting the
boxes for me so we could unpack them in the correct order.
The kids also broke down the boxes.
I started in a section, marked the box with the beginning call number, then
the ending one when the box was full. Each section was labeled--Easy,
fiction, biography, etc. After awhile I realized the boxes should be labeled
on all sides as well as the top--makes it easier when you're unpacking. But
I only had about 1/3 of your collection. Good luck.
My library of about 12,000 books was moved last year and I will be moving
back to the renovated school at the end of this year. The district, after
much deliberation, agreed to have the movers pack the books. The boxes held
1 shelf of books. I labeled areas alphabetically (A=picture books; B=chapter
books; C=nonfiction, etc) As the movers packed a box, it was labeled A1; A2;
etc. I did this so that when we unpacked at the temporary place, I knew that
if I wanted to unpack picture books, I needed the A boxes and if I started
with A1 that would contain my picture books with the A authors. Another
thing I did was set up paper signs with the start points for each section
and the direction to continue (My shelving was 2 shelves high so my signs
said "Start A here" with an arrow going down to signify the next shelf then
an arrow going up.) I did supervise the packing and showed the movers the
order. It went very smoothly and I didn't have to worry if the movers knew
Dewey or not. The only snafu we had was when the boxes arrived at the new
temporary housing, they were moved out of the truck in order but had to
undergo a second move before arriving at the library and the new set of
movers didn't know the system, so A's were mixed up with C's and it took
extra time and back ache to reorganize the boxes so the unpacking would go
in order.
All the methods were similar and I only put a few of the responses on this
hit. Once again thank you for your knowledge and helpful hints.
Suzanne Cramer
scramer@remc11.k12.mi.us
Library Media Specialist
1112 E. Clay Street
New Buffalo, MI 49117
269-469-6055
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