LM_NET: Library Media Networking
Thanks for all of your suggestions! You are a wonderful group and have
provided me with some great tips!
Been there, done this! We are in the middle of renovation and I had a
library/MacLab of 14,000 volumes, 25 computers, overheads, slide
projectors, tv-vcrs, etc. to pack up. I have moved to a classroom, with a
quarter of the books, 15 computers, and a few tables. The most helpful
thing about the process was a logbook, provided by the district and
labels co-ordinated with the log which contained label (box) numbers
and a place on which to write the description of the box contents. I
packed for 3 locations, the room in which I have a mini-library, a
temporary storage, so that I can exchange some books for others (as
science studies different subjects, for example) as the year progresses
and a "deep storage" of materials I won't see for 1 and 1/2 years. The
moving itself was done by movers and each box had a label containing a
number and my name and upon which I put the intended location. Each
was also marked with a color coded X to indicate the locationto which it
should be moved. The logbook is also color-coded and I can quickly look
at it and find where that material is located (if it is accessible, or not).
Since furniture was moved into this room, I also provided floor plans (left
in many places for all to see) to indicate where I wanted things placed. I
asked all teachers to give me an indication of what they would need at
which time, but, you can guess how effective that was. It's just that I
know that they could have told me (!) and if they'd done that, the material
would have been here, or in temporary storage.
I'm scheduled to return to my renovated, beautiful space next fall, but,
looking at the El Nino affected progress, I wonder??? Oh well, we're
actually doing very well in this space. Small quarters are actually
manageble by one person with the help of my wonderful "moms".
Consider buying boxes -- takes time to find clean boxes of right size.
Number boxes on all sides & use a legal pad to record box numbers &
sections. Makes unpacking simpler. Have separate boxes for materials
turned in late. Don't write "supplies" on outside of boxes; our supply
boxes got raided.
Last year I moved 2 elementary libraries and a middle school; I've done
about 10 altogether. Here's a rough plan of what we did--every school is
different so use what you can.
1. We used boxes that were the same size so they would stack and
store easier.
2. Made a label for the outside of the box telling what section (Fiction,
REF, etc.), call number run (FIC Abc-FIC Alm), and a box #. We also kept
a master list with the same information; later we knew if a box was
missing and roughly the contents. The labels were all placed in the same
corner.
3. We packed the last book on the shelf first so when the box was
unpacked the first one was on the top. It is even nicer is the box is big
enough for the whole shelf. At one building we didn't have shelves right
away so we cut the tops off the boxes and could read all the spines.
4. We bought several tape guns so more than one person could work at
a time.
5. Dust is a killer so anything that fit in a box got packed.
6. One copy of the master list went home with me in case we couldn't
get to the file cabinets.
7. Unpack within a few days; we had some vandalism and caught it
early to give to insurance in the fall.
Make sure that after the work is done, your bookcase hardware is
tightened once they are reset in the library but BEFORE the books are
replaced on the shelves.
I have a serious safety problem in my library. The shelves sway badly
from side to side because the nuts and bolts weren't tightened after the
bookcases were moved back and forth.
Having packed up a high school library last summer because of carpeting
here is my advice. When packing books it is best to pack one shelf per
box. Label shelves and boxes in numberical order. If the shelves are
going to be somewhere else--translate the order to the new shelves
before you unpack. Avoid huge cartons like the kind our district bought.
If you do get stuck with them don't let the maintaince people pile them
more than 2 or 3 high or your boxes will cave in and break. Don't know
what kind of work is happening but we covered everything we could
with plastic to keep off the dust. Get lots of help. Kids love to pack
books though our high schoolers had a hard time with left to right order.
Most importantly--keep smiling.
Search the LM-Net archives for "Moving" and you should get
lots of tips from previous discussions about this. I know that
I posted detailed instructions about how I moved all the books
and stacks out of my 12,000 volume library for a summer re-carpeting
project. In a nutshell, we purchased big rolls of plastic wrap
through our cafeteria supplier and wrapped the books right to the
shelves before moving them. It was a LOT cheaper and less work than
boxing things up, and there was little waste.
Good luck; no matter HOW you do it, it's a nightmare!
If they are just packing for the summer, perhaps they can gather every
free book cart from the district and neighboring districts and load the
books in order on carts, at least untlil you run out of them. It saves tons
of time.
Hire the National Library Relocation folks to do the job for you. The
professionals who move only libraries know what they are doing and do
it well. You cannot compete. Your energy is better spent elsewhere.
They will box the collection in uniform boxes, store it whereever you
want, and, when the work is over, restore the collection to its proper
place and do the shelf allocations. All of this is way beyond the scope of
us poor mortals. They moved me. It was the best money I spent on the
project. It saved me lots of grey hair. Everything returned in perfect
order.
good luck .I've done 3 librairis twice each. Get lots of boxes , tape guns,
multiple rolls of tape and magic markers. Load small cartons or moving
cartons. Don't pack full..you can't move them. Oragnize a
moving=packing party. Be systematic. start a one area. MARK those
BOXES with the exact books ex: F AA -F ABL. Number box and log
number and contents F aa-F abl. on 4 sides and top. This way you won't
lose boxes. I had to take mine to the bus garage. Boxes are not stacked
in order.When the are returned to you, you et a mopuntain or hall full of
boxes.When going back on the shelf you can look for box # 19, etc,
Boxes need to close. boxes are usually stacked. the bodies that
move them just stack them up somewhere. you can color code writing
Red=ref, Blue==easy/ Do a good weed. There is nothing like moving
junk. Expect a few books to have accidents. like the water in the bus
garage ruined 3 boxes. Since most school districts are self insured
suffer the loss :( Take the computer home , printer, file and manuals. I
don't trust anyone. Have you district get new cartons from movers. They
are just the right size. Encyclopedias can only have 10 in a box. Just
too,heavy to move. for 13,000books we used over 300 -400 cartons. all
cartons can be flattened and reused. Ours went through at least 4
moves. The library had the new ones. It took a week to pack. jobs:
assemble cartons. Tape bottom , pack books in a row(unpack in row and
on to shelf), lable carton, log in stack in room. move to hall. Have
lemonade and cookies. take pictures. Wear jeans, Forget the acrylic
nails.you'llnever believe the mess and fun.
Hoefully you won't have to dismantle the shelves. if you do mark each
upright both sides, SAVE those Bolts. don't let them throw out any parts.
Ask for pay to do it. Mark the boxes with fiction, etc. Mark all 6 sides of
the boxes because the way they stack them you may not be able to read
them. Expect the custodians to do the heavy labor. Start now. I moved 2
libraries 2 years ago due to restructuring of grade levels in the buildings.
We have 5 libraries in our district and 4 of us will be moving again this
year. Fortunately, one is into a new building with an Info Center of the
future.
Having just gone through this these are the best tips I can give:
Be sure to mark each box as to contents and number them. I used a color
coding for the sections of the Media (i.e. green=easy, red=fiction).
If there is some question about how long the renovation will take keep a
basic reference collection handy for instruction and research at the
beginning of the next year.
Lori Loranger, Library Media Specialist
Robinson Elementary
Kirkwood, MO
lorangl@gw.kirkwood.k12.mo.us
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