Thanks to those of you who offered suggestions and advice about my library
renovation. Due to a number of factors I think what we will do is close the
library a week or so earlier than usual for the summer so that we can pack up
books and prepare for the renovation. Someone suggested doing inventory while
packing books - I think I just might try that if time allows. A couple of
people asked for a hit so here it is:
I just "survived" a library painting during the school year in December.
WHEW! It is major, but looks wonderful! At the same time I was rearranging
the shelving so I had a big mess. I would suggest packing the books in boxes
as they are on the shelf and labeling the boxes. I still don't have labelling
on the shelves or pictures hung, but the place looks 100% better!
I have been through a move when a new area was added on for the library. 1)
I would definitely call in all the books. 2) We boxed the books, putting
each shelf or partial shelf in its own labeled box. (We used copy paper and
liquor store boxes.) 3) We had the luxury of storing books in a truck trailer
on site. 4) As much as you want to reach out to classes, I'd suggest you
not take the show on the road to the classrooms. At least not until you know
how time consuming your part is in the renovation. What I did try to do was
pop by classrooms to give teachers a bathroom break.
Let everyone stock up on books before you close. You will have
satisfied customers and less books to deal with. It is a win-win.
Check the archives for information about packing, etc. There have been
several discussion in the past couple of years on this.
Good luck!
1.?Would it?be better to call in all books to allow for appropriate
allotment of shelf space or keep them checked out for this 2 to 3 week period? (My
principal is also concerned about books getting lost if students have them
checked out that long.) I’d keep the books checked out and call them back in
when you are ready to put them on the shelf. You may lose a few books but you
will gain so much more space where you don’t have to store those books.
2.?Another thought I had was to?check out carts of books to each grade level
to give students books to read during the time the library would be closed.
Good idea? Bad idea? Better ideas, please! Good idea to check out books to
classrooms. I’d see if they have a place to store the books and keep the
carts for your move.
3. What is the best way to pack up the books??One of my book reps - a former
librarian - suggested stacking books on pallets and shrink wrapping them,
but I am concerned about the space that this system would require. Certainly
you can't stack pallets of books on top of each other - can you? We have no
place to take the books; they would have to be stored in the library. (We also
have no money to tansport or pay for storage.) We packed up all our books on
carts. We borrowed them from every library near by. The county also
provided them – they keep them for when libraries renovate or move. We stored
the
carts in the hallways. (that was before the fire marshal got really strict)
4. Should I conduct library classes in some modified fashion? Visits to the
classroom, for example. Or will I have enough on my plate organizing this
project? You will be busy, but maybe some limited time in the classroom. I
wouldn’t commit myself too early to that. You don’t know what your schedule
will be like.
5. What other concerns should I have! I'm certain there are things I have
not considered. So if you embarked upon such a project and feel so inclined to
lend another the benefit of lessons you've learned please enlighten me!
Weed, pack up your nonessential stuff early, have a lot of Advil on hand, use
your volunteers if you have them. Good luck
I would check out carts of books to the classrooms if you can trust your
teachers to keep track of them. Be sure to send a printed list of books with
each cart.
We got boxes from a local box company, from a moving company, and from the
liquor stores. We also borrowed tape guns from the moving companies--we also
got donations from our local u-haul but not a truck because one has to be
careful or temperature extremes with the supplies and the books both.
We also were careful to pull the materials for any project during the time
when we were packed.
You have to assume that you will really be involved in remodeling for about
twice the time that they are telling you.
Hi, Although I haven't done a renovation, I can speak from a classroom
teacher's point of view (this is my first year in the library). It seems
to me that you might be best off closing and concentrating on getting
things back to normal asap, rather than trying to adapt, etc,... While I'm
sure everyone will appreciate your efforts, it may take longer in the end
to get organized again, resulting in longer closure (unless you you have
plenty of help, ha ha). I think I would recall books, but I think a book
cart to the classrooms is a fantastic idea! Kids could still simluate
library time, yet you could focus your attentions in the library. Maybe
you could hold some sort of celebration when the library opens again, and
make it a really festive event.
I'd recommend calling in all books, packing them in stackable boxes clearly
labeled on all sides, and skipping library for that time, since you'll be up
to your eyeballs getting all that done. Carts of books (once you've measured
them to allow for space) might be a good idea meanwhile, but I'd say don't
allow them to go home, only read in class
I haven't exactly been in your unique situation, but I have moved
libraries--once from one room to another, another time from an old building
to a new facility and the third time, packed everything for a year while a
new addition was built and then moved back in. The time I was packed for a
year, I had access to the public library (only a block away) and we used
their facility for library classes that year. However, I would let the
children have books checked out (less for you to physically move right now)
plus check out about another 50 or so to each classroom, so they have enough
to keep them reading during your remodel. I don't know if this is possible,
but I would try to have them do a section of your room at a time (one wall
at a time--remove, paint, new shelves) and then fill those shelves from the
old cases as you move around the room. That way, you would only need one
wall packed--the one you paint first.
This is how I would do it.
The first wall to be painted, etc. (area A) I would box all those books and
stack them somewhere (in the center of the room if possible so they won't
have to be moved until they're unloaded) I used banana boxes for my 1 year
in storage and they worked pretty well because they were all the same size
and stacked well)
Paint (area A), put up new shelving and then move the books that will now
"live" in this area into that shelving from wherever they are in the old
configuaration (area B). Then go to the newly emptied area (area B) of
shelving and tear, out, paint, replace, etc. and move books from area C.
Continue around the room until everything has been painted--ideally the
books you boxed from Area A will fill the last space you need to pain.
I would probably even overfill the areas that have been newly painted until
more space is available and shift the books later rather then box and have
to keep boxes in order, etc. until you can unpack.
Good luck!
We are in the midst of a library remodel too. I am in a portable at the
current moment with 5,000 of my library books in storage. Children sit
on the floor for lessons as there is no room for tables and chairs.
Last Spring, I had one week to move the library to a portable. The
District hired movers and they used pallets and boxes. I had to pick and
choose which books to move and which to store. I packed books in boxes
(100 books per box) for storage and marked the boxes for easy ID
(example 031D---159.1S)with the box number too. I have 55 boxes in
storage currently.
As for library classes, I traveled around to each classroom for their 45
minute lesson. I read a story, we did a library activity with the
infocus in the classroom I was at during that moment.
I recommend that you allow children to keep their books over a 2-3 week
period that you remodel. This is what I did. Perhaps they should keep
them at school so they won't get lost. I feel our job is to encourage
kids to read and what will they have to read if you don't allow book
checkout? Most children are responsible with their library materials
anyway and encouraging checkout of chapter books would help them
immensely. There are less books to pack and move this way anyway.
I will be moving back into my finished library (I get a workroom in this
design) hopefully during the first weekend of March this year. Needless
to say, my whole family will be helping me merge the 8,000 books I now
have in the library portable with the 5,000 I stored. If needed, my
Principal says I can have 2 days of substitute (where they go to the
various classrooms for the library lesson).
We went through something similar at the end of last year. I had to
pack up the library while a preschool class was "living" there, as
well as teach 6-7 classes a day. I went out to the rooms, but it was
less than ideal because it's hard to drag all of the necessary
materials with you. It's almost impossible to do some of the research
activities I do with the upper grades (ex. almanac practice--I
couldn't carry 25 of them room to room). If you can get permission to
focus only on the boxing/unboxing, I highly recommend it.
As for the actual packing, I made sure to keep the books as much as
possible in shelf order as I packed. Then I numbered each box and
labeled on several sides what call numbers were in it. I kept a
master list of the box numbers and their contents. When it came time
to unpack, I knew exactly which box I needed for the next shelf.
People laughed about my obssessive-compulsiveness at first, but when
they saw how quickly the books went up, they weren't making fun
anymore!
Good luck, and know that you're not alone. Many of us have been
through it and survived :)
We just moved back in from a carpet replacement, did not have to pack up
books from the shelves attached to the walls, just covered them. Only packed the
Everybody and biography section in the center of the library.
1. Be sure to cover EVERYTHING (with plastic sheeting) in the library that
will be staying during the renovation, including book boxes,
computers-especially, if you have little stuffed animals around, otherwise you
will be
cleaning off EVERY surface not covered, that included pencil shapreners , tape
dispensers, and stapler, from construction dust!!!!!!!! We covered and still
have to wipe down many items. Dust is insidious……
2. I collected all books, basically because part was over Christmas break
and I would normally do that to help keep track of books (some kids move then)
lots go to granny's and leave books, so that was normal and I would do it
anyway, if you are out 2 0r 3 weeks or MORE, cuz that's the way it always
works, more of a chance for the kids to lose/misplace books. However, did allow
each teacher (some did, some didn't) to check out 40 for CLASSROOM USE
ONLY-cannot control that, but they will be held accountable for any missing.
3. I did research before this renovation also and found in a file the best
way to pack books for long period of time was SPINE SIDE UP. Seems the books
are stronger if boxes are stacked (and they will be) than if laying-say
spine side down or on their sides-may cause warping from the weight. Books
unpacked after about 5 weeks and all seem to be OK, no bending or warping that I
can tell.
4. Library classes, depends on how loud it gets with pulling shelves and
putting things back, there will be a lot of wood dust. Some days may work to
stay in library, I was luckly enough to be put in another room, but was
prepared to put library on a cart with bare essentials, lots of read alouds,
movies
to go with stories and color sheets and activities--to go with stories.
Good luck, you will LOVE your new space, it is worth the pain, like
childbirth, when everything is pretty and new, you will forget how much extra work
it
was :) cb
While our renovation took place over the summer, it extended into the school
year, and left us scrambling until November. So here are a few tips I
learned from needing to pack up and store my entire library for months.
1. It was worth it to buy boxes that were specific for books. These need
to be about xerox box sized, so that they can be moved when filled. (The first
boxes the district sent us would have needed a fork lift to move once they
were packed with books.) It cost a bit but was worth it to have boxes of the
rights size, and which were sturdy enough to be stacked.
2. Pack your books sequentially, and Lable, lable, lable! Label at least
three sides of each box, so you know without needing to move them what's in
them. We also numbered the boxes. This made it easy, when it was time to move
back in, to put the boxes on the shelves where the books would go, before
the first box was even unpacked. It worked out for us to be about two boxes to
a shelf.
3. Put a book end in each box. This means you can set the books up as you
go, without needing to find "the bookend box."
4. We held classes while our project was in full swing, but did a modified
activity, and obviously did not try to teach our skills, which require the
use of our bookshelves. We decided it was a great time to read a novel with
our older kids, and focus on story hours with our little guys. A lot will
depend on how much of your library you have available. And we did no book check
out during that time, but had allowed our classroom teachers to pull a
selection for their classrooms. It was less for us to pack!
I have had to do this. This is what I suggest:
Do not have library classes...that is insane as you will be busy. The
kids will not die from a few weeks of no library classes, but you might
have a nervous breakdown. If you have free time use it to order new
books, or other paperwork you need to do.
Allow the kids to check out an extra book...they may loose some but at
least they have something to read. Our kids often have books for 4
weeks at a time. (one checkout of 2 weeks and one renewal).
Pack up the books in shelf order and mark the boxes. You will need the
school to purchase book boxes for you. However, if you have enough book
carts, they will work too. Cover them.
Leave one quarter to one third shelf empty when you reshelf.
Be sure you have enough bookends for the new shelves.
You will also have to redo your signs.
Get lots of volunteers.
We moved into our
new building two years ago, and most of the move occurred during the
summer, but we were actually in a state of transition for about a year and
a half! (We are a K-12 building now.)
When we did the first BIG MOVE, we boxed books straight from the shelves,
clearly numbering the boxes with their start and finish Dewey numbers. The
boxes were just regular square packing boxes--not ideal size for
books--but they worked. We stacked no more than two high.
If you've got enough carts for each classroom, do that! It actually adds
to your circulation chores, but saves your back. REMEMBER to leave at
least a foot-or more- free space on each shelf for the returning books. On
the other hand, if you called them all in, you could also do an inventory
while you're moving.
By the way, how many volumes are you talking about?
Are there any available classroom spaces that could be used as temp. Lib.
space during the renovation?
Depending on your planning methods, you could probably do abbreviated
library classes, in each classroom, just so you can give yourself a break
from the hectic remodeling!!
Again, thanks from all of you.
Rachel Hinds
Librarian
Carleston Elementary
Pearland, Tx
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