Moving Library Collections: A Management Handbook

by Elizabeth Chamberlain Habich

Overview

The new edition of the guide to the complex options, techniques, and details needed to successfully carry out a library collection move.

Published over a decade ago, the first edition of Moving Library Collections was hailed as invaluable and long overdue by, among others, Booklist, Library Talk, and College and Research Libraries. Now, this must-have resource returbans in a fully updated new edition, to help today's librarians think through the issues, explore the options, and avoid the pitfalls of orchestrating a library move.

Again based on data from over 100 library moves, Moving Library Collections: A Management Handbook, Second Edition is written from the perspective of today's library, with added guidance for dealing with larger holdings of electronic resources, as well as space limitations in storage and on the shelves. There is also updated coverage of average book widths, using project management software, and moving archival materials, as well as special guidelines for small libraries.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781591586708
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	12/23/2009
Series:	Libraries Unlimited Library Management Collection
Edition description:	2nd Revised ed.
Pages:	424
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Elizabeth C. Habich is administrative operations manager at the Northeastern University Libraries in Boston, MA.

Table of Contents

Preface

Introduction by Lee B. Brawner

Planning Collection Space

Determining the Size of Existing Collections

Planning for Growth

Preparing a Collection Layout Plan

Planning the Collection Move

General Considerations

Using a Moving Company

Library and Mover Responsibilities

Preparing a Request for Proposal (RFP)

Selecting a Mover

Carrying Out the Move: Working with a Mover

Doing the Move Yourself

Planning Move Logistics

Executing the Move Yourself

Special Topics

Moving Library Collections: Pest Management Control Issues by Agnes Quigg

Cleaning Collections by Joyce Frank Watson

Moving from Disorganzied Conditions

Appendix A: Average Widths of Library Materials

Appendix B: One Hundred Forty-Six Moves Reported in the English-Language Literature, 1929-1996

Bibliography

Editorial Reviews

Habich, an administrative services officer, wrote this book as a result of planning and managing a move for Northeastern University Libraries--a move that brought together a main library, three branches, and a storage facility. In the first section, she details planning for collection space in the new location, with exhaustive details on determining linear measurements of the collection as a whole and its nonhomogeneous parts. Information on planning for growth is also included. Habich considers the collection move from four angles: hiring a moving company (or two--one for materials, the other for furniture) with a consultant, hiring a moving company with staff supervisor, moving using staff only, and moving with staff and volunteers. No matter which of the four options are chosen, Habich outlines the step-by-step procedures for each move. She also discusses other topics such as moving costs, disruption of service, handling special collections, and pest management and cleaning of the collection (both being done before the move). Helpful charts on the average width of library materials and an annotated bibliography are included. Used in conjunction with Ruth Fraley's Library Space Planning (Neal-Schuman, 1990. 2d ed.), Habich's handbook is recommended for medium-sized and large libraries.--Marie Bruni, Huntington Memorial Lib., Oneonta, NY

Library Journal

For those who need reassurance that libraries can be successfully moved, Habich (Administrative Services Officer, Northeastern U. Libraries) appends "146 moves reported in the English-language literature, 1929-1996" (e.g. as when patrons took three weeks to move 875 tons of material into temporary quarters for the library in Portland, OR in 1995). With four other contributors, she tackles planning for collection space, moving yourself or with a mover, dealing with pest management control issues, moving from disorganized conditions, and figuring the average widths of library materials. Includes a selected annotated bibliography. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

Booknews