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COMMUNICATION AND EXPERTISE ARE KEY TO SUCCESSFUL LIBRARY MOVES |
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By Ellen Stuhlmann |
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A new central library! A major renovation! After the euphoria wears off the reality sets in–MOVING! Most librarians feel dread and trepidation about moving their library. After living in the library for 20-50 years, their fear is - will the collection be in place for opening day? Will all the communication systems and computers be functioning? Often these fears and concerns are heightened by delays in building and renovation schedules coupled with budget overruns. Time and money concerns can make you manic at the same time you are anxious about the care and handling of your collection. MOVING IS ALL ABOUT PEOPLE When Jack Hallett was asked about how Hallett Movers works with library staff he shared this practice: “We are not aware of any director, stack director, or librarian who looks forward to relocating a facility. We establish a relationship with library staff at least one month prior to the beginning of any relocation, actually the sooner the better! During early meetings, library personnel are assured that we are not going to create challenges, we anticipate and solve them prior to relocation. We acknowledge that it is their library and not ours; that we are there as their move partners; and we wish to relocate in accordance with their needs, fill ratios, collection lay outs, periodical growths, donor related issues, etc. In order to have a smooth and efficient move, our library moving expertise and their knowledge of their library is required. At the kick-off meeting to a major move one of our Northwestern University clients commented, ‘moving is all about the people.’ We are the people.”
“We are the people” is the unwritten motto at Hallett. At Hallett their first order of business is to be responsive to the librarians needs and react to their requests whether it’s in the way they want to handle the cleaning of collections of rare and sensitive materials, last minute changes of shelving order, or any other unique requests. The Hallett team is proactive in its response to problems. In planning meetings, challenges are brought to the table, innovative ideas are discussed and final solutions are determined. The pre-move details are critical to get everyone’s input and buy-in before the physical move begins.
TURNING CHALLENGES INTO SOLUTIONS Every library move presents unique challenges. 1. Integration of various off-site facilities, bringing all collections into call number order and placing into proper fill ratios takes careful and intense pre-planning. Hallett Movers utilizes computer technology and develops appropriate programs to assist in this work. 2. Moving out of a multi-level library with no elevators can be challenging. Hallett gets creative with belt conveyors and banana boxes or goes out windows with an outside sky lift.
Unique, challenging, successful and satisfying describe a few unforgettable moves Hallett tackled in the past few years. In 2004, Hallett moved 1 million volumes into the new Seattle Public Library. Earlier this year 2.6 million volumes were moved into the new Minneapolis Public Library, and just recently Hallett completed moving 1.3 million volumes out of the 11-story Thompson Library at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio into temporary space in preparation for renovations and an addition to the facility. Each move included complicated integration projects, from several locations, and in Seattle and Minneapolis thousands of boxes of materials were unidentified when the job started. I asked Dawn Hallett to tell me more about what these moves entailed and how the challenges were handled. Here is what she shared about the moves:
The Seattle Public Library
The Planning and Tagging: The monograph collections of the same classification system (i.e. Dewey) were stored in three different locations. We had to tag these collections so that they would run in one call number sequence in the new library. In most instances, one shelf of books at one of the origin locations may go to three different locations in the new library. For example, before moving, each shelf of books was divided and separated with a wooden marker. The markers represented the three main collection divisions in the new location; circulation, reference and compact. Before moving any of the collections, all fill ratios had to be calculated and the books labeled. It was very possible that one shelf at destination would contain books from all three origin locations. The journal collection was in six different sequence runs at origin and needed to be put into one continuous run in the new library. Some of the collection was packed and stored during the construction of the new library. This collection had to be unpacked in a staging area so that the library staff could RFID each book before it could be integrated with the rest of the collection.
The Logistics: Construction was behind schedule. We had weekly meetings with all the vendors and suppliers to work out the dock and building schedules. New and existing furniture and office contents had to be moved with the collections. Working around and with other vendors made it challenging to continue to stay on our move schedule. Meeting the Challenges: The Seattle Public Library assigned a project manager for the move. The project manager had eight staff they called “calculators.” These calculators were responsible for the measurements and fill ratios of each of their specific areas or genres. We met with each calculator to determine the best possible plan, tagging and moving method for their area. It was the communication with each calculator that made the move a success. Each calculator felt that their ideas and suggestions were heard and evaluated and therefore each felt invested in the move. I have never seen a group of such different people come together to have such productive meetings, which in turn lead to a very successful relocation. The Hallett team was the driving force in bringing the calculators’ commitment to the forefront.
The Minneapolis Public
Library The Planning and Tagging: The Library of Congress collection was coming from three different locations. We had to tag, move and integrate book by book these collections so that they would run in one call number sequence in the new library. Here, in some instances, one shelf of books at the origin location was labeled to go to two different locations in the new library. The LC collection at one origin location was packed into book boxes by another mover years prior. The collection was never measured. These boxes had to be unpacked, reviewed by the library and measured before any of the fill ratios could be calculated. We unpacked this collection onto shelves in a staging area in the new library only to find that the original mover had packed the collection out of order and therefore the books needed to be sorted and shelved in call number sequence. Because this took time, we had to move on to another classification before continuing the move and integration. The majority of the journal collection was packed in book boxes by the original mover years prior. These journal titles were also never measured. Two months before the move was to begin, we unpacked the boxes (only to find they were also out of order), put them on shelves and the library staff put them in order. We then measured, tagged and repacked the journals into our specialized containers for their eventual move to the new library. We integrated this boxed journal collection with the more current journals that were in the temporary library.
The library assigned one project manager with one assistant for the move. They were our sole source for answers to our questions. This was somewhat different from how the Seattle Public Library worked, but still very effective and appropriate for their particular environment. The partnership we created with them made the move timely and efficient.
The Logistics: The library construction was behind schedule. Hallett had to accommodate all of the contractors that were supposed to be out of the building. The Hallett staff had to wear hard hats and safety glasses during the first half of the move which was very cumbersome. We had to share the dock and elevators with numerous contactors and vendors, making the moving difficult.
“I’M GLAD THE MOVE IS OVER!” Dawn and her family take pride in solving all of the challenges they come across in moving libraries. The more challenging the move the more satisfaction they derive. But Dawn feels the greatest satisfaction comes when a customer tells her, “We sure hate to see you go!” followed close behind with “I’m glad that the move is over!” Bob Hageman, the move coordinator for the Seattle Public Library, may have been glad to see the Hallett team go but he paid them a great compliment for their work: “(The Hallett team) has an efficient work method and ethic. They treat the temporary local employees with dignity, so they get the most out of their labor. Most important for us and for this move, they communicated continuously, effectively and with sensitivity with both library staff and the other move related vendors. Finally, most appreciated, they were gracious and good humored throughout.”
Speaking for the Minneapolis Public Library, Mary Kramer, facility operations manager, praised Hallett: “Throughout the entire process of planning, scheduling and moving materials, the Hallett staff was courteous, flexible, calm and always positive and cheerful. Their management of this project far exceeded all expectations….They are an extremely hard working, efficient and organized team, always putting the needs of the library collections and staff first.”
I asked Valarie Feeney, a Hallett Library Specialist, for advice on choosing a library mover. Here is her advice along with some good ol’ Midwestern humor!
VALARIE’S 10 TIPS FOR CHOOSING A LIBRARY MOVER 1. Check with a mover for an estimate as you start to budget for project. Be wary of standard formulas some architects and consultants may use for cost pricing. 2. Have a separate moving budget. If it is a line item in the overall project budget, moving funds can get eaten up in the building cost overages. (Hmm, we cannot afford to move back into your new building before fall semester begins. Maybe we can just swap for a couple of those $10,000 red leather covered, bronze encrusted doors!) 3. Decide who will be the “move liaison.” This person or team needs to have the time and the authority to make decisions. 4. Don’t wait to select a mover. Good
movers get booked up well in 5. Keep in mind that qualifications and experience should have equal or more weight then the bottom line. Experienced library movers are cost conscious. Serious mistakes are not cost effective. (Make sure your mover knows microfiche are not tiny guppies!) 6. Don’t just ask for references. Request a list of moves they have done over past year or 6 months, with a contact person. Call contacts and ask if they would rehire the company. (For legal reasons, many institutions can’t say negative things when called about references. Ask your questions wisely.) 7. Ask movers to commit to a specific number of full time supervisors. A very small move may only need 2 supervisors, but most jobs need 4 or more. 8. If possible, interview the movers who will work on your project. Make sure you are comfortable with them and their knowledge. They should be a partner in the process, not a dictator or follower. Make sure you have a sense of their flexibility. 9. A good mover will help you through the whole move process as a regular part of their service. With a full service mover like Hallett, you may not need a move consultant.
VALARIE’S WORDS OF WISDOM ON MOVING YOUR LIBRARY · Be prepared: A mover will want dedicated docks and elevators. · At the outset you should set up meetings to include representatives of all vendors/contractors working on the job site. · Planning meetings with movers and designated library staff is a must. The library should bring all their desires to the table to help the mover develop a clear vision of your new/renovated facility and collection layout. The library should benefit from the mover’s experience in this planning phase. (We warned them not to snake the collection across all four ranges of compact shelving and then back again!) · At every level, during every phase of moving, communication is critical. Movers need to be in constant communication with library move liaisons. Move coordinators need to communicate with staff. The more they know, the less anxious they will be. (Plan some fun things for staff--exit parties, last flings or welcome celebrations. It gives them something to look forward to and reduces stress.) · Don’t move it if you don’t have to! A year to 6 months in advance, get the word out to staff to begin weeding out files, FFE and, yes, even collections if possible. (Yes, Rose, I know you have been in this office for twenty years, but think about it as an opportunity to expand your filing capacity for the next twenty years!)
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