And Then There Were None

After many hours of (much appreciated) labor dismantling and transporting shelves, today the last of our shelving was removed from the upstairs of the library.

With the groundbreaking on June 24 fast approaching, we are finally in the final stages of preparation for this renovation. Though it's hard to fully envision the changes that are soon to occur here, one can't help but get a sense of excitement when viewing the vast empty space upstairs.

Big changes soon to come...

Empty Shelves

Today, the maintenance crew finished moving the boxes of books out of the library and into the storage room. Not all of the books have been put into storage. A small collection of the library’s newer and more frequently used books is located in what was formerly the library’s workroom. Patrons will have free access to those books during the renovation process.

When I look at the empty shelves in the library, I get one of two sensations. Either I get a feeling of expectancy, as if they are ready and waiting to be filled, or a feeling of emptiness and loss, as if the library has become a ghost town. The actuality is neither of these. They are a stage of the transition process from the old to the new. Within the next few weeks, the shelving units will be dismantled and bundled into storage bins in preparation for construction scheduled to begin late in June. If all goes as planned, they will be resurrected in about a year’s time as part of the new library.

Filling Those Boxes

 

"It’s like a puzzle."  

That was a comment heard throughout the day as faculty, staff and student volunteers coaxed the library’s books into boxes according to Library on Congress book packing rules:

1. As much as possible, lay books flat

2. Books can also be put spine down or spine to the side, but not spine up

3. Weight should be primarily on the books that are lying flat

4. Pack books so that they are as even to the top of the box as possible

5. On the side of the box, record the Dewey call number range for the first and last books placed in the box, e.g. 136.9 – 139

Thank you to all of our book packing volunteers.  With your help, we were able to box our collection in roughly three days (April 6-9).

Purge, Pitch, and Pack

The end of March was an extremely busy month at the library as we prepare for the upcoming renovation.  First we were pressed to empty our offices and the library’s workroom.  We had exactly one day to purge, pitch, and pack. 

For the majority of the construction phase, the working library we be relegated to roughly 1/3 of the first floor of the library, so we needed to make space for a small book collection as well as patron seating and computers.  Maintenance crews moved furniture and set up shelving units in the back room.  

 

Then we worked at a frantic pace to select, cart and shelve a portion of the library’s book collection into the back room.  This entire process was completed in less than two weeks.  Whew!