Moving Archives: The Experiences of Eleven Archivists

Moving an archive, historical society, or rare book library may occur only once in the career of a professional curator, archivist or librarian. Not only is each situation unique, but collections are irreplaceable and priceless. Moving Archives is a timely source of useful information by eleven archivists who have recent experience moving both collections and entire repositories. They describe their physical and administrative situations, details of their holdings, plans for their move, actual operations, successes, failures, and lessons learned. Readers will enjoy the clear, systematic, rational and sometimes humorous accounts of how these professionals coped. Each archivist speaks in his or her own voice, often with considerable individuality about what was intended, what processes occurred, and what result, in terms of an organized collection in a new location, finally emerged. Topics Include: - Planning - Administrative coordination - Staffing (both contract and institutional) - Security preservation - Transportation methods - Boxing and shelving - Accidents and natural disasters You'll get pertinent advice about: - How to plan for trouble - How to avoid the well-meaning "assistance" of administrators and volunteers - How to maintain control and good humor throughout.