Best Practices
8 Tips to Guarantee a Smooth Move or Library Remodel
By Scott Hallett
Patented ProLift Stack Mover System will ensure that your project takes
only
half as long and requires no building closure.
Is your library ready to replace carpet, begin full remodeling, or reorganize
collections?
This is an exciting time, a fresh start for the library and patrons alike.
And though it may seem like an enormous undertaking, it actually can be
accomplished with more much ease and simplicity than you might have thought.
Scott
Hallett, owner of Professional Library Lift Movers (ProLift Movers, for short),
has more than 30 years' experience in providing smooth moves for library clients
across the country. His company streamlines library moves through its patented
Stack Mover System, which uses a versatile wheel assembly to gently lift and
quickly roll away an entire stack of undisturbed books in one fluid motion.
Hallett has found that, while each library has its own unique set of moving
goals and challenges, there are tips applicable to a move of any scope:
1. A single head is better than a bunch.
Committees are great for big-picture decision-making but unwieldy when it's
time for the intricacies of a move. Designate a single point person (with a
back-up person to step in, if necessary) to coordinate tasks and scheduling
among movers, carpet layers, painters and electricians.
2. Plan, plan, plan.
Hallett's ProLift Movers has partnered with numerous libraries in the
nitty-gritty of planning, measuring and
coordinating. "I can't stress it enough," he says.
"Careful attention in the planning stage drastically reduces any inconvenience,
disruption, and of course, moving costs." He recommends libraries consider these
factors during the planning stage:
-
Determine final resting places — "Change your mind about book location
with a pencil while you're planning, not with a crew once the move starts,"
Hallett advises. Consider whether directional changes of stacks will affect
the flow of your collection. Also think about future growth in collections,
tables and computers and how that may create the need for additional stacks
or consolidation.
-
Painting — Decide what's going to be painted
before you start any re-carpeting. You'll want to paint while old carpeting
is down or has been pulled out so you don't risk damaging new carpet.
-
Lighting and pillars — You'll need to work around these fixtures as you
plan aisle changes. Make sure your mover coordinates with electricians.
3. Seize the day.
Think
of a move as the chance to make all kinds of improvements. If aisles have become
uneven over the years, a move is the perfect opportunity to even them out and
create a more beautiful, functional space. "That old carpentry adage about
measuring twice applies here," Hallett emphasizes. Acknowledging that accurate
measuring and aisle planning can be a cumbersome task, Hallett frequently
provides this service to libraries in the blueprinting and graphing stage.
4. Get ADA-compliant.
If your library is not yet ADA compliant (Americans with Disabilities Act),
use the move to create the required 36-inch aisle widths and 44-inch turnarounds
at the ends of aisles.
5. Know your mover.
It's important to find an experienced library mover who can be a real partner
and who understands the crucial need to protect precious collections. Ask
potential movers for the number of years they've been in business and details
about previous library moves. Request client references and talk to several.
6. Carpet by day, move by night.
Libraries can cut an enormous amount of time and expense by scheduling the
laying of carpet during the day and moving stacks over them by night. ProLift
Movers has pleasantly surprised libraries for years through this simple
alternating technique.
7. Shout that you're open.
Many people in your community may assume that "we're remodeling" means "we're
closed." Make sure all your communications, from press releases sent to local
newspapers to signage on your doors, make perfectly clear that the library
remains open for business.
8. Safety first.
A move is also a great time to optimize stack stability, a safety precaution
many libraries are currently adopting to eliminate potential toppling. Consider
either bolting stacks to the floor, or placing sway braces across the tops of
stacks and to each other.
Scott Hallett is eager to share his library moving expertise
with you. He will personally travel to any library within the continental United
States to plan a move, participate in the move on a daily basis, and supervise
employees (including the library’s own, if preferred). To see the Stack Mover
System in action, watch the short video demonstration on
www.proliftmovers.com. Contact Scott
at 708-927-3624 for more information, or e-mail him at:
sbhallett@hotmail.com.