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Seeking advice on library renovations



I am seeking advice on surviving library renovations and would like to
exchange e-mail or speak with people who've been through library
renovations, especially renovations in which the collections were not
moved.

Here's our situation: 
The Maryland Historical Society has both a museum and a library.  The
library includes a family and local history department (books, journals,
pamphlets, microfilm, specialized card files and vertical files) and a
special collections department (manuscripts, photographs, prints, etc.).
We are opening a new museum building next year.  The library presently
occupies part of the 2nd floor of MdHS's main building, but will be
taking over the rest of the 2nd floor (occupied at the moment by museum
space) when the museum moves into the new building.  The library also
will be expanding into storage space on another floor, previously
occupied by the museum.  For a variety of reasons, the library will
receive only a cosmetic renovation next year--painting, changing light
fixtures, a new special collections room, possibly re-finishing some
floors--but serious renovations are going to have to wait for 5-6 years.
We are not knocking any walls down, removing paint, or doing anything
with the plumbing or HVAC systems.  We would rather not move the family
and local history collections if we can do the renovations without
exposing them to undue dangers; most of the special collections are
stored in separate areas away from the area to be renovated, so we were
not planning on moving them in any case.  We have two main reasons for
not wanting to move the family and local history collections: first; the
renovation budget is fairly limited and the cost of moving (and moving
back) would come out of that budget; second, we don't really have
anywhere on site where we could store the collections.  But we will move
the collections if that's the only way to protect them.

My questions:
1) What factors should we consider in deciding whether or not to move
the collections?  
2) What are the biggest challenges and dangers in not moving
collections?
3) How can the dangers be minimized?  What physical steps can we take to
protect the collections during renovations?
4) What sorts of procedures do I need to set up with my staff and with
the contractors to make sure the collections are protected during each
step of the renovation?
5) Are there any other potential problems I should be aware of with not
moving library collections during a renovation?  Do you have any other
advice to offer about the renovation process?   

I have read the Northeast Document Conservation Center's excellent
technical leaflet, Protecting Collections During Renovation, by Karen
Motylewski.  Any other advice or help you can give me would be greatly
appreciated!  Many thanks.

Bea

Beatriz B. Hardy, Ph.D.
France-Merrick Deputy Director for the Library
Maryland Historical Society
201 West Monument Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
Voice: 410-685-3750 ext. 309
Fax: 410-385-0487
E-mail: bhardy@mdhs.org
Web: www.mdhs.org

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