All,

Sometimes thinking outside the box can result in creative pathways. 

Our map collection is on the first floor with large windows with the bottom close to ground level.  I understand that when the map collection moved here from another building, the glass was removed from one of the windows and the map cases were brought in that way. This was easier than bringing them in through the front of the building and it's historic 1930s entrance. 

I wish I had pictures of the process, but I was not here at that time.

Kathy Stroud
University of Oregon
________________________________________
From: Maps-L: Map Librarians, etc. [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of [log in to unmask] [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2015 9:30 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Moving map cabinets

Have you considered widening the doorways?  For a thousand cabinets, I would
consider modifying the path and keeping the drawers in the cabinets.  Then
move the cabinets in their original upright stacked position by means of a
mechanical lift.  It might prove to be less expensive, faster, and safer for
the maps.

"Free advice is worth what you pay for it."

-
Jim

James Speed Hensinger
[log in to unmask]
JHensinger.org

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Maps-L: Discussion Forum for Maps, Air Photo, Map Librarianship,
> GIS, etc. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Brendan Whyte
> Sent: Sunday, January 04, 2015 3:45 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Moving map cabinets
>
> I have had a personal map collection in 2 completely full cabinets
> shifted overseas and back and the removalists just hefted the full
> cabinets onto/off their truck by sheer muscle power, and even up 1.5
> flights of stairs to my apartment.
> But I agree it's not ideal for the cabinet, and if your doors are not
> wide enough, the removalists will just flip the cabinet on edge...
>
> On a professional note, the National Library of Australia will shortly
> begin replacing its 1000 cabinets (stacked 3 high on compactus bases)
> in 3 stages over 2 years, which means we have to move the old cabinets
> out in batches to a staging area, install new ones (on new compactus
> bases), then move the maps themselves back in.
> Because our doorways are not wide enough to get the cabinets out flat,
> for each of the 10 drawers in each cabinet (10,000 drawers total) we
> will have to:
>
> - place a piece of heavy card in the top of the drawer,
> - tape it in place (wide parcel tape crosswise around the cabinet),
> - stack the 10 drawers in order at 30 degrees  from vertical in a
> trolley.
> - wheel trolley to other end of building.
> - flip empty cabinet on end onto a trolley
> - wheel cabinet to other end of building
> - position cabinet correctly in staging area
> - untape drawers
> - install drawers in correct order.
>
> We have a professional stack-moving company that does all the National
> Library's stack moving (usually books), but at least initially, this
> move will be supervised by maps staff.
>
> The main trick with the staging area is that everything in it has to
> remain accessible for the 6 months it will sit there, so keeping all
> drawers and cabinets in order and correctly labelled is vital.
>
>
> Brendan Whyte
> National Library of Australia
>
>
>