Not to discount Siu’s experience, but for what it’s worth, moving cabinets with drawers in place can be a problem if your movers are not competent, as was the case when the Ancient World Mapping Center at UNC-CH took possession of cabinets that had belonged to the map library (i.e., were moved across campus). Several drawers were permanently damaged after sliding open during moving, and one cabinet was totally ruined. Heavier materials (e.g., film color separations and overlays) shipped in drawers in cabinets (separate, better movers) slid around and piled up and got wrinkled/folded despite the flaps being secured. Tom Elliott, Ph.D. Associate Director for Digital Programs and Senior Research Scholar Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (NYU) http://isaw.nyu.edu/people/staff/tom-elliott On Jan 5, 2015, at 3:53 PM, Siu Min Yu <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > We recently relocated our map collection to another part of the library. > > We did not empty the drawers. Our contract mover moved the cases with the maps in it. They have to turn the map cases side way in order to move it. Our map case has a cloth flap inside the drawer that place on top of the maps to keep the map in place, flat and secured. If you secured the flap inside the drawer it will do the job of keeping the maps in place and not slide to the bottom. After the move, I did find a few drawers that the flaps were not secured, so the maps did fell to the bottom which I have to straighten it but most of the other one that had the flap secured were fine. > > We have a total of 42 map cases. Each case has 5 drawers. They are arranged in a stack of 3 cases. I labeled each stack cases as 1, 1.1, and 1.2. So, they know which stack should be on. > > Regards, > Siu Min Yu > > > > On 12/26/2014 8:05 AM, Harvey Thorleifson wrote: >> Colleagues, I would appreciate advice on moving a map library. >> >> We have about ~200 drawers in ~40 cabinets. >> >> Do the drawers need to be emptied, and the drawers moved separate from the cases? >> >> If so, I am in need of advice on how to move the maps. >> >> I have some ideas, although tips from people who have done this will help. Thanks! >> Harvey Thorleifson, Minnesota Geological Survey >> >> !DSPAM:3672,549d6fee153482121367830! > > -- > > ************************************* > Siu Min Yu > Government Information Librarian > Kelley Center for Government Information, Data and Geospatial Services > Fondren Library, MS-44 > Rice University, PO Box 1892, Houston, Texas 77251-1892 > siuy at rice.edu > 713-348-4356 > Fax: 713-348-5902