Moving Libraries
ALA Library Fact Sheet 14
The American Library Association (ALA) is often asked for the names, addresses, and phone numbers of companies that assist in the moving and relocation of libraries. The ALA does not endorse products or companies. Neither can the ALA refer anyone to a specific company, as this would necessarily preclude naming other companies whose products are as good (or better) than the one named. The resources listed below will direct you to companies best suited to your needs and geographic limitations.
The following companies have exhibited at the ALA Annual Conference and/or the ALA Midwinter Meeting:
American Interfile & Library Relocations
55 Sweenydale Avenue
Bayshore, NY 11706
Toll-Free: (800) 426-9901
Phone: (631) 231-3309
Fax: (631) 952-7521
Web Site: http://www.americaninterfile.com
See Contact page to send e-mail message.
Hallett & Sons Expert Movers, Inc.
7535 West 59th Street
Summit, IL 60501
Toll-Free: (800) 645-6683
Phone: (708) 458-8600
Fax: (708) 458-7116
Web Site: http://www.hallettmovers.com
Library Designs
Toll-Free: (877) 234-1657
Web Site: http://www.ldssystems.com
See Contact page to send e-mail message.
McMurray Stern, Inc.
The Storage Solution Group
15511 Carmenita Road
Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670
Toll-Free: (800) 499-6919
Phone: (562) 623-3000
Fax: (562) 623-3039
Web Site: http://www.mcmurraystern.com
See Contact page to send e-mail message.
National Library Relocations, Inc.
70 Bridge Rd.
Central Islip, NY 11749
Toll-Free: (800) 486-6837
Phone: (631) 232-2233
Fax: (631) 232-2236
Web Site: http://www.nlrbookmovers.com
See Contact page to send e-mail message.
Office Movers, Inc.
Web Site: Library Relocation Services
See Contact page to send e-mail message.
StarNet Worldwide Commercial Flooring Coop
Toll-Free: (800) 787-6381
Web Site: http://www.starnetflooring.com - StarNet® LiftmanTM Services
E-Mail: fred@starnetflooring.com
Universal Air Lift, Inc.
Toll-Free: (866) 526-3688
Web Site: http://www.universalairlift.com - Case Studies: Project Portfolio of library clients
See Contact page to send e-mail message.
William B. Meyer Inc.
Toll-Free: (800) USE-MEYER (800-873-6393)
Web Site: http://www.williambmeyer.com - Library Relocation
See Contact Us Page to send e-mail message.
From Canada:
Campbell Group of Companies Library Division
55 Midpark Cresent
London, ON N6N 1A9
Canada
Toll-Free: 800-265-6015
Phone: (519) 681-5710
Fax: (519) 681-7931
Web Site: http://www.campbellbros.com - Library Relocations
See CGC Group online request form.
For additional listings of library moving companies, you can use the resources found on ALA Library Fact Sheet 9: Library Products, Services and Consultants:
Bibliography
More detailed information about how to move libraries can be found in the following sources. See also the Smithsonian Institution Libraries Moving Libraries and Archives: A Selected Bibliography, an Adobe Reader PDF document adapted from this page.
A list of books on moving libraries that may be more readily available from your local public and/or community college library than your local bookstore appears at the free, searchable online database of library catalogs from across the country, OCLC's WorldCat.org, at:
Moving Libraries at WorldCat.org
Books
Fortriede, Steven Carl. Moving Your Library: Getting the Collection from Here to There. Chicago: American Library Assocaition, 2010.
Habich, Elizabeth. Moving Library Collections. Santa Barbara, CA: Libraries Unlimited, 2009.
Newman, John and Walter Jones. Moving Archives: The Experiences of Eleven Archivists. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2002.
Articles
Bagley, Elizabeth L. "Re-Building a Learning Community...or What to Do When You Face a Library Move." Georgia Library Quarterly 40, no. 1 (Spring 2003): 4-10.
Baumann, Kari. "Using a Transition Team to Facilitate Library Building Moves." Colorado Libraries 32, no. 1 (Winter 2006): 13-17.
Bridges J. "Moving a Hospital Library." Medical Reference Services Quarterly 28, no. 1 (Spring 2009): 77-87.
Bruns, Adam. "Moving Day: An Exercise in Mind and Matter." American Libraries 30, no. 4 (April 1999): 48-52.
Bryant, Darcel A. "The Louis Stokes Health Sciences Library: The Howard University Move Experience." Journal of the Medical Library Association 92, no. 2 (Apr. 2004): 251-6.
Burkhardt, Joanna M. "Do's and Don'ts for Moving a Small Academic Library: Fourteen Helpful Tips." College and Research Libraries News 59, no. 7 (July/August, 1998): 499-503.
Cappell, Shirien. Moving Library Collections: Planning Shifts of Library Collections. University of Oregon Libraries (web site). Last Modified: 09/20/2006.
Cash, Derek. "Moving a Library Collection." Public Library Quarterly 20, no. 4 (2001): 17-29.
Dimenstein, Catherine. "Executing A Library Move: A Planned Approach to Moving Your Library." Information Outlook 8, no. 1 (January 2004): 37-38, 41-42.
Gwin, Quanta. "Q&A: Have You Ever Wondered? Survey on Moving Libraries and Collections." Arkansas Libraries 58, issue 1 (February 2001): 18-19.
Johnson, Donna, Caitlin Kennedy and Usha Gupta. "A Do-It-Yourself Model: Relocation of a 36,000 Volume Chemistry Library In Three Months." Arkansas Libraries 61, no. 3 (Fall 2004): 16-18.
Merrill-Oldham, Jan. General Specifications for Moving and Cleaning Library Materials (PDF). Library Preservation At Harvard, HUL Weissman Preservation Center. Last updated: April 10, 2000.
Murray, Jennifer S. "How to Survive a Library Move: Control the Move Instead of It Controlling You (PDF)." AALL (American Association of Law Libraries) Spectrum 10, no. 1 (September/October 2005): 18-19.
Pikul, Diane M. "Moving Libraries and Shifting Collections." Catholic Library World 76, no. 3 (March 2006): 212-215.
Schwartz, Joanne. "'Pack Up All Your Cares...'" School Librarian's Workshop 24, no. 10 (June 2004): 4-5.
Smallwood, Carol. "A Moving Checklist for Do-It-Yourselfers." The Book Report 16, no. 4 (January/February, 1998): 12-13.
Snow, Richard. "How Not to Move a Library: Misadventures in Moving." Collection Management 29, no. 2 (2004): 53-67.
Tunstall, Patricia. "Let's Move: How To Move Your Collections Without Hiring Movers (And Without Spending A Fortune!). The Unabashed Librarian No. 120 (2001): 8-13.
Wyatt, Quanta. "Q & A: Moving Libraries." Arkansas Libraries 58, issue 3 (June 2001): 22-23.