January 23, 2012
One million moves
Hale Library has recently completed a massive materials shift resulting in better space utilization, more environmentally appropriate homes for collections and collections that are arranged to flow more logically throughout the building. During the 18-month project, more than 1 million items were moved inside Hale Library.
The shift began in August 2010 when it became necessary to move unique K-State archival materials from damp and poor conditions off campus. To house these collections, Hale’s Stack Level G was converted to be more amenable to these delicate, one-of-a-kind materials.
With Stack G becoming a controlled area, Stack Level F was effectively cut off from the flow of traffic, making it a less-than-friendly space for items in Library of Congress call number order. Thus, Government Publications and Kansas Documents, two collections that utilize a different call number system, were moved from the third floor into Stack F. The resulting open area on the third floor, plus the consolidation of various small open spaces around Hale, offered more than enough space for the former Stack G items.
In the next phase of the shift, several discrete collections which are often the focus of group work and library instruction were moved to the fourth floor, away from the designated quiet zone on Hale’s third floor. These collections include music, art, juvenile literature, curriculum materials and all oversized books. Additionally, Hale’s collection of LPs was reunited with the rest of the media collection on the fourth floor.
During the shifting process, maintenance projects were undertaken on the first and third floors to repair expansion joints in the floor as well as replace worn carpeting.
“Handling these repair projects simultaneously with the shift meant we only had to disrupt patrons and materials one time,” said Roberta Johnson, director of administrative and IT services for K-State Libraries.
“We believe this arrangement of materials will make it much easier for users to find and use our collections,” said Lori A. Goetsch, dean of libraries. “The grouping of discrete collections gives the general collection a more logical flow.”
With the materials shift complete, Hale Library users will find new study and seating areas on the fourth floor near the juvenile literature and curriculum materials collections, and on the third floor in Rooms 306 and 309 just outside the Great Room. As always, staff at Library Help on Hale’s second floor are available to help users locate materials.