Thalia Knight Director of Library and Surgical Information Services

1. A Moving Story: or, how the Royal College of Surgeons of England Library decanted its collections and made new friends along the way Thalia Knight Director of Library and Surgical Information Services The Royal College of Surgeons of England CILIP Health Libraries Group Conference 2018

2. What I will cover A bit of RCS history… Transforming Surgery for Tomorrow Contextual change drivers Partnership building – more than storage Preparing for and executing the moves Communication; lessons learned Services during closure Future landscape for collaboration Questions

3. A bit of history….1540: Henry VIII – Barber Surgeons

4. Rebuilding in 1835-36 Watercolour by George Scharf showing demolition of 1813 RCS building designed by George Dance and James Lewis, prior to rebuilding based on design by Sir Charles Barry.

5. War damage in May 1941 Sue Isaac. Evacuating the Library in World War II. RCS Library Blog. 12 May 2017. https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/library-and-publications/library/blog/evacuating-the-library-in-world-war-ii/ WR Le Fanu. The Library during the War. Ann R CollSurg Engl. 1947 Jul; 1(1): 51–54. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1940141/pdf/annrcse00001-0056.pdf

6. Transforming Surgery for Tomorrow

7. What we used to have…. Hunterian Museum: collection of John Hunter (1728-93) in Crystal Gallery opened 2005. New museum on ground floor where sited in 19th century. Library Reading Room, designed by Sir Charles Barry in 1837, extended in 1888-89. Grade II* listed; protected.

8. Library Conservation Management Plan

9. Contextual change drivers for RCS • Pressures to maximise value of expensive metropolitan estate • Hiring out of prestigious spaces • Modernise aging estate • Impact of professional surgical issues • Pressures on surgeons’ time • Dispersed membership – increased expectations • Increased public appetite for ‘cultural and educational experiences’ • Enhance access to unique and distinctive collections including books and archives • Increased use of technology e.g. augmented reality; online exhibitions

10. Wider change drivers • Digital publishing – not only e-journals but hybrid e-content • Impact of services like COPAC, SUNCAT, WorldCat& move to NBK – National Bibliographic Knowledgebase • Digitisation initiatives e.g. UK Medical Heritage Library • Collaborative storage projects like UKRR • University and national museums sectors – investing in high density storage

11. The Collections Decant • The challenge – move 250,000+ items • Books (dating back to 1471); journals (from 17C to date); paintings; drawings; silver; busts; clocks; large statues; antique furniture; archives and manuscripts (dating from 16C onwards); human and natural science wet and dry specimens (dating from 18C onwards) • Designated for their national and international significance • Strict deadlines – all out by 3rd Sept 2017 • Do not lose or damage anything…. • Storage strategy • Plan and execute • Communicate

12. Storage strategy • Sourcing affordable storage during development • Retrievals an important factor • Quality of storage – risks to collection • Accessibility: collections staff and researchers • Finding long term storage partnerships • Significantly less on-site storage in future • New ways of working for both parties • Commercial storage • Using and creating on-site storage in Nuffield Building • Cannot afford to fall off the cultural & research map during development • Duty to preserve and make Designated collections accessible into the future

13. Storage partnerships – Library & Archives

14. Interim services Research access (invigilated) at London Metropolitan Archivesby prior appointment Library enquiry point in Nuffield building (temporary offices in Lincoln’s Inn Fields) Research access to collections at NHM by prior arrangement with curators Retrieval and document delivery from the British Library’s storage facility in Yorkshire Limited retrieval from the National Archives to London Metropolitan Archives by prior arrangement Online services continue as normal See website: https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/library-and-publications/library/ https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/museums-and-archives/archives/

15. Project planning factors • Project timelines • Legacy collection problems (e.g. uncatalogued items) • Unplanned institutional drivers can and will affect the project • Project procurement processes - layered on top of ‘normal business’ • Time critical supplies – think ahead for specialist items • Negotiating contracts takes time • Put in effort to build trust with project partners & contractors • Deadlines will shift at short notice – pinch of salt & good contract • Life happens – build in contingency and an overtime budget • Procurement for removals contracts • Timing critical & time-consuming • Summer is a busy time • Removals companies have a wealth of experience • A good relationship with removals team(s) is essential

16. Storage locations

17. Stuff needed to move collections

18. Planning – project parameters & impacts • Impacts on Collections Management Policy • Deaccessioning; print vs. electronic journals • Planning services • When to pause; when to resume and how • Continuity of online services • Communicating with stakeholders • Work with communications department • Need strategy; multiple channels • Staffing impacts • Recruiting and training project staff on contract – takes time • Reshaping teams – blending in new staff • Retention issues – keeping staff to end of contracts • Risk assessments; H&S • Overtime payments; annual leave postponed

19. Planning – numbers Over 65,000 books (earliest 1471) 57 incunabula, 631 elephant folios c2000 periodical runs 30,640 tracts and pamphlets 1000+ e-journal subscriptions c.4.7 linear km of shelving – 5050 shelves in 817 bays Needed not only to plan storage but also to plan the packing and removals process. 1 articulated lorry holds 240 linear metres = approximately 13+ lorry loads to move 3.2 Km of books

20. Planning - scoping the project • Gathering information about your collection • linear metres, sizes– very large and very small equally problematic • types of material • is everything catalogued or listed? • Learning from others • Spoke to a wide range of institutions who shared their experience • Professional advice • Consultants engaged – Caroline Bendix and Jonathan Rhys Lewis • 400 item survey to confirm physical state • Also used Collections Review data gathered 2014-16 as part of Arts Council funded project • Moving Library and Archive Collections http://www.bl.uk/aboutus/stratpolprog/collectioncare/publications/booklets/

22. Everything counts… Inventory • Cataloguing Project – ensure all books catalogued • Rare books, incunabula, elephant folios, retrospective conversion gaps identified via manual shelf check • 3 cataloguers, 10 months each • Added 7,394 records (incl. some serials) between January and October 2016 • Detailed inventory of collections • Death by spreadsheet – every physical item needs an entry to track, generate packing lists, locate and retrieve while off-site • Books – run reports from LMS, convert into Excel data • Journals – numerous parts, no item level holdings in LMS = manual inventory to record volumes/parts. • Pamphlets – bound and boxed, multiple bibliographic records

23. Everything counts… Keeping track Every item its barcode (Ranganathan’s sixth law?) How and when?

24. Inventory • Inventories • Library Management System • Excel • Barcoding and scanning • Barcoding • Scanning • Portable equipment: scanners and tablets paired via Bluetooth

26. Preparing to move • Cleaning • Conservation vacuum cleaner • Cleaning services • Wrapping, boxing, labelling • Wrapped: fragile and crumbly bound items. • Boxed: loose parts, such as unbound journals. (Mix of bespoke phase boxes and off the shelf journal/pamphlet boxes.)

27. Packing and moving • Crates and cages • Books packed in crates • Boxes and oversize volumes moved in cages • Swing space is needed to store crates – empty and full • Supervising the removals team • Decide on the level of supervision necessary for your move • Lifts and exit routes

29. Packing and moving

30. Final outcomes

31. Outcomes and looking ahead The RCS collections are: Better documented and catalogued Improved packaging and enclosures New methods of tracking implemented for the archives Collections are cleaner Deeper understanding of conservation needs Stored in excellent, secure conditions Curators and collections staff have continued access Shared knowledge and skills – colleagues across sectors Fostering enhanced and new professional networks Have been able to sustain access for research Delivered unbroken online services to RCS Members throughout the disruption

32. Team of the Year award!

33. Thank you for listening