The Leviathan: How to Move 2.9 Million Government Documents Offsite
Abstract
The concept of moving a university’s historic, 2.9 million item government documents collection
offsite was daunting. The actual move of the collection took 24 months. In this move, much was
learned about developing a project management plan, including: consult the literature early,
anticipate confusion points within the collection, discuss wear-and-tear issues, and understand
the effect the move would have on service. The final move required 31 working days over five
months of shifting. Afterward, it was found that the repercussions of a move – especially on staff
and reference work – can often be more jarring than the move itself.