Jane,

I was one of a team of staff who co-ordinated and managed the move of the
collections of the National Gallery of Canada from our old building and from
offsite storage to the new building between 1988 and 1992.  Our intention
was to collate and assemble all the information documenting our move into a
manual and/or a published article following the move, but alas the renewed
demands of our regular duties have always prevented that.  I do have many of
the pieces of documentation, including an unpublished  paper and slide
presentation  I delivered at the 1989 Canadian Heritage Information
Conference (held in our building) entitled "Planning, Preparing , and
Executing the National Gallery of Canada Move".

On a slightly different note, I want to pass on to you what was at the time
an important document of the "people-management" aspect of a major move
project.  It is a report entitled "Institutional Trauma: The Consequences of
Moving or Building a New Wing", based on a session at the 1985 Detroit
annual conference of the American Association of Museums, chaired by Elaine
Gurian, Associate Director, Children's Museum, Boston, with panelists Joyce
Cohen, Aptekar Arts Management, Cambridge, Mass. and Paula Hancock, Curator
of Education, High Museum of Art, Atlanta.

Hope this helps.  I can provide copies of the above documents if need be.



>Dear Colleagues,
>
>I provide an advisory service to a number of community museums, most
>running on modest budgets with modest staff augmented by volunteers.
>One constant request I receive is for information on packing and moving
>whole collections, as museums move into new premises or undertake
>capital upgrading to their permanent facilities.  To this end, I am
>collecting a file of articles on the subject, and would appreciate any
>references you could send me.  So far, I have the following articles:
>
>Geyer, G.H.  "Moving Imagery:  Collections Management during a Museum
>Move"  from Registrars on Record (AAM, 1988)
>
>Thorp, V. and C. Wilson.  "Moving the Collections at the Royal British
>Columbia Museum" from Preventive Conservation:  Practice, Theory &
>Research  (IIC, 1994)
>
>Kruckeberg, V. "Moving Museum Collections:  How to Avoid Some of Those
>Maalox Moments"  from Textile Conservation Newsletter (Fall, 1993)
>
>I also have found references to the following, although I haven't seen
>the articles yet:
>
>Morrow, M.  "Moving an Archives" from American Archivist (Summer, 1990)
>Jessup, W.  "Packing without Crates"  from The Museologist (Winter,
>83/84)
>
>As you can see, I am looking specifically for articles dealing with the
>practical planning and organization of moves, collections management
>issues, policy and procedures, handling, low cost packing and
>transportation materials and methods, and selecting or retrofitting
>temporary storage areas.  I am not looking for information on
>construction of crates or transport of exhibits.  Anecdotal information
>is also welcome, as long as you write it to me in a letter with
>permission to distribute it or make reference to it when consulting with
>museums.
>
>Thank you for your assistance,
>
>Jane Holland,  Conservation Adviser,
>Ministry of Citizenship, Culture and Recreation,
>77, Bloor Street West,
>2nd Floor,
>Toronto, Ontario.
>M7A 2R9.
>
>
Greg Spurgeon
Head, Art Documentation & Storage/Chef, documentation & d'entroposage
d'oeuvres d'art
National Gallery of Canada / Musee des beaux-arts du Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
Tel/tel (613) 990-0482  Fax/telec. (613) 990-8689

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