In principle, moving a natural history collection is not much different than moving any other type of collection.  It must be well planned and executed within a specific time period, using specific resources (usually too little time and too few resources).  In actuality, of course, there are differences in moving different types of collections.  But more importantly, the main points are planning, organizing, and getting resources lined up ahead of time.  If you are prepared, then your methods can apply to any type of collection.  I am assuming at this point that your move is to a different physical location, outside of your present structure. With that in mind, I would recommend the following: 

1)  You must have a plan and keep to it as much as possible.  The plan should be written out and distributed to all those who participate.  The plan should include goals, methods and a timetable.  It's better to build too much time into your schedule than have too little time to get the job done properly.  If you don't have enough time, you'll get careless and something will get damaged.  Goals, methods, and timetables include what tasks need to be done, how they are to be done, who is to do them, in what order they should be done, and when they need to be done.  

2)  Organizing refers to having your people and collections ready to pack, having your packing supplies ready, and having your transportation scheduled.  When we moved the collections from the old Indiana State Museum to the new buildings in 2002, it took more than six months to pack and six weeks to move, using about one hundred and twenty trucks.  We used over three thousand boxes, scores of rolls of bubble wrap, and various other packing materials to prepare over three hundred thousand objects for moving.  To move our mounted animnal collection, for example, we used busses and volunteers, each volunteer holding one mount on their laps.  We then drove back an forth between buildings.  Admittedly an unorthodox method, but an effective one.  All that matters is that your objects are properly packed and make the journey safely.   

3) As for particular packing methodologies and resources used, we broke the natural history collection down into collection types and then determined the best way to pack and move each collection.  Fossils, rocks, minerals, archaeology, paleontology, Ice Age mammals, and animal mounts were the main collections needing packing and moving.  Also there were smaller collections of shells, skeletonized mammals, herptiles, insects, bird eggs, etc.  Fossils were individually wrapped in acid free tissue and then placed into plastic boxes.  We used the same method for most other smaller colletions.  The plastic boxes were then packed into larger, cardboard boxes, sealed and set aside.  Each box was labeled.  The collections were wrapped in the same order in which they were stored.  In that way, they could be unpacked and placed into new storage in the same order, facilitating a quicker and more efficient inventory.  Larger objects, such as mammoth or mastodont bones were individually wrapped in bubble wrap, placed on the floor of trucks and moved when the floor space was filled. A moving company supplied the trucks, but we remained in control of all aspects of the move. A collections management person accompanied each truck on each trip.   


4) Here are a few general thoughts.  Use people who know what they're doing.  If you use untrained people, train them first and monitor them throughout the process.  Don't make the mistake of wasting money on moving consultants.  It's your collection, you know best how to deal with it.  And don't let the trucking company tell you how they will move your collection.  You tell them how they will move your collection.  I can't tell you how much you move will cost, but the bill for us was over one hundred thousand dollars. But our collection was much larger and more diverse.  We also had several outside warehouse that had to be consolidated into the new complex.  Your costs will not be as high.  Some people might insist on conducting an inventory before you move and after you arrive.  But that's impractical.  Just wait until you get to your new location and get unpacked.  Then you can run a quick inventory, to make sure everything got to its new home.  In other words, don't let process get in the way of getting the job done.  I'm not saying that you neglect museum standards.  What I saying is don't get hung up doing paperwork without meaning.  If your inventory comes up wrong before you move, what are you going to do, stop the move because something is missing?  Unlikely.  Moving collections is like any other problem; and the solution lies in the problem.  In this case, get practical, get organized, get packed and get out.  Everything else can be done later. 

Jeff Tenuth
Chief Cataloger and Project Specialist
Indiana State Museum
Indianapolis, Indiana



   

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