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Seminar on preparing for and using a remote storage facility
Koninklijke Bibliotheek, the National Library of the Netherlands, The Hague, 18-19 November 2019
Programme
The session is intended for high-level staff in libraries that are in the process of storing (part of) their collections in a remote facility. We envisage about an hour for each theme, each time staring with a short presentations followed by a group discussion.
18 November from 14:00
Chairman for the day: Dr Ulrich Niederer, formerly of the ZHB Luzern, and still actively involved in the Kooperative Speicherbibliothek Schweiz. He opens the seminar with a reflection on Why consider remote storage?
Planning for it
1. Specifications, climate control, contractors, etc.
Introducing the topic: Foekje Boersma, Koninklijke Bibliotheek, the National Library of the Netherlands, also raising the issue of passive climate control.
2. Collaborative storage, potential partners, funding, agreements, etc.
Introducing the topic: Hilde Van Kiel, KU Leuven Libraries, including a few words on the Heritage Lab, planned for thirteen Flemish heritage institutions.
3. Criteria for deciding what goes in and what doesn’t, special collections or not?
Introducing the topic:
Evening: Conference dinner at your own cost
19 November from 9:00 to 13:00
Going to the remote storage
4. Preparations for actual move, incl. cataloguing/inventory issues, preservations issues, shelving plan etc.
5. Security issues, e.g. related to the actual move and unpacking the materials in the new storage area
Introducing the topic:
Working with the remote storage in place
6. Workflows. Getting the items out of storage (and returning them there), and service to reading rooms (+ communicating about this to users)
Introducing the topic: a representative of the British Library
7. Security issues, e.g. related to transport, drivers/vans, routes, disaster planning
Introducing the topic:
Lunch for seminar participants 13:00-14:00
Practicalities
Costs: a small registration fee to cover the catering costs (Euro 25 for CERL members, and Euro 40 for non-members). You will need to make your own travel arrangements. Suggested hotels (hopefully at preferential rates) will be posted here.
Directions: https://www.kb.nl/en/visitors/address-and-directions