Minor Moves - Back Periodicals and Videos

The next deadline the library staff faces is to prepare the lower periodical stacks for the installation of a wheelchair lift that will make the Conference Room handicap accessible. This lift will be installed off the north hallway in the area where Barb Nelson Gingerich's office is located, just outside the Conference Room. Barb will soon be moving into the former bookstore sales area in the south wing. DJ Construction is installing a window in that room in preparation for Barb's relocation.

The library's highest priority is to clear out the back periodical stacks so that DJ workers can begin demolition around the stairwell. On Thursday, Lois Longenecker and student Craig Neufeld shifted the remaining back periodical volumes to the far side of the room. Craig moved oversized bound volumes of Mennonite newspapers onto the carrels. This picture was taken down one of the aisles and shows a carrel at the far end and the compacted bound volumes on the shelves.

These back periodicals will eventually be located in the old basement book stacks. But, before that can happen, volunteers will move the gold shelving from the library reading room down to basement storage. This gold shelving will hold the back periodicals and other little used materials that have been stored in boxes during construction.

The audiovisual collection and other materials on the south wall of the lower periodical stacks also need to be moved. Craig Neufeld has already taken the videos and DVD's to their final home in the east end of the south wing of the new library. This small area of shelving behind the back periodicals will hold all of our AV collection. The adjacent room will have video viewing equipment for individuals and small groups. There is still some adjustment being done to the lighting in this area so there is a ladder in the photo and some fixtures are in pieces.

Notice that the green boxes of Student Papers and General Papers have also made their move up to this area. In the distance you can see the end of the back periodical shelving.

The AV collection includes CD's, slides, and audiotapes which will soon be shelved near the videos and DVD's. But, what about the filmstrips, LP's (what?), maps, transparencies and picture sets? Should these outdated formats be shelved on the ground floor? relegated to lower level storage? discarded? What do you think?

These moves all took place while I was participating in the Bridgefolk Catholic-Mennonite Conference and leading tours to the Mennohof visitors' center in Shipshewana. Thank you Lois, Craig and Joanne!