<div dir="ltr">Hi, Colleen! Andy and John bring up good points. However, I do want to add one thing that was a critical error during the move of our collections, and that is to engage upper administration early to establish clear objectives and timelines.<div><br></div><div>As an example, for our recent collections move, we were initially given a timeline of 4 months to move about 15 million specimens/objects across our anthropological, paleontological, and zoological collections. That timeline came from above and the curatorial staff was not consulted a priori on the logistics and funding needs. However, after substantial pushback and many meetings later, we established a more reasonable timeline of just over 2 years.</div><div><br></div><div>I hope that helps!</div><div><br></div><div>Take care,</div><div>Cody</div><div><div><br clear="all"><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr">Cody W. Thompson, PhD<br></div></div><div dir="ltr"><div>Mammal Collections Manager</div><div>& Assistant Research Scientist<br><div>University of M<font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">ichigan</font></div><div><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Museum of Zoology</font></div><div><div style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">3600 Varsity Drive</font></div><div style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108</font></div></div><div><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Office: (734) 615-2810</font></div><div>Fa<font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">x: (734) 763-4080</font></div><div><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Email: <a href="mailto:cwthomp@umich.edu" target="_blank">cwthomp@umich.edu</a></font></div><div><font size="2"><font face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">W</font><font face="arial, sans-serif">ebsite: <a href="http://codythompson.org" target="_blank">codythompson.org</a></font></font></div><div><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><font size="2" face="arial, sans-serif"><br></font></span><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight:800;color:rgb(51,51,51)"><font face="arial, sans-serif">In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the UMMZ/Herbarium has limited personnel available working onsite. No loan returns should be shipped without prior notification, and collection visits, loan requests, gifts, exchanges, etc. should be coordinated with the appropriate curatorial staff. Please expect delayed responses. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.</font></span><br></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br></div></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Mon, Jan 24, 2022 at 4:39 PM John E Simmons <<a href="mailto:simmons.johne@gmail.com">simmons.johne@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(0,0,0)">It all depends on what you are moving and how far. To begin with, you should download a free copy of "Moving the Museum," which you can do here:</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><a href="https://www.smm.org/collections/moving" target="_blank">https://www.smm.org/collections/moving</a></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(0,0,0)">You need to figure out what needs to be packed and how. I always recommend packing museum objects as if they will be packed long-term because too often things go wrong and the objects are packed away for a much longer period of time than anticipated. Don't cut corners. For example,there is a temptation to move cabinet contents by just wrapping the trays of specimens and objects (or worse, leaving them in the cabinets) which is a recipe for disaster such as the amount of vibration endured or what happens when a cabinet full of trays tips over. In general, museum objects and specimens must be packed with much more care than household or business goods. By evaluating the materials you need and the amount of objects or specimens to be moved, you should be able to make a rough prediction of the time needed and figure out whether you can train present staff or if you need to hire temporary staff and train them to do the packing.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Consider also staging areas (space where boxes can be packed and stored), the volume of boxes and storage furniture to be moved, and the order than things should be moved in to avoid winding up with an unsorted jumble of boxes and storage furniture at the new location.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(0,0,0)">I have been involved in a lot of collection moves, and based on my experience, once you get your rough estimate of supplies and time needed, increase each by at least 20% because these things always tend to get underestimated.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Good luck! <br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(0,0,0)">--John<br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br clear="all"></div><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">John E. Simmons<br>Writer and Museum Consultant</span></font></div><div dir="ltr"><font size="2"><span style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">Museologica<br><i>and</i><br>Associate Curator of Collections<br>Earth and Mineral Science Museum & Art Gallery<br>Penn State University<br><i>and</i><br>Investigador Asociado, Departamento de Ornitologia<br>Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima</span></font><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Mon, Jan 24, 2022 at 3:53 PM Colleen Evans <<a href="mailto:cevans@statenislandmuseum.org" target="_blank">cevans@statenislandmuseum.org</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
<div lang="EN-US">
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal">Hi everyone,<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As my institution starts to plan for moving our natural science collections in a few years, does anyone have any guidance or advice for determining a budget for the physical move? Are there specific moving companies or types of movers I
should look into? Non-obvious packing or transport supplies? Something else? Note that things such as construction costs and cabinetry are already accounted for. I’m talking the actual packing and transporting between locations.<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Thanks in advance! Responses can be sent off-list.<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Best,<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Colleen<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:rgb(31,73,125)">Colleen Evans<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:rgb(31,73,125)">[she/her/hers]<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:rgb(31,73,125)">Director of Natural Science Interpretation and Collections<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:none 0% 0% repeat scroll white"><a href="https://www.statenislandmuseum.org/celebrate140/" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue;text-decoration:none"><img style="width: 2.2833in; height: 0.6333in;" id="gmail-m_-4556435469859302057gmail-m_7900274782771602508Picture_x0020_11" src="cid:17e8dfc1fb54cff311" alt="cid:image008.png@01D7D64D.BE91A1C0" width="219" height="61" border="0"></span></a><span style="color:black"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:rgb(66,66,68)">1000 Richmond Terrace, Bldg A</span></b><b><span style="color:rgb(0,176,240)"><br>
</span></b><b><span style="color:rgb(66,66,68)">Staten Island, NY 10301<u></u><u></u></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:rgb(66,66,68)">P: (718) 483-7104</span><span style="color:rgb(31,73,125)"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:none 0% 0% repeat scroll white"><span style="color:rgb(66,66,68)"><a href="mailto:CEvans@StatenIslandMuseum.org" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(5,99,193)">CEvans@StatenIslandMuseum.org</span></a><u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:none 0% 0% repeat scroll white"><i><span style="color:black">The Staten Island Museum is open to visitors <b>Friday – Sunday, 11am – 5pm.<u></u><u></u></b></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:none 0% 0% repeat scroll white"><span style="color:black"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.statenislandmuseum.org/exhibitions/jennifer-angus-magicicada/" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue;text-decoration:none"><img style="width: 2in; height: 1.125in;" id="gmail-m_-4556435469859302057gmail-m_7900274782771602508Picture_x0020_15" src="cid:17e8dfc1fb6855d355" alt="Magicicada Signature 2021" width="192" height="108" border="0"></span></a><u></u><u></u></p>
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NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of<br>
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