Contributions to the 6th AICCM Book, Paper & Photographic Materials Symposium. 17-19th November 2010, Melbourne. p48-53
Abstract
A refurbishment of the National Library of New Zealand’s Wellington building was planned for 2010-2012. For the 18 months prior to departure from the building, Conservation staff planned and completed ‘Pre-pack Projects’ to ensure the protection of all heritage collections during the move to temporary storage and during the refurbishment of the Library building. This paper focuses on measures undertaken to protect the Alexander Turnbull Library’s Photographic Archive during this period. Numbering approximately five million items, the Photographic Archive is the largest and most comprehensive photographic collection in New Zealand; it contains many high profile and high-use collections. Due to its size it was essential to prioritise requirements to ensure appropriate protection across the entire collection. The aim was to strike a balance between optimal protection and what could realistically be achieved within the available time and resources. Priorities were inventories and rehousing, including packaging for items such as photograph albums and large collections. Some internal moves, for example the glass negative sequence, were carried out by Library staff rather than the moving company.