Doing the "Microfilm Shuffle" in the BCL

We're in the final countdown to the new BDC Grand Opening on Sept. 30th, and the "Microfilm Shuffle" has begun.

As I promised, the microfilm holdings are the last major collection to move. In effect, we are creating 3 microfilm collections out of 2 sites in order to better reflect actual customer use of our Library microfilm holdings -- and to save money for other library materials purchases drawn from our County allotment to the Library system.

These are very tight times, financially speaking. Library staff tries its best to get the biggest bang from our allotted bucks for collections and materials. This "Microfilm Shuffle" is a BCL team effort of the BDC, Beaufort Branch, Hilton Head Branch, and Technical Services departments.

Heavy lifting started on Monday with unloading the microfilm cabinets, lifting and toting the cabinets upstairs, and re-positioning them upstairs in the new compact shelving array area. ("Watch the new BDC Take Shape" slide show has the latest images!)

BDC staff gets to reload and arrange the microfilm cabinets upstairs to be ready for the Grand Re-Opening. Yeehaw!

Beaufort Gazette newspaper microfilm in Beaufort Branch was only out of customer access for about 2 hours. Go, Charmaine!

Technical Services staff is working at Hilton Head Branch today inventorying microfilm for the separation. When that gets done, Technical Services can correct records to reflect the new location of the individual reels of microfilm, all 2000+ of them.

As with all public library operations, there is an awful lot of necessary organizing and preparation work behind the scenes that the public and stakeholders never consider. A large portion of that work might even be considered tedious, but without that good, necessary work performed to accepted international library standards, no one could keep up with our library assets of books, videos, microfilm, vertical files, etc. In other words, staff wouldn't know what we had to share with you nor would you know what we had to share with you.

From a customer's standpoint, here's what you need to know about the local newspaper microfilm:

At Beaufort Branch, customers have access only to the back files of the Beaufort Gazette newspaper.

At Hilton Head Branch Library, customers have access only to the back files of the Island Packet and a short run of the Bluffton Today newspapers.

In the new BDC Research Room on the 2nd floor of 311 Scott Street, customers will have access to back files of the Beaufort Gazette, Island Packet, and other local newspapers beginning on Thurs., Sept. 30th at 10 am.

Beginning September 30th, the primary series of documents of SC Department of Archives and History microfilm will be available once again -- exclusively in the BDC during our regular hours of operation.

See you the 30th!