Moving The Last Bit

I decided I would show the last photos we have from Manhattan. Although we are in at LB, I decided to blog this first before I begin with LB. Here are the photos taken the week of December 8.


Our workroom located behind the front desk. It was packed with everyone's desk, several shelves and several tables.


Looking at the back wall where the magazines and newspapers were located.


Looking from where the stacks used to be. Fiction and non-fiction were found in this area. The photo is shot back towards the front desk.


This photo is just to the right of the previous one. It is towards what used to be the computer sign up desk. When we went to PINES there was no longer a need to sign up.


From the side door looking into the library. Okay, what used to be the library.


The actual last load to leave Manhattan - other than the desk.


The workroom again. Almost empty.


Emptying out


The area that housed the children's books.













I will take photos one last time of Manhattan this week. Of course, it will be almost empty. We still have some shelves and desks we are selling - but except for that, it will be empty. I'll have alot more to say when I blog with those photos. Until then...

More Photos

It's Saturday!!! And we're here...at the library!!! Not home sleeping or watching football or whatever, but here. Actually it's fine. It's interesting to watch the library take shape. We have a different look. We've moved things around just enough to make things look different. I have mentioned the new Young Adult (YA) section before. It will be located where the public access computers used to be. The computers were moved out into what used to be the reference section. Reference has been consolidated and moved to the back corner of the library. The videos and audio books which were in the front lobby across the room from the magazines are now located behind the computers in the old reference section.

In the Children's Library, the biggest change is in the back arts and crafts room. No longer is there a glass window wall to separate the trolley from the arts and crafts room. It is all one big room. The trolley has been moved away from the window and is now located a few feet away against the west wall. This opens up the front window for more light. What a difference!! Our Children and Youth Coordinator Beth Tanner can now use the big room to do more things. She can always have story time but can also show movies and have other activities. This will be a great place. The children's library will be opened up a little as we move one set of reference shelves out. It's subtle, but effective.

Today the movers will be bringing books that go in our compact shelving in the back. Yesterday, last night they brought 22 carts of books and have 23 more to load up, bring over and unload to the shelves. Then they will begin with the children's library.

Well, I just realized I have not taken any photos of the arts and crafts room, so off I go. You'll see them below.

More later...


Just a look at both top and bottom or fiction and non-fiction.


Our workroom taking shape???


The video and audio book section which has beem moved from the front lobby to the back lobby.


A big look at the lobby.


The new computer area!!


The video and audio book area behind the computers.


Another look at the computers.


The Young Adult area so far. Remember, the computers used to be back here. We called it the cave.


The Trolley Room or rather the Arts and Crafts Room. Moving the trolley really has opened up the room.


This photo is taken from the window of the old trolley room. Note there is no glass wall anymore.


Area to the left of the trolley. This is where movies might be shown.


From the cabinets back towards the window - much more room. There is still some work to do here. There will be flooring put down next week. We are excited about this room!!



Two photos of the children's library.

Middle of the Move - Day 4

It's Thursday, 4 December 2008 - we are in the middle of the move. As you will see from the photos below, all of fiction and non-fiction are OUT of Manhattan and IN Lake Blackshear. This leaves a big empty space in the Manhattan warehouse. I would say the guys are about a third of the way done. Keep in mind the books are the easiest things to move - at least as far as organization goes. The books come off the shelf and then go back on the shelf. It's very easy to follow (we try to make it hard on them, but sometimes our ideas don't pan out). They will eventually begin moving things that go all over the library: children's area, offices, workroom, server room, PINES area, mail area, etc. They will be working through the weekend. Needless to say, we are all southerners and will not miss the Alabama - Florida game Saturday at 4:30. The moving crew is based out of Jacksonville and are mostly Gator fans while our director Anne Isbell is a graduate of Alabama. Hmmmmmm...interesting!! Let's see, she signs my paycheck...GO BAMA!!!!!



The shelves are in in the Special Collections Room.


Lake Blackshear is filling up. I'll try to get photos from this same spot as we hit the weekend.


The non-fiction area is ready for books.


The crew loading up from Manhattan.


Manhattan beginning to empty out.


Same as above. Remember, this is a huge room - 20,000 square feet.


This is a shot of the NEW reference section at Lake Blackshear. It is located in the back corner. The reference area used to be out in front of old computer sign-up desk. That area will now be for the computers.


Non-fiction with books!


Looking more and more like we never left.


This is the area at Manhattan where the fiction and non-fiction books were located. As you can see - they're gone!


Same as the photo above.


Just a shot of the many, many boxes to be moved and then unpacked.


This is a photo of the workroom at Mahattan. Man, this room has all kinds of stuff to pack. So far so good. Oh, like everything else that's packed - we have to unpack this stuff!!







I will blog again tomorrow and really through the weekend. Okay, back to work!!

It is Wednesday 3 December 2008. We are in the third day of moving and everything is going just as it is supposed to go. We will open to the public Monday morning 15 December 2008 at 10:00. We will be back at The Lake Blackshear Regional Library at 307 East Lamar Street in Americus.

Below are some photos from the first moving day.


A hole needed to be cut into the back wall so the movers could get to the storage area. We have not used all of the shelves we had at Lake Blackshear. We will use them all when we get back. We also stored much of the bookmobile collection back there.


The hole was cut by people who worked for the building owner. Monday morning the movers arrived from High Springs, Florida. These are the same guys who moved us in January.


At Manhattan we have the familiar site of bookcarts all over the place. These carts are huge which enables the movers to put many rows of books. As before, they load up, go to Lake Blackshear and unload.


More carts!


A photo of the books being put on the shelves in the fiction section upstairs at Lake Blackshear.


Wow!! This actually looks normal - at least upstairs.


One of my favorite photos. When we first came into Manhattan I noticed in the cracks of the floor buttons and pins leftover from the shirt factory days. The building has a long history. No telling how long these buttons have been there. Pretty cool stuff!!