The Monolith Problem, or How Not to Phase Out Your Analog Slide Collection

Prepared for:

After the Transition: Planning for Collections Storage & Workspace Changes in the Digital Environment

by

Sarah Goldstein, Head of Digital Assets and Preservation Services,

Mt. Holyoke College (formerly Visual Resources Curator, Vassar College)

Timeline:

July 2007: There is severe leaking in the Taylor Hall roof above the VRL, and we are told we will need to be relocated while the roof is repaired the following summer.

May 2008: The VRL is relocated to the far end of campus. Half of the slide collection is put into storage, half is installed near the VRL temporary offices. Hoping to take advantage of the time we are out of our permanent home, we come up with a plan for a modest renovation that would transform our workspace and better suit our digital endeavors.

November 2008: A grant proposal to an alumni foundation to help cover the costs of the modest renovation is denied; Vassar’s endowment loses close to 30% of its value. The College shelves plans to renovate the VR space.

March 2009: Due to construction project management miscommunication, the VRL must move back to Taylor almost three months earlier than originally planned, right after March Break as classes are starting up again. The space is not entirely ready resulting in a considerable amount of chaos.

location of Vassar VRL

Taylor Hall

View of the old Vassar VRL space, circa 2003(?).

“Monoliths”

Custom-built slide carrels: there are 12 in all around the perimeter of the room

“The space is simply not designed to handle the changing duties of the staff nor the specialized technology and equipment needed for the evolving role of the VRL. The environment is dominated by the slide drawers while the digital work is relegated to corners.”

(from “A Concept Document for the Renovation of the VC Visual Resources Library” January, 2008)

One of the proposed renovations of VRL main area with slides totally removed

carrels

monoliths

New plan of VRL main area with overlay of footprint of monoliths and slide carrels

Temporary VRL relocation slide plan:

-about 3000 slides were weeded and thrown out

-remaining slides were condensed in the drawers as much as possible

-the monoliths were dismantled & taken off their stands

-slides were divided into one set that came to the temporary offices & one set that went into off-site, non-retrievable storage

-we had hoped to leave the off-site slides permanently off-site, and conduct weeding in sections over the following years.

Old space New space

Student workspaces are set up behind the drawers

Remaining slide drawers have been taken off their frames and placed on the floor.

Two of the original slide carrels were saved and are now set up as a place to view slides and a spare Mac workstation.

Student workspace created behind slide drawers