Dunnage

Next year The Library of Virginia will be moving into a new
building. The move consultant is now in the process of developing
specifications for the move. These will be used, among other things,
to develop the RFP or IFB for the movers.

The saying "the devil is in the details" is perhaps nowhere more
true than in a venture such as this. One detail become an issue is
stabilizing collection material for the move. Specifically, flat
manuscript boxes are often less than full, often with several items
of different sizes, often all of which are smaller than the box.
This may be sufficient for a static situation; but now the situation
will be--however briefly--a dynamic one; movement, transit.

We would like to keep the items in the boxes from shifting, sliding,
bouncing around in transit. We have thought about some kind of
temporary filler. Movers and shippers, we have learned, call filler
"dunnage." Our dunnage needs to meet these criteria:

    1.  cheap

    2.  lightweight

    3.  readily available

    4.  requires the absolute minimum of labor or fabrication

    5.  will be harmless to the collection items in the short term

    6.  will not matter if accidentally left in the box longer than
        intended.

In brainstorming the idea of using plastic "peanuts" as dunnage
inside the boxes has been advanced. Another idea is
"bubble pack." Does anyone see anything wrong with either of
these? have a better idea?

Henry Grunder
Conservation/Preservation Coordinator

                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 9:32
                 Distributed: Thursday, October 5, 1995
                        Message Id: cdl-9-32-009
                                  ***