By Jim Cheng, 8/3/2023

Due to outdated library facilities, the C.V. Starr East Asian Library collection suffered several major disasters in the past. On the recommendation of the Provost’s Advisory Committee on the Libraries (PACL), and with budgetary support from the Provost’s office, a critical renovation plan, including installation of a fire sprinkler and alarm system in Kent Hall and replacement of the windows on the library’s 300 and 100 levels, was approved in FY22.

The official preparation of moving the entire library collection and staff as well as the related services out of Kent Hall started in July 2022, as evidenced by the initial notice to the contract mover Clancy on July 7, 2022.

The large art works displayed in the reading room, including Xu Bing’s Square Word Calligraphy, Mizue Sawano’s painting Longing, the Japanese Bodhisattva Jizō sculpture, and the Japanese incense burner with table were moved to the Art Properties storage in January 2023, and the replica of a Japanese Pavilion displayed during 1893World Columbian Fair in Chicago, and all furniture were moved to temporary storage in July 2023.

                                                                                   

 

 

 

 

 

The oracle bone collection and jade book were moved to the Rare Book and Manuscript Library (RBML) in May 2023 for temporary storage, and the move of 213, 636 titles (estimated over 500,000 volumes) of the general collection to Clancy’s temporary storage, with paging services to CU affiliates during the closure, was completed on June 28, 2023.

17,000 non-print special collection items, inventoried through Airtable, and assessed and packed by three contractors (the Winthrop Group, AM Art, and Box Art), as well as all unprocessed archival and AV materials were entirely moved to Clancy Temporary Storage by June 13, while 11,727 rare and special books, as well as all processed archival collections were completely and permanently moved to the offsite facility ReCAP by June 8.

Access Service Staff moved 424 selected reference volumes and course reserve materials to Avery Library, and started to keep returned materials checked out before our closure in Butler Library temporary storage for circulation, and started serving the paged materials from Clancy storage via Butler Library in July 2023.

Library staff was relocated to Butler Library rooms 307, 311, and 102 on May 30, and started access and reference services on May 31, 2023, including in-person classroom instruction, consultation. Special collection onsite usage, while coordinated by our librarians, is managed by RBML.