Quick Tips for Disasters & Emergencies: An Overview of the Recent Renovation Project at the Chicago History Museum

We have for many years at the Chicago History Museum (CHM), stored the bulk of our manuscript collection onsite in a basement-level space at our main museum facility. Buildings deteriorate over time, basements have issues over time, and so for quite a while now the museum has planned to improve structurally or mediate some of the deterioration. That's obviously a big capital project, so it took time both to create a plan, raise the funds, and figure out the right timing for carrying out the project. We already had plans underway to begin in spring of 2020, and then of course that came to a screeching halt with the pandemic.

Pivoting During the Pandemic 

I think the day that I was about to post some of our project positions was the day everything shut down. So, we did delay for a little bit, to wait and see, to figure out what was going on. And then we decided in the summer to move forward regardless of the pandemic. We pushed back the actual start date of prep work to when we felt we could safely bring on project staff in the fall. Starting in September 2020, we had an active project team onsite working every day to prep materials for move out, while  simultaneously planning for the actual construction.

The other interesting aspect of this project, and one of the considerations that helped seal the deal that ‘now is the time,’ is that an above-ground project would be taking place. In addition to the storage renovation, the museum did a major landscaping project that included installation of new history-related features on the park campus around us, resulting in the Richard M. and Shirley H. Jaffee History Trail. Doing the above-ground work meant that we would be digging things up all around what is the ceiling of our collections area. In addition to not wanting to destabilize the area around our storage, there were also practical financial reasons to do both projects concurrently. If we were digging up and redoing landscaping and hardscaping now, doing the storage renovation later meant we’d end up having to undo and redo some of that same work later. If we went forward with the above ground work, we really had to move forward with the below ground work, even though a pandemic is not the ideal time for doing a construction project.

Moving the Collections

One of the upsides (although in the big picture, it’s certainly not an upside!) is that the pandemic meant there was less traffic into the museum,  especially during closure. So, when you think about the impact of taking collections offline, there were parts of that timeframe where it didn't affect access to the collections as much as it might have otherwise. We packed and prepped from September through the end of the calendar year in 2020. We started physically moving things off the premises into our own off-site storage in January of 2021 and then construction began in March of 2021. It was originally estimated for construction to be finished and for us to be able to start moving things back in late Summer/early Fall of 2021. But there were delays, supply chain issues, etc. We were finally able to start moving back in February of 2022 and we just completed the last bit of getting things back on-site the first week of April 2022. We still have several months to go until we’re truly finished, as we update our catalog with the new locations for all of the material.

Because our shelving configuration has changed, we have to go through and update the catalog locations for every single box and container down there, all 30, 000 linear feet of materials. There are many milestones along the way and I think one of the other things we've tried to keep everybody's mind on is that just because it's back onsite doesn't mean we're done. There’s a lot of phases to this project and each one is worth celebrating and takes us closer, but in terms of “when is every last item as usable as it was before?”, that is a long process. It  takes time and there are not many ways that you can speed it up. Being in the  home stretch feels pretty good. Just having everything back on site and in a facility that we feel great about has been really exciting.

The Mystery Solving Phase

I should also mention that during the construction phase we had what we called our mystery solving phase going on because — and I think most special collections and archives people can relate to this — over time things happen where labels fall out off of boxes, some labels are unclear, etc. Over time there's  some disorder that comes into a collection. As we packed an inventoried prior to moving out, we encountered items that led us to say “Huh not sure what this is? It doesn't seem like it is in the right spot.” So we pulled aside some of those mysteries as we encountered them and spent our time working through those mysteries during the construction period. This meant that we were able to put those materials on a path to resolution of either reuniting it with the proper parent collection, getting better identification for it if it was its own collection, and in some cases we discovered that items were disposals or returns, which we refer to as culls,  where that final step had never been completed. The new facility is wonderful on its own, but also, this project was a wonderful fresh start to improve both our intellectual and physical control over the collection. How many times do you get to touch every single box in a collection of this size? Rarely if ever.

Once collection is accessioned and we finish processing it, it is collection material that must be deaccessioned (a rare occurrence), which involves a very specific and detailed set of steps for approval. Weeding or culling (of duplicates or out of scope material) happens either prior to taking the materials in or when we first process the collection. When we take in a collection of, let’s say personal papers, there will always be at least a certain percentage of that collection that's junk mail, old National Geographics, sensitive or protected personal items (e.g., medical records), and other material of low informational or evidentiary value that is out of scope or inappropriate to keep.

A project that gets 95% completed and then set aside is often the source of some chaos down the road. That last 5% of wrapping things up including finishing documentation, securely disposing of culled materials, and so on is very important for collection management. If a project gets interrupted, such as if there is staff turnover, all of a sudden nobody knows the story behind the project anymore and materials that were meant to be disposed of are sitting there taking up space on the shelf. It's very laborious to try to reconstruct what happened and to confirm what the right course of action is, and that only gets harder as time goes on.

Those are the two main things, and I would say a third is looking to our future and space for growth is always a big concern. We did not have mobile compact shelving before. Over time, our space had filled up. We didn't have a lot of room for expansion or to keep new collections on-site. We know that the more material that gets stored off-site, the bigger impediment that is to accessibility, so part of the renovation was also looking at how we could build some capacity for the future ongoing collecting that we want and need to do.

Anything that's made out of steel or is not manufactured locally is more expensive and takes longer to get during the pandemic; that did affect our plans. I know we ended up choosing a shelving vendor and ordering our shelving many months earlier than originally planned because in late 2020, it became very clear that there were going to be huge steel price increases and there were going to be significant delays in orders being filled. It was a good idea to finalize some of our agreements, choices, and orders at that point in time in order to not get delayed any more than we had to. And even with that, we still encountered difficulties. There’s a lot of literal moving parts that go into mobile compact shelving and there were some situations where we were down to waiting on the last few gears, and the manufacturer was waiting to get the steel from wherever it's coming from to make those parts. So it was sometimes a ripple effect.

One of the most important considerations is to look for contractors that have experience with your kind of facility or building. Libraries, archives, and museums have very specific requirements and uses, and communication about not just what you need but why you need it is incredibly important. Surprises happen, especially if there are any unusual circumstances, like say a pandemic. So, if plan a isn't quite working out, it's helpful having partners who have a solid understanding about what you're asking for and why you need it.

Consulting Experts

We not only renovated the space and put in new shelving, there's also a new and improved HVAC system. We have an ongoing relationship with an archival HVAC consultant, who has been working with us for a number of years now, with the museum as a whole, assessing not just our storage, but also our exhibit spaces. The consultant has helped us prioritize and understand which spaces and what types of improvements are sort of worth it to invest in and in what order. This can get very expensive, depending on the age and nature of your building and how the building was set up in the first place. Sometimes there might be certain upper limits of what you can actually do with it. It’s been really helpful to us to know that it was worth pursuing these improvements for this space and how best to set this up to achieve optimal preservation conditions. I would say that's probably something that would go in my top tips - engaging an outside expert, who specifically understands historic preservation facilities. That person can help everyone understand what's being asked for and why it's important.

Milestones 

Can you tell us some of the milestones throughout this project?

The first milestone was actually getting everything in move-ready condition so that construction could begin in March 2021. Even though we shortened our prep time, we didn't push back the construction start date. And for very good reason. There's a limited window of time, based on weather and seasons, in which you can do certain aspects of construction work. If we didn't start in March, that would have led to other delays down the line.

Finishing construction to be ready for shelving installation was a milestone, not one that we were responsible for internally, but one of course that we were very concerned about. Then, finishing the shelving installation was the last thing that we needed before we could move collections back into the space. The final milestone, the phase we are in now, is putting the collection into its new locations and updating the catalog.

Yes, we worked with our existing label system. Every collection is labeled with a collection title, an accession number, and then a box number within that collection. So we continued with that system. We used Airtable, a web-based database software. I would compare it to the power of using a relational database, with the advantages that you can use it remotely and have multiple people contributing at once. It has a very user-friendly interface and is highly customizable, making it easy for everyone to learn it quickly and use it well. We used Airtable to create a container-level, shelf-list style inventory of everything in our storage area. This process involved exporting our existing collections listed from our OPAC with their then current shelf locations and comparing this to what was actually on the shelves. When we found things that didn't have all of the information on the labels, we either made a new label or added information to the existing label.

One of the things that we had originally hoped to do, but weren't sure if we were going to have time for, was barcoding our collection. We designed this workflow to be a little bit modular given all uncertainties, so that we could do a series of passes to get essential work done and then return to the “nice to have” tasks. We did a first pass to flag everything that didn't have all the right identification and/or stable housing and resolved those items, then we updated the inventory, and then we did a final pass during which we barcoded. The barcodes are really helpful, but it is a considerable amount of time. When you plan your project, it’s important to identify and understand what's absolutely essential and your must-haves. There are always things that are really nice if you can do it, but not required.

Staffing Renovation Projects

A renovation like this doesn't happen without dedicated staff and making it a priority, including being willing to set aside other projects while it’s going on. This was going to be a big disruption to accessibility and when we put together a project budget, we included not only permanent staff's time, but also dedicated project staff. We also recognized that we needed more project staff than we might otherwise, given the pandemic and the shortened prep phase - any one person or persons could have to stay home and quarantine any given time. We also planned our staffing and workflows so that we could avoid mass exposure and quarantine situations, where one person could potentially lead to our entire department out at once.

In addition to the work, you're losing access to a large chunk of your collections for an extended period of time. We did make some provisions to set aside a few special request collections, so that we could keep our exhibit work going and any other commitments assuming that things could potentially take longer than we thought. We planned out what we would need for through our 2024 grant projects and exhibitions and set those aside in accessible places. But everything else we've lost access to.

Making sure we were communicating clearly and frequently with everyone at the museum and with the public was also a huge factor and something that involved staff beyond just the project team. No matter how well you plan, your communication can really make or break things.

I’m so pleased that we hit all our deadlines with some time to spare. We had an amazingly talented and dedicated project team who always made great choices and communicated really well. They took the job seriously, they took safety for themselves and others seriously, so all things considered, it just went actually very smoothly. For example, as anyone who's gone through a collection move knows, the tagging for your moving vendor is a complicated process. A lot can go wrong if you're not both careful and detail-oriented.

The moment of truth is when you return materials. If you didn’t do a good job, you’ll have a lot to investigate and correct. We had such a minuscule amount, about one shelf full of oddball items that somehow got mis-tagged, which is incredibly small given the size of the collection. The project team’s accuracy and attention to detail and efficiency really showed. I can hardly believe how wonderful it looks compared to the way it was before.

The other thing is it’s a marathon. We've been working on this for almost two years and it feels really good each time you hit a phase, but then you also know that you've got more to come. You're at mile 20 but you've got another six to go, so it's really important — especially with all of the other difficulties and stresses going on in the world — to take some time to celebrate and to appreciate what we've accomplished and to keep that morale high. Even with great staff it's a long project, it really is. When we've hit phases, like now, where there's sort of this very visible tangible result, that helps. When we first saw the basement completely empty out, when we first saw the shelving, and now with everything back in and on the shelves there's that ‘wow,’ I can see it, I can see the difference, and that's also very exciting.

There were crazy moments. One was getting so close to the end and waiting on these last few parts with shelving and having supply chain issues. We had a part that was getting delayed coming in from overseas. Our shelving vendor was so fantastic and they were always creatively problem-solving to keep things moving and so they quickly sourced another way.

Another surprise moment was when we came in one morning prior to returning the collections and discovered water pooling on the floor. It was heart-stopping. It also ended up showing what strong partners we had as everyone involved was really committed to figuring out why it happened and making sure it was resolved.

They checked everything - every inch, every nook and cranny, every possible route in and it turned out there was an electrical conduit that hadn't gotten sealed. It ended up being a very easy and straightforward fix, thank goodness, because I had visions of having to go in and then having to jackhammer up the floor and reset the rail and track for the shelves. I’m also grateful we were able to discover and resolve it before we started moving collections back.

Top Tips for Institutional Renovations

• Select your project partners (vendors, construction workers, project managers, etc.) that have a good working understanding of your type of facility and instruction, your specific needs, uses, and functions.
• Work with an HVAC expert that serves your type of institution and your preservation needs. Establish an ongoing relationship with this consultant that will go beyond this project.
• Plan on the front end, not so much about every little detail, but having a clearly defined scope of work and set of priorities.
  • Understand what absolutely has to happen. If you clearly understand the crucial tasks and outcomes, it is easier to stay focused and to regroup when the unexpected inevitably happens. Flag tasks that are nice to do, but could be set aside in favor of meeting other more important deadlines. Then make sure you’re prepared to cut these from the plan if needed.
  • Be vigilant about preventing scope creep. You could spend all day thinking of and adding tasks like extra weeding or new processing projects. Don’t!
    • Focus on the essential things that have to get done on the front end:
      • Make an accurate list of everything you have and its original location.
      • Make sure everything is packed safely for moving.
      • Label everything - clearly and securely.
      • Anything extra is gravy.
• Educate yourself. Don’t take it for granted that people will know or understand your needs well enough to provide the right solutions. Make sure you’re asking questions and checking for shared understanding.
• Be inclusive and communicative with the rest of your institution.
  • Include all your colleagues, not just the project team, on updates and expectations.
  • It's always better to over-communicate with your vendors, with your other partners, with your colleagues, even those you think might not be directly affected in the institution.
• Your project team is the most important part of any project.
  • Pick your project team to include not just people who are detail-oriented, but also good at problem-solving, thinking on the fly. Good common sense is invaluable.
  • There are always going to be things that you don't expect and that don't go as planned, and archives and collections can be kind of weird. Certain rules and processes will work for 80% of the stuff, but there's that 20% that is a little unusual. You have to figure out good, sensible ways to work through those situations. If you have staff that learn quickly and reliably make good decisions, they won’t get frazzled if they have to redirect and come at something from a different angle.
• Stay grounded. There are many things that are out of your control in a project and it’s important to not view the unexpected as an automatic crisis. Have plans B, C, D (and maybe even Q, or double Q!). If you don’t maintain perspective, you’re going to wear yourself and your team out.
  • Stay grounded in what your goal is, that you’re making progress, and that you’ll find ways to resolve things all in good time. Sometimes, it just takes what it takes.
• And lastly, don’t do this during a pandemic!

It’s one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Our renovation turned out beautifully and we're now really excited to start opening up these collections again!