Research and Collections Resource Facility (RCRF) Update

The RCRF building site has been busy this month with site preparation, fencing, breaking ground, drilling and more! To date, construction is on track. The below pictures capture some highlights of these first stages in the project.

The Libraries continue to focus on making decisions about the building. Last week interior and exterior finishes were discussed, as well as the colour scheme. We also met with colleagues in Information Services and Technology and Facilities and Operations to sort through IT infrastructure and access control system requirements for the RCRF.

Preparing for the move of over three million items from BARD to the RCRF is no small task! We need to ensure we have workflows and processes in place to support their safe and smooth transfer, and consider issues like cleaning and digitization. Some activities currently underway include:

• Developing software so we know the location of every item in the collection as it moves from BARD to the RCRF, be it in a bin, on a shelf, or on a truck. We want to ensure we can locate items requested for our users throughout the move process.
• Working with Risk Management to review our environmental health and safety processes and procedures at BARD and update them as needed for the RCRF, given that staff work with forklifts and cherry pickers to manage and access our large, heavy, and high up collections!
• Reviewing best practices regarding large scale digitization at other institutions to inform how we manage our five new scribe scanning stations.

Visit the RCRF web page for more information and updates.

Post any questions or feedback you have below and we’ll get back to you!