Rosen Photo by Chris Meyer

The process of relocating IU Southeast’s library into a new 75,000 square foot facility did provoke a bit of stress for the typically mild-mannered Marty Rosen, library services director for the campus. Just days before the big move in December, Rosen often awoke at 2 a.m., wondering if he had forgotten anything.

However, Rosen’s feelings of unease subsided quickly because he realized the move was in great hands.

“Fortunately, I have a great staff,” he said. “If I didn’t have a staff that works collegially with each other, this entire project would not have gone as smoothly as it has.”

Rosen oversaw the entire move along with the leadership of a consultant hired to make sure the logistics worked properly. The consultant, Steve Fortriede, oversaw a similar move for the Allen County Public Library.

Instead of hiring a specialized moving company to ship the materials to the new building, Rosen said the library administrators decided to hire individual workers—mainly students—to handle the job to save on costs and ensure a quality move.

Library staff members also pitched in to help with shifting the books on custom-made carts and to make sure all of the 24 workers were well-fed and took adequate breaks. Staff members held drawings for prizes and coordinated other activities to motivate the crew.

Much of the move required some grueling work because many periodicals were stored in a mezzanine accessible via narrow stairwells in the old building. A row of students lined up on the steps to hand each other books to be placed on the carts, which were then rolled to the elevator, down two floors, out onto a loading dock and into the back of a semi-truck.

Another crew awaited the shipment inside the new library. Care was taken to ensure that the books remained in the correct order when placed in their new shelves.

Rosen said he appreciated the assistance provided by departments from across the campus.