Vacuuming Collection Volumes

Collection Management Instructions and Procedures

March 2022

Wash your hands before and after handling.
When moving a volume from one location to another, ensure that you identify a destination before taking it off the shelf. The destination should be a clean surface that is large enough to accommodate the volume.

Do not pull on the top edge (headcap) of the spine to pull it off the shelf.
Choose one of these two methods for removing a volume from the shelf:
1. Gently push the neighboring volume on both sides of the volume you want toward the back of the shelf. Grip both covers of the volume on either side of the spine and gently slide it off the shelf, using your other hand to support the bottom.
2. Put a hand on the top edge (not the headcap) and gently tilt the volume out, gripping both covers on either side of the spine with your other hand.
Once a volume is removed from the shelf, use a bookend or ethafoam placeholder block to support the remaining volumes on the shelf.

To turn on:

Plug the power cord into an outlet
Toggle the switch on the variable-speed control box to VAR.
Push the gray on/off button on the vacuum
Adjust the dial on the variable-speed control box to the desired speed. (Start low, at about a 4, and turn it up in small increments as needed.)

To turn off:

Note: Turn the vacuum off approximately every 15 minutes for a minute or two to prevent overheating.

Work on one shelf at a time and one volume at a time. Remove the first volume from the shelf and place it vertically on a book truck.
If working with oversize volumes, stack volumes horizontally (no more than four volumes high) so they do not extend beyond the edges of the truck. If the volumes are too large to fit on a book truck, use a larger cart like a Rubbermaid or Metro cart. Work your way from left to right, removing volumes from the shelf and moving them to the truck. Keep the volumes in order.
Use bookends on the cart and on the shelf to keep the volumes stable as you move the volumes.

Once the shelf is empty, use the brush attachment on the vacuum to remove dust and debris from the shelf. If small particulates or caked on dust remains after vacuuming, wipe the shelf using a microfiber cloth. For higher shelves that are more difficult to reach, you may want to use the Nilfisk GD10 backpack vacuum.

With the volumes upright on the cart, vacuum the tops (heads) of each volume first.
- Method 1: If the volumes are not fragile, the brush nozzle attachment can be used to gently vacuum the heads directly. Vacuum away from the spine with a light tapping (rather than a sweeping) motion.
- Method 2: If the volumes are fragile, use a hake brush to gently brush the dirt off the head, directly into the vacuum nozzle. Start at the spine and brush away from it to avoid pushing dirt down into the spine of the binding and to avoid damaging the endcap. The vacuum nozzle should not touch the volume directly.
Once all the heads are clean, remove one volume from the cart at a time and vacuum the rest of the volume. Brush the rest of the edges of the volume and both covers, vacuuming outward from the spine. When vacuuming the fore edge (the side opposite the spine) start at the center and brush outward toward either edge.
If the volumes are oversize and on the cart horizontally instead of vertically, move one volume to another cart or flat surface at a time and vacuum it, beginning with the head.

Move each cleaned volume back onto the shelf, retaining the original shelf order.
Use bookends on the cart and shelf to keep the volumes stable.