Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Commonwealth War Graves Commission Mobile Shelving
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission system of record storage was outdated and no longer fit for purpose. The ability for a supplier/contractor to both supply new shelving and be able to unload and store existing records during the upgrade was paramount. Ultimately, the records needed to be re located onto the newly installed shelving, without disruption to the day to day operations of the commission
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission was established in 1917 to commemorate the 1.7 million men and women of the Commonwealth forces who died in the First and Second World Wars. The CWGC built and continues to maintain cemeteries and memorials at 23,000 locations in more than 150 countries and territories and is committed to carrying out this work in perpetuity. The foundation of the work of the CWGC rests on the historic documents and records that contain the details of the commemorated individuals and whilst a significant portion of the archive records have been digitised and stored off site, the majority of the archive and semi-current records remain securely stored at the CWGC Head Office.
The paper records were until recently stored in two main locations within a mix of secure static and mobile shelving systems thought to be approximately 40 years old that had over the years been moved within the building and were suffering with operational problems and the CWGC took the decision to seek replacement systems that offer up-to-date technology along with improved space planning and additional capacity for future expansion – such that their significant, UNESCO recognised, historic collection could be better managed and preserved for future generations.
A competitive tender process was issued through the Crown Commercial Service framework in November 2020 and as a long-standing member of the framework Rotadex attended a meeting to discuss the project with the CWGC. One of the major points of discussion was the decanting of the existing shelving, secure storage of the records for the duration of the project and their re-loading onto the new shelving at the end of the installation works.
The three existing static and mobile shelving systems had an overall capacity of 1108 linear metres of storage housing lateral filing, on-shelf files, boxed archive material, individual volumes and larger 3D objects to consider. Rotadex proposed that with the use of some adjacent secure office spaces the simplest and securest solution would be to store all items within the Head Office building on a system-by-system basis for the duration of the works, with the decanting and re-loading carried out by experienced Rotadex personnel to provide a complete service for the works.
THE SOLUTION
Following evaluation of the tenders received Rotadex were awarded the contract in late December 2020 with project coordination meetings with CWGC in January 2021 and a commencement of the works in mid-February with an 8 week duration. The three existing systems were emptied one-at-a-time, dismantled, removed for recycling and disposal, whilst the new systems installed and re-loaded. One of the existing systems being 50% static shelving, when changed to all mobile shelving to improve the usage of the footprint enabled the overall capacity to increase to 1369 linear metres gaining an additional 260 linear metres of expansion for future growth of the archives.
To meet the specification provided within the Crown Commercial Service tender documentation Rotadex proposed the use of our Fineline steel uprights with clip adjustable steel shelves, mounted to mobile and static bases with covers to conceal the drive mechanisms. The units run on steel tracks with a non-slip coated floor infill between the rails to eliminate any trip hazards. This enables the use of filing trollies within the system aisles if required. A slight incline access ramp along the leading edge of each system, provides easy access. Each shelving unit has A4 clear Perspex sign holders for identification. The system is finished in epoxy powder coated RAL 9003 (signal white) to enhance the existing room lighting.
THE RESULT
The CWGC was able to consolidate their existing storage as well as creating additional capacity. We were able to enhance access to the existing records, without interruption to the daily work flow.
Chief Archivist Andrew Fetherston said: “Following a competitive tendering process, Rotadex were awarded the contract to replace a mixture of mobile and static shelving which housed the archive of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission at its head office in Maidenhead. As the work was carried out during the coronavirus pandemic, special measures had to be put in place regarding working conditions and access, and Rotadex were happy to work with us to develop an approach which worked for all concerned. Their team carefully decanted all of the collection, storing it in temporary shelving which they had erected onsite for that purpose, and professionally dismantled and disposed of the existing shelving, and installed the new units in a quick and efficient manner.”
“We were really impressed with how the Rotadex team planned, managed and executed this work. The work involved, which could have been quite a logistical challenge, actually ran very smoothly due to their efforts, and we were very pleased with the end results, which will help us safely store our collections for the future.”
For help and advice on storage solutions for archives and libraries, please contact ShelvingDirect on 0121 508 5877. Email sales@shelvingdirect.co.uk
