Americans and the Holocaust: Logistics: Shipping, Installation, and Reporting

Americans and the Holocaust: A Traveling Exhibition for Libraries. What did Americans know? What more could have been done?

Table of Contents

  1. Key Dates Timeline and Checklist
  2. Exhibit Shipping and Receiving
    • Important Exhibit Display Information
    • Shipping will ideally proceed as follows
    • Shipping Questions
  3. Exhibition Setup
    • Unpacking, Installation, and Repacking Instructions
    • Display Requirements
    • Exhibitions Security Guidelines
  4. Reporting
    • Pre-Exhibit Report
    • Exhibition Condition Report
    • Final Report
  5. Evaluation
  6. Photos an Videos of Your Exhibit/Programs

Key Dates Timeline and Checklist

The following timeline highlights key dates that are based on the start and end dates of your host period. View this as a PDF Checklist.

  • 8 months in advance: Inform local school districts about field trip opportunities.
  • 6 months in advance: Begin docent recruitment (if applicable).
  • 5 months in advance: Cohort check-in call 1.
  • 3 months in advance: Open field trip/tour calendar for booking.
  • 2 months in advance: Cohort check-in call 2.
  • 2 months/8 weeks in advance: Submit Pre-Exhibit Report.
  • 6 weeks in advance: Submit publicity order form by this date.
  • 10 days in advance: Start of your delivery window. The shipper will contact the host site to arrange a window of time for exhibit delivery.
  • Start date of host period: This is the last day that the exhibit could be delivered to your library. It may be delivered earlier. Timing will be coordinated with our shipper. It can take a couple days to unpack and install, so we ask that you do not schedule programs for the first couple days of your host period.
  • Within 48 hours: Check the condition of the exhibit as you unpack crates and complete the Condition Report. If any exhibit parts or materials are missing or significantly damaged, please notify ALA immediately. End date of host period: This is the first day that the exhibit could be picked up from your library. It may be picked up later. Timing will be coordinated with our shipper. The exhibit must be packed up and ready to go. It can take a couple days to uninstall and repack, so please allow time. Check the condition of the exhibit as you repack crates. Alert ALA of any major damage or missing pieces.
  • 3 weeks after: Complete a Final Report form within 3 weeks of the closing of the exhibition.

You will receive a detailed timeline of important dates and tasks after your first cohort call. Please keep that timeline handy to ensure you are meeting deadlines.

Exhibit Shipping and Receiving

The exhibition shipper is Sterling Corporation. Cindy Callahan will be the lead project manager on this tour; her email is ccallahan@sterlingmail.com, and her phone is 978.322.2692. All shipping costs will be billed to and paid by the ALA Public Programs Office.

Sterling Corporation will contact host sites to arrange a window of time for delivery and pick-up.

  • Delivery and pick-up must occur during business hours (9-5 your time, Monday through Friday).
  • If you have not heard from Sterling by at least 24 hours before the exhibit should be delivered, please call Cindy Callahan at Sterling at the following number between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST Monday through Friday to confirm delivery arrangements: 978.322.2692.
  • If you need assistance, call or email the ALA Public Programs Office (see below).

ALA Public Programs

Phone: 1.800.545.2433, ext. 5045, or 312.280.5045

E-mail: publicprograms@ala.org

Important exhibit display information:

  • Because of varied delivery and pick-up dates, please be sure that your additional exhibit insurance coverage starts 10 days before the start of your display period and extends to 10 days after the last day of your display period.
  • On the itinerary, a date is designated as the last day the shipper can deliver the exhibit (“START DATE”). The exhibit may be delivered before that day, but please do not plan programs on that day or the following two days (to allow time for set-up).
  • You will most likely need extra help with the shipping crates, especially if your library does not have a loading dock or a delivery area large enough for a semi-truck to unload.
  • The exhibition must be closed and ready for pick up by the date designated “END DATE.” We recommend building in a couple of days for uninstalling and repacking the exhibit to be ready to ship.
  • Because there is limited time available to get the exhibition from one site to another, host sites should have the exhibition dismantled, packed, and ready for pick-up by the host period end date. This does not mean the shipper will always pick up the exhibit on that date, but the exhibit should be ready to go on that date.

Exhibition Setup

Unpacking, Installation, and Repacking Instructions

The following are detailed instructions, developed by the exhibit fabricators, for how to unpack, install, and repack the exhibit. A hard copy of the instructions can be found in the lid of Case 8 when you receive the exhibit.

Display Requirements

  • Host agrees to display the full Traveling Exhibition, as provided, during the entirety of the dates provided in the itinerary prepared by ALA.
  • Host must display the Traveling Exhibition in its entirety, and the full exhibit needs to be viewable and accessible to the public during open hours. No alterations, additions, or deletions can be made to the Traveling Exhibition. The Traveling Exhibition cannot be combined with the presentation of any venue or third party-supplied content or materials without prior written approval from ALA and USHMM. Libraries may create a separate display on relevant Exhibition themes utilizing their own or local collections, subject to ALA and USHMM written approval.
  • Host will make reasonable efforts to give disabled people the same access to information, programs, and resources enjoyed by those who are not disabled, per the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Exhibition Security Guidelines

The exhibition must be displayed in an appropriate and safe environment. An appropriate environment means that the exhibition:

  • Is not displayed outdoors, in a tented area, or in a temporary building.
  • Is in an open area or gallery inside a permanent building.
  • Is monitored by staff every 30 minutes during peak periods of use and every hour during off-peak times.
  • Is examined at the end of each day to determine that all components are in working order and undamaged.

Host sites must acquire prior approval to display or move the exhibit to a different location than the location listed in their application.

The host will report any damage or other important information about the exhibition to ALA as soon as possible after it is observed.

Reporting

Pre-Exhibit Form

The Pre-Exhibit Report must be completed 8 weeks prior to your host period and includes your proof of insurance. All program plans are subject to review and approval by USHMM and ALA staff.

The report should be filled out on ALA Apply using the same email address and password used to apply for the exhibition. If you have a problem accessing the online report form, please contact publicprograms@ala.org.

You can download a copy of the Americans and the Holocaust Pre-Exhibit Report (PDF) for a reference as you prepare your answers. The report must be submitted via ALA Apply.

Condition Report Form

The Condition Report should be completed within 48 hours of unpacking the exhibit. The report should be filled out on ALA Apply using the same email address and password used to apply for the exhibition. If you have a problem accessing the online report form, please contact publicprograms@ala.org. You can download a copy of the Americans and the Holocaust Condition Report (PDF) for a reference as you prepare your answers. The report must be submitted via ALA Apply.

Final Report Form

The Final Report should be completed within 3 weeks after the last day of your host period. The report should be filled out on ALA Apply using the same email address and password used to apply for the exhibition. If you have problems accessing the online report form, please contact publicprograms@ala.org.

You can download a copy of the Americans and the Holocaust Final Report (PDF) for a reference as you prepare your answers. The report must be submitted via ALA Apply.

Evaluation

As part of the final report, you will be asked to provide an estimate of exhibit visitation. To estimate exhibit visitation, you have a few options. If the exhibit is in a space with one entry point, you could install electronic people counters at the entry point. Alternatively, you could have someone observe visitation and have them take a manual sample count at representative times of day – an hour or two in the morning and afternoon, both weekends and weekdays – in order to calculate a total estimated visitation.

You will also be asked to report on the total circulation (including digital) of your library’s Holocaust and World War II-related resources during the hosting period and the same period in the previous year or months prior to receiving the exhibition in order to identify if the exhibit had any impact on circulation. With that in mind, we recommend:

  • Begin identifying/selecting which books will be considered relevant resources now.
  • Start collecting circulation data of relevant resources before your host period, especially if your tracking system does not keep circulation data for long stretches of time.
  • Include audiobooks and ebooks if your system tracks that information.

The number one tip from previous Project Directors was to start the work early. Gathering this data after the fact can be difficult and inaccurate. So start preparing your tracking systems and keeping records of your circulation data earlier rather than later.

You may also want to consider collecting feedback from your programs. You can collect feedback from program participants formally through interviews or surveys, or informally through casual conversations. If you would like to capture feedback formally, consider what information is most valuable or helpful to your library and develop the questions you would like them to answer with the goal of asking each individual the same questions consistently. You may want to ask questions such as:

  • Why did you decide to attend this program?
  • How did you find out about this program?
  • Before attending this program, I used to think.../Now I think...

The Museum has created a program survey form (coming soon) that you could share to collect responses from your program participants and the Museum would share your library’s data with you after the end of your host period.

Photos and Videos of Exhibit/Programs

For instructions and information on how to share photos and videos of your exhibit and programs, please see the Publicity and Sponsorship Materials page.