Drafting Recommendations for a Shared Statewide High-Density Storage Facility: Experiences with the State University Libraries of Florida Proposal

In August 2007, an $11.2 million proposal for a shared statewide high-density storage facility was submitted to the Board of Governors, the governing body of the State University System in Florida. The project was subsequently approved at a slightly lower level and funding was delayed until 2010/2011. The experiences of coordinating data collection for each of the 11 state university libraries, retaining a consultant and researching viable models, and drafting a final proposal is summarized for others considering a similar project. Suggestions of ways to avoid some of the pitfalls encountered in this project are also included.