If you've moved recently there's a lot to keep track of, precious items that need care and the stuff you can really throw away.

But if those items are artifacts that tell the history of a region it's a totally different story. So do how you move a whole museum?

We asked ETSU's Reece Museum as it moved out for renovations.

As the Carroll Reece Museum on the campus of ETSU undergoes renovation, all of the 20,000 artifacts that the museum has acquired since in 1920s has to find a new home. "It's different. Different than moving household good to a new home. This is state property so we had to keep track of every single item," museum director Theresa Burchett says.

All of those items both large and small made their way to property that the college has called Valleybrook. Everything had to be inventoried and filed away, including images of the past. "That includes photography, digital images of every single item. Hopefully that will eventually get on our web site so that people who want to see what the Reece has to offer. You can go to the website and look at our collection," Bruchett said.

And with any move you seem to find things that you didn't know you had. In the case of museum that could include some valuable finds. "We have some beautiful fans from the collection. The old-time fans that women carried to fan themselves in the summer and at weddings, that sort of thing," the director said.

In reality, the second-oldest building on campus won't look much different on the outside after renovations, but inside is another story with modern updates and improvements. "The best way to preserve any antique or artifact is to have it in a regulated temperature and humidity-controlled environment which will will now be able to do on a much better basis," she said.

Even in this digital, high-speed internet world, nothing will replace the real thing. "You can go online and you can research Civil War dresses, you can see thousands of pictures of them. You can watch movies and see them but to actually have it in front of you and to see the fabric to see the hand stitching, it makes it real." she said.

In fact, visits to museums are up, which is good news for the Reece Museum. All of the items should be back home next February.