Jared-- That sounds like a tragedy waiting to happen! Yikes! I tried to find an article or two detailing great loss from other libraries who went the same route. Either it always works out for these libraries, or they are too embarrassed to write about their losses. I did find an article that was written by a librarian (in 2006) at a community college in Washington who was happy with the library's decision to go to open stacks; the article was written less than one year from the time they implemented the change, however. Perhaps you could contact that library now and see how things are working out for them 5 years later?
GOOD LUCK! Hope your ADMIN has a change of heart! King, Lynne. "How We Changed And Lived To Tell About It." Alki 22.1 (2006): 23-24. Library Literature & Information Julie VIDEOLIB is intended to encourage the broad and lively discussion of issues relating to the selection, evaluation, acquisition,bibliographic control, preservation, and use of current and evolving video formats in libraries and related institutions. It is hoped that the list will serve as an effective working tool for video librarians, as well as a channel of communication between libraries,educational institutions, and video producers and distributors.