Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Tips For Proper Museum Storage

By Phyllis Schroeder


As you have lots of items in your collection, you will find it necessary to find a way to store them properly. After all, it is necessary that your items are safe and secure, that no harmful elements are threatening to lower their value. The sun's glare, wind, dust, and dirt are just some of the examples of harmful elements you have to kept away.

To properly store the said collection, you have to find the best containers for them. There should be a number of museum storage collection you can find in the area these days. Once you have found what container you need, you have to remember some storing tips to help preserve your collection. Here are some simple storing tips to remember.

First, it is imperative that small objects are separated. Know that these items are best stored inside drawers or shelves. The best option would be the steel drawers or shelves that has fused powder coating. An alternative is that with anodized aluminum. Do not choose wood products because of its off-gassing of volatile components like the formaldehyde.

All the shelves should have a padding. This can serve as a cushion for the collection. It also reduce the risks of abrasion. A special padding material you can use for the said shelves would be the Polyethylene microfoam. Not only the padding, you should also use dust and light cover, the ideal ones being muslin line with black polyester fabric.

When what you have in this collection are office records, publications, exhibition furniture, and similar non-collection items, then you better look for another container where you can separate them. Be sure to store them in other areas. That way, you can ensure your collection's safety and then provide better access for them.

You will have to store maps, documents, and small objects in a flat file. A flat file you use should be the one found in a shallow drawer. Put in an interleaving in between the paper documents. Perfect examples would be the acid-free paper and glassine. If you use glassine, it should be changed periodically to ensure its effectiveness.

Photographs and similar documents can also be collected. There are people who love to do that. If the size are smaller than or similar to the file cabinet drawer, you must store them in the Mylar sleeves. Find acid-free envelopes and folders. Avoid cramming too many pieces here since that can crush them against each other.

For the clothes you have that are still in good condition, you got to store them on padded hangers in your closet. When they are fragile, make sure to individually store them in shallow, acid-free boxes. The said method will give you easy access, especially when you label them properly. It can minimize overcrowding and crushing too.

You might have boxes, equipment, and artifacts you want to store. You must make sure to lift all of these items off your floor. You have to ensure that the said items are at least six inches up. Doing that will actually protect your collection materials from the elements that increase the risks of damages. These elements include pests, insects, cleaning equipment, and moisture.




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