Friday, July 17, 2015

Tips For A More Effective Museum Storage

By Phyllis Schroeder


If you have a collection, it is only natural that you want to store it as properly as you can. It must be kept away from any harmful elements that can cause damages to it, like the harsh winds or glare of the sun. You must also keep the dust and dirt away. Any of these harmful elements can lower the value of the collection you have.

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, you have to separate the small objects. These are best stored on shelves or inside drawers. You must find those steel shelves and drawers with fused powder coating. If not this, an alternative would be anodized aluminum. Better stay away from wood products because it has an off-gassing volatile component such as formaldehyde.

The drawers and shelves should have proper padding. The padding is what serves as cushion to reduce the obvious risk of abrasion. You can have the best padding material in the form of Polyethylene microfoam. Aside from installing the padding, it is also imperative that you install dust and light covers, especially the muslin line ones with a black polyester fabric.

When what you have in your collection are exhibition furniture, publications, office records, or other similar non-collection materials, then they should be kept in another container. Find a separate area for where you will store them. This is to ensure both the safety of the collection as well as the convenience for access.

Maps, documents, and the smaller objects must be stored in flat files. There are flat files you can easily find in your shallow drawers. You can store them in there. Just be sure to place an interleaving in these paper documents. For the interleaving, you can choose between acid-free papers and glassine. The glassine must be changed periodically, though.

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.

If what you have are equipment, furniture, artifacts, or boxes, it is imperative that you lift them off the floor. All of the items you consider your collection should at least be six inches off of the floor. That way, you can certainly protect the collection item you have in your possession from harmful elements such as insects, pests, moisture, and cleaning machines.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment