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<p>The primary focus of any heritage institution is to preserve collections. Which, with the right systems and processes in place, can provide immeasurable value for curators and patrons and ensure historic artifacts are maintained for generations to come. Without these necessary precautions in place, priceless items could be irreparably damaged. </p>
<p>Below, we’ll focus on the leading ten agents of deterioration – which have been identified by industry professionals as the most devastating of potential threats – and how Spacesaver and our nationwide network of local distributors support collections professionals in planning, installing, and maintaining systems that protect collections from these harmful agents. </p>
<h2>Direct Physical Forces</h2>
<p>Sudden shock, vibration, or long-term pressure that can break and deform objects. Some common causes include system operation and nearby construction projects.</p>
<h6>How to Mitigate</h6>
<ul>
<li>Anti-tip rail systems are designed to provide stability and reliability for compact shelving in seismically active areas.</li>
<li>Anti-tip bars prevent objects on shelves from accidental falls and spills.</li>
<li>Closed rib nuts on cabinets allow cabinets to be attached to one another for additional stability.</li> 
</ul>
<h4>Ensuring Nothing’s Shaking<br>
The California Academy of Sciences</h4>
<p>Spacesaver engineers worked with California Academy of Science staff to design compact mobile storage solutions to accommodate specimens preserved in liquid. Special care must be taken when storing such specimens, particularly in seismically active areas like San Francisco. Bin fronts, or “earthquake bars,” finish the front edges of the open upper shelves to prevent spillage or breakage in the event of an earthquake, and partial doors enclose lower shelves.</p>
<h2>Contaminants</h2>
<p>Collections care best practices protect from pollutants that are airborne, transferred by contact, or intrinsic to the collection (contaminants from the collections themselves that may require ventilation). Common examples of pollutants include dirt, soot, volatile components from plastics and wood, and residual pesticides.</p>
<h6>How to Mitigate</h6>
<ul>
<li>Spacesaver cabinets and shelving feature non-off-gassing paint to avoid chemical contamination.</li>
<li>Keeping collections inside sealed cabinets helps keep objects away from potentially harmful airborne pollutants.</li>
</ul>
<h4>Squashing Pollution<br>
Chicago Field Museum</h4>
<p>At the Chicago Field Museum, Spacesaver Museum Cabinets are used to keep entomology collections protected from contamination. The cabinets feature fumigant-resistant elastomeric gaskets for a secure door seal, a 3-point latch to ensure the cabinets are airtight, and non-off-gassing paint to prevent chemical deterioration. </p>
<h2>Thieves, Vandals, & Displacers</h2>
<p>Objects can be stolen or maliciously damaged by individuals, or simply misplaced by museum personnel.</p>
<h6>How to Mitigate</h6>
<ul>
<li>PIN code access</li>
<li>Physical locks</li>
<li>Key card access</li>
<li>Audit trail to track who has accessed collections</li>
</ul>
<h4>Increasing Security<br>
Intelligent Lock Options</h4>
<p>We’ve installed mechanical and electronic locks on cabinets and compactors at many museums as a final line of defense against theft of valuable objects. Leveling up the security of your systems, smart locks with the ability to provide an audit trail can be installed to track who last accessed the cabinet in case of a missing object.</p>
<h2>Incorrect Temperature</h2>
<p>High temperatures speed up the chemical deterioration of unstable materials, while low temperatures can cause hazing and cracking. The “right” temperature can vary widely depending on the collection and its contents.</p>
<h6>How to Mitigate</h6>
<ul>
<li>Smaller collections are recommended to use upright refrigerators or freezers.</li> 
<li>Medium sized collections are recommended to use shelving or museum cabinets housed in walk-in coolers.</li>
<li>Large institutions are recommended to use compactors housed in cold rooms and walk-in freezers.</li>
</ul>
<h4>Pictures Perfect<br>
Denver Museum of Nature & Science</h4>
<p>The Denver Museum of Nature and Science recently built a cooler and a freezer to house its image collection. Film, photographic prints, and other materials had previously been stored in various locations around the museum, and staff wanted to consolidate the collection in climate-controlled spaces. When a major gift enabled the construction of a new wing, a local Spacesaver representative worked with museum staff and the architect to create a compact cold storage solution that would protect the collection, save space, improve organization and efficiency, and comply with applicable codes.</p>
<h2>Water</h2>
<p>Floods, leaky roofs, or slow drips from pipes can damage collections irreparably.</p>
<h6>How to Mitigate</h6>
<ul>
<li>Steel compactors can raise shelving 4”-6″ to help avoid shallow floods.</li>
<li>Metal shelving stands up to water better than wood or particle board.</li>
<li>Cabinets should have waterproof caps, rather than seams in the top.</li> 
</ul>
<h4>Leveling Up<br>
Ivy League University Art Gallery</h4>
<p>“I would say, in terms of disasters, the age-old wisdom that 90% of floods are four inches, so make sure your bottom shelf is off the floor. Make sure that you don’t have a reservoir of infestation under your cabinet, it’s off the ground for flood, for water, and for pests – that you can clean and inspect it.” – Deputy Director of Operations at the University</p> 
<h2>Fire</h2>
<p>Fire in itself can cause irreputable damage to collections. However, and just as damaging, is the resulting smoke and soot’s ability to destroy and stain objects. By utilizing sealed museum cabinets, you can provide a higher degree of protection for materials stored within, even if the room around them is covered in the fire’s remnants.</p>
<h6>How to Mitigate</h6>
<ul>
<li>Powder coat finish</li>
<li>Cabinet gasket seal</li>
<li>Corrugated panel</li>
<h4>Beating the Heat<br>
Cabinet Testing</h4>
<p>The 920 Series: Preservation Cabinet was sent to a federal agency for a burn workshop in the fall of 2018. Although the side of the cabinet reached approximately 900 degrees Celsius (1650 degrees Fahrenheit), items in plastic bags inside the cabinet were unaffected by smoke and soot. Additionally, no water from sprinkler discharge penetrated the cabinet.</p>
<h2>Other Contaminants</h2>
<h4>Radiation/Light</h4>
<p>Radiation from light waves can fade and embrittle your collection’s sensitive materials. Employing cabinet doors with annealed glass provides better visibility and UV protection for your materials.</p> 
<h6>How to Mitigate</h6>
<ul>
<li>UV Protected Glass</li>
<li>Block Out Windows</li>
<li>Sliding Art Racks</li>
</ul>
<h4>Pests</h4>
<p>Insects and rodents will do anything to find a way into storage systems in order to nest in and eat organic collections. Additionally, the development of mold can consume and stain organic material in improperly tempered conditions.</p>
<h6>How to Mitigate</h6>
<ul>
<li>White paint for easier detection of infestations</li>
<li>Seal interior and exterior doors, ductwork, and baseboards with door sweeps and caulk</li>
<li>Easy-to-clean interior configuration</li>
</ul>
<h2>Dissociation & Neglect</h2>
<p>When collections storage best practices are not maintained, objects can be separated from their records or other items in the collection.</p>
<h6>How to Mitigate</h6>
<ul>
<li>Organizing as much of a collection in one physical space as possible</li>
<li>Utilizing cabinets, drawers, widespan shelving, and hanging racks to accommodate several sizes of objects to be stored in close proximity while maintaining easy access.</li>
</ul>
<h4>Relative Humidity</h4>
<p>As different collections have different requirements, there is no one correct relative humidity level. Low relative humidity can lead to drying and cracking, while high relative humidity can encourage mold growth.</p>
<h6>How to Mitigate</h6>
<ul>
<li>Sealed cabinets can help maintain more constant climate condition. </li>
<li>Consult HVAC specialists, especially if your collections are housed in a historic building.</li>
</ul>

How the right storage solutions can help reduce the occurrence and impact of damage to your collections.

Agents of Deterioration in Museum Collections

How the right storage solutions can help mitigate damage and preserve history.

<h2>In a market where an average of only 3% of collections are on display at a time, curators are always looking for a solution to maximize their visual storage capability.</h2>

<p> After more than a year of product testing and development, Spacesaver has delivered that solution in its <a href="/products/art-racks/#modgliderpro">Mod-Glider Pro™</a>, the newest addition to its art rack portfolio.</p>

<p>Borne from insight gathered from industry professionals, the Mod-Glider Pro was designed with the end user in mind and focuses on the following product innovations: </p>

<h3>Ease of Movement</h3>
<p>Mod-Glider Pro’s lubricant-free slide design keeps art collections safe from contamination and allows for ease of screen extension, requiring minimal force to operate. Unloaded pullout art screens require no more than 15 lbs. pull force to start and continue screen-extension motion. Its floor guide rails require minimal floor anchoring to minimize intrusion and are positioned on either side of the screen to ensure smooth operation and alignment upon extension. </p>

<h3>Visibility Improvement</h3>
<p>One of the highest priorities in art storage is making a greater percentage of stored works accessible to staff and visible to patrons, achieved by periodically rotating collections on and off display. Spacesaver’s new, sleek punched triangle screen offers premium aesthetics and is perfect for front-of-house exhibitions and displays. Mod-Glider Pro is designed to fit most any space and store a myriad of hanging art and collections, while allowing for system growth and reconfiguration as collections change over time. </p>

<h3>Ease of Accessorizing</h3>
<p>Purpose-built accessories give you the flexibility to easily hang and display a wide array of collections of varying shapes and sizes. Designed specifically with end-user requirements in mind to seamlessly integrate with Spacesaver’s two new screen options – Welded Wire and Punched Triangle. Hooks and hanging accessories stay in position while you gently handle your artwork and navigate frame mounting hardware. </p>

<p><strong>Spacesaver’s Standard Hook</strong> offers adjustment on screen-pattern increments for both screen types. Rated to support weights of up to 165 lbs. each, hooks are made from heavy-duty steel and come standard in a zinc-plated finish.</p>

<p>For collections that require exact hook placement, <strong>Spacesaver’s Premium Hook</strong> offers finite adjustments left to right, and up and down. Rated to support weights of up to 165 lbs. each, these hooks are made from heavy-duty steel and come standard in a zinc-plated finish.</p>

<p><strong>Spacesaver’s Frame-Spanning Hook</strong> allows curators to use nearly every square inch of pullout art screen for storage or display. Rated to support weights of up to 165 lbs./frame-spanning hook assembly, these hooks are made from heavy-duty steel and come standard in a zinc-plated finish. To produce the highest aesthetic value, the spanning bracket will be powder-coat painted to match the color of the system selected.</p>

<p>Offering universal mounting holes and slots to secure and display a variety of 3D collections, <strong>Spacesaver’s Universal Shelf</strong> helps support heavier framed artwork when used in combination with hooks. Rated to support weights of up to 50 lbs./assembly for welded wire screens, and 100 lbs./assembly for punched triangle screens, the shelves can be powder-coat painted to match the color of the system.</p>

<p><strong>Spacesaver’s Rolled Textile roll</strong> is supported on each end by (2) textile mounting brackets with pins to secure it in place. Textile rolls are available in nominal lengths from 22” to 126” in increments of 8” and each textile roll is rated to withstand 50 lbs./assembly for welded wire screens, and 100 lbs./assembly for punched triangle screens, when under evenly distributed loads.</p>

<p><strong>Spacesaver’s Universal Mounting Brackets</strong> provide a basic screen attachment platform for custom storage solutions that support specific collections. Individual universal mounting brackets can be placed between shelves to improve strength and weight capacity and are rated to support weights of up to 25 lbs./bracket for welded wire screens, and 50 lbs./bracket for punched triangle screens.</p>

<h3>What Industry Professionals Are Saying</h3>
<p>At the <a href="https://annualmeeting.aam-us.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2022 AAM Annual Meeting &amp; Museum Expo in Boston</a>, we had the opportunity to showcase the <a>new Mod-Glider Pro</a>. Conservators, collections managers, curators, and private collectors loved the aesthetics and the breadth of accessories, as well as the ability to store more than just 2D art for both large and small institutions.</p>

<p>Most we spoke with were impressed by our new hook designs and how easily they can be installed and removed from screens, as well has how securely they remained affixed to the screens. Attendees were welcomed to test our new purpose-built standard hook versus a standard S-hook, and repeatedly demonstrated how our new purpose-built hooks held secure while the other fell off the screen. Many really liked the premium hook and its precise adjustment (left-to-right and up and down).</p>

<h2>Experience Innovative Art Storage</h2>
<p>Ready to Experience Innovative Art Storage? Our experts are ready to show you how smooth your transition to Spacesaver’s Mod-Glider Pro could be.</p>

Spacesaver’s Mod-Glider Pro™ brings next-level storage to art institutions.

Spacesaver Launches its New Modular Art Rack System

High-bay facilities aren’t only for storing books, journals, and other printed materials. As libraries and museums change to create new public spaces, off-site facilities also provide secure storage for art collections. Storing artwork in an off-site facility frees up space in on-campus libraries and museums while still providing full access to collections.

Here’s how two universities have recently consolidated artwork in off-site facilities to free up space on campus and provide the best conditions for collections storage. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]
<p style="margin: 0 auto;"><strong>University of Calgary</strong></p>

<h2>Off-site Storage for Campus Art Galleries</h2>
When the University of Calgary expanded the off-campus High-Density Library, the planning team worked with Spacesaver to design a separate space within the facility for storing the university’s extensive art collection. Art racks, shelving, and museum-quality trays keep artwork organized, protected, and accessible. Now curators from the university’s art galleries can easily visit the collections storage area to view and select works for display on campus.
<p style="margin-bottom: 0;"><strong><a href="/portfolio-posts/high-bay-library-design/">Curators can easily view and select items for display on campus.</a></strong></p>
[/vc_column_text][mk_button dimension="flat" size="large" url="/portfolio-posts/high-bay-library-design/" bg_color="#00b4b4" btn_hover_bg="#f16232" btn_hover_txt_color="#ffffff"]Read the Full Case Study[/mk_button][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][mk_padding_divider size="20"][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_column_text]<a href="/products/museum-storage-products/art-racks/"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-46722" src="https://www.spacesaver.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/archival-art-rack-storage-system.jpg" alt="archival art rack storage system" /></a>[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="/products/museum-storage-products/art-racks/">Nested Lateral Art Racks</a> for Hanging Art</p>
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_column_text]<a href="/products/high-density-mobile-shelving/off-site-archival-storage/"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-46724" src="https://www.spacesaver.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/art-shelves-dividing-rods.jpg" alt="art shelves diving rods" /></a>[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="/products/high-density-mobile-shelving/off-site-archival-storage/">High-Bay Shelving</a> with Rods for Framed Art Storage</p>
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_column_text]<a href="/products/commercial-metal-shelving/4-post-static-shelving/"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-46721" src="https://www.spacesaver.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/archival-shelves-drawers.jpg" alt="archival shelves drawers" /></a>[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
<p style="text-align: center;">Museum-Quality <a href="/products/commercial-metal-shelving/4-post-static-shelving/">Drawers &amp; Trays</a></p>
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/6"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="2/6"][vc_column_text]<a href="/products/commercial-metal-shelving/"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-46725" src="https://www.spacesaver.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/steel-archival-art-shelving.jpg" alt="steel archival art shelving" /></a>[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="/products/commercial-metal-shelving/">Steel Archival Shelving</a> for Boxes &amp; Bins</p>
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="2/6"][vc_column_text]<a href="/products/high-density-mobile-shelving/off-site-archival-storage/"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-46720" src="https://www.spacesaver.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/archival-film-storage-shelving.jpg" alt="archival film storage shelving" /></a>[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="/products/high-density-mobile-shelving/off-site-archival-storage/">Off-Site </a>Film Storage</p>
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/6"][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][mk_padding_divider][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]
<p style="margin: 0 auto;"><strong>Texas State University - San Marcos</strong></p>

<h2>Off-site Collection Preservation</h2>
The off-site collections preservation facility houses different kinds of materials, from printed materials to archival boxes to framed artwork. The facility was designed to maintain <a href="/portfolio-posts/special-collections-storage/">three separate preservation environments</a> according to the preservation needs of the collection and the comfort of staff and visiting researchers.
<p style="margin-bottom: 0;"><strong><a href="/portfolio-posts/special-collections-storage/">Off-site storage frees up space on campus.</a></strong></p>
[/vc_column_text][mk_button dimension="flat" size="large" url="/portfolio-posts/special-collections-storage/" bg_color="#00b4b4" btn_hover_bg="#f16232" btn_hover_txt_color="#ffffff"]Read the Full Case Study[/mk_button][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][mk_padding_divider size="20"][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_column_text]<a href="/products/museum-storage-products/art-racks/"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-46726" src="https://www.spacesaver.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/archival-collection-hanging-art-rack-storage.jpg" alt="archival collection hanging art rack storage" /></a>[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="/products/museum-storage-products/art-racks/">Compact Art Racks</a> for Hanging Art</p>
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_column_text]<a href="/products/high-density-mobile-shelving/"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-46727" src="https://www.spacesaver.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/climate-controlled-art-archive-storage-systems.jpg" alt="climate controlled art archive storage systems" /></a>[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="/products/high-density-mobile-shelving/">High-Density Mobile Shelving</a> Eliminating Wasted Aisle Space</p>
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_column_text]<a href="/products/high-density-mobile-shelving/off-site-archival-storage/"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-46728" src="https://www.spacesaver.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/art-off-site-archival-shelving-solution.jpg" alt="art off-site archival shelving solutions" /></a>[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
<p style="text-align: center;">Framed Art <a href="/products/high-density-mobile-shelving/off-site-archival-storage/">High-Bay Shelving</a> with Rods</p>
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][mk_padding_divider][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width="2/3"][vc_column_text]
<h3>Room to Grow</h3>
These purpose-designed buildings not only provide an exceptional preservation environment for works of art. They also use space efficiently to provide room to grow in the future. Carefully assess collections and estimate the volume of future acquisitions to ensure the facility will have plenty of space to accommodate growing collections.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Although high-bay facilities are expensive to build and operate, partnerships can help distribute the expense: <a href="/portfolio-posts/campus-libraries-transformed-off-site-library-shelving/">two campuses can share a facility</a>, for example, or a local museum can rent space from a library’s off-site facility.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3" css=".vc_custom_1626230358644{padding-top: 1rem !important;padding-right: 1rem !important;padding-left: 1rem !important;background-color: #5c6d7e !important;}"][vc_column_text]
<p class="whiteText" style="text-align: center; font-size: 1.2rem;">“Our university records and archives collection is growing exponentially, which is why we’ve moved to mobile shelving to increase our storage capacity.”</p>
<p class="whiteText" style="text-align: center; font-size: 0.8rem;">-Claudette Cloutier, the University of Calgary’s Associate University Librarian for Research and Learning Services</p>
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/4" el_class="sidebarCol"][mk_custom_sidebar sidebar="sidebar-2"][mk_custom_sidebar sidebar="ca-sidebar-40137"][/vc_column][/mk_page_section][mk_page_section bg_color="#3e4651" bg_stretch="true" video_loop="false" padding_top="40" padding_bottom="40" sidebar="sidebar-1"][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_column_text]
<h2 class="whiteText" style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 2.4rem; text-transform: uppercase!important;">Connect with the experts in off-site art storage</h2>
<p class="whiteText">Free up space on campus, in your library or archives, or in your museum. We can help design an efficient way to store art collections in an off-site facility. Your local Spacesaver consultant can meet with you on site or online, and there’s no cost or obligation.</p>
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<h3 class="whiteText">Next up in <a href="/category/museum-storage/">Museum Storage</a></h3>
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Consolidating, preserving, and accessing collections.

Designing High-Bay Facilities for Off-Site Art Storage

<p>The Art Preserve of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center was designed to store and display the center’s collection of artist-built environments. The planning and design teams worked closely with Spacesaver’s engineers to create storage solutions that would protect collections while also promoting accessibility and visibility. </p>

<h3><small>The Challenge</small><br>Consolidating and Displaying a Diverse Collection</h3>
<p>Many of the objects now featured at the Art Preserve were formerly stored in the John Michael Kohler Art Center’s underground storage facility and in off-site warehouses. The purpose of the Art Preserve was to consolidate these works under one roof, make them more accessible, and design exhibit spaces in a way that would give scholars and casual visitors a more complete sense of the environments that these artists created. <a href="/portfolio-posts/visible-storage-for-museum-collections/" target="_self">View the full case study for more photos</a>.</p>

<h3><small>The Solution</small><br>Storage and Display</h3>
<p>The design team worked with Spacesaver’s engineers to create visible storage solutions throughout the facility. Each artist’s work is presented in a tableau intended to mimic the environments they created.</p>

<p>Custom display cabinets protect items on display and provide secure access for authorized staff. Flat-file cabinets (also called “map cabinets”) preserve and organize small objects and works on paper.</p>

<h3><small>The Result</small><br>‘A Lively Space’</h3>
<p>The end result is an engaging, dynamic facility with room to grow. See the full case study to learn more. <a href="/blog/visible-storage-for-museum-collections/" target="_self">Get design tips and see more visible storage projects</a>.</p>

Creating an immersive environment for a unique collection.

Visible Storage in Exhibit Design

Creating an Immersive Environment for a Unique Collection

<p>Spacesaver offers a wide variety of safe and <a href="/products/museum-storage-products/art-racks/">durable art racks</a> that can be further engineered to withstand seismic events for applications in earthquake-prone areas. The result is an art storage solution that doubles down on safety and durability to help protect valuable collections. </p>


<p style="margin-bottom: 0;"><strong>The Challenge</strong></p>
<h2 style="margin-top: 0;">Designing an Art Rack System for a Seismically Active Area</h2>
<p>One example involves a client who purchased a competitor’s art rack system that unfortunately collapsed during an earthquake in the spring of 2020. Although no one was injured and none of the artwork suffered permanent damage, the client wanted to provide better protection in the future. Staff asked the Salt Lake City-based Spacesaver consultant to design a stronger, more durable solution. </p>

<p style="margin-bottom: 0;"><strong>The Solution</strong></p>
<h2 style="margin-top: 0;">Designing Extra-Sturdy Museum Art Racks for Hanging Art</h2>
<p>The consultant contacted Spacesaver’s engineering team to relay the client’s request, and the engineers combined two standard products to create an art rack system that was stronger and more compact than the competitor’s system that had failed. They designed a floor-mounted nested lateral art rack and then modified Spacesaver’s standard overhead anti-tip components to integrate with the art racks and accommodate their movement. </p>



Protecting museum collections in a seismically active area.

Extra-Sturdy Museum Art Racks

<p>At a time when museum professionals are seeking new and meaningful ways
    to engage visitors, the concept of visible storage has emerged as a practical
    way to promote better access while also protecting collections. Because
    exhibition space is limited, and because many museums keep the majority
    of their holdings in storage, visible storage allows visitors, donors,
    and board members to gain a better understanding of a collection’s breadth
    and depth.</p>
<p>In order to be successful over the long term, visible storage projects
    must balance access and openness with the need to maintain optimal preservation
    environments and provide secure storage for collections. Over the years
    we’ve developed a design process that helps guide stakeholders’ thinking
    as they consider renovations or new construction that incorporates visible
    storage. Here’s how we’ve helped a variety of museums ensure that their
    collections are more accessible in the present, while also being preserved
    for future generations.</p>
	<h2>How to design visible storage for museum collections.</h2>

<p></p>
	<h2>1. Consider the needs of your collection</h2>

<ul>
    <li>Conduct an inventory.</li>
    <li>Describe the preservation requirements of various items in your collection.
        Make special note of particularly rare or delicate items that require extra-special
        attention.</li>
</ul>
<p></p>
	<h2>2. Consider the physical space</h2>

<ul>
    <li>How much square footage is available?</li>
    <li>Within that area, what obstructions are present, like structural columns
        or ductwork?</li>
    <li>How much vertical space is available?</li>
    <li>How do people work in the space? How would people prefer to work in the
        space in the future?</li>
</ul>
<p></p>
	<h2>3. Consider Visibility</h2>

<ul>
    <li>Referring back to your inventory, identify items that are candidates for
        visible storage.</li>
    <li>Think about various ways that these items could be displayed in visible
        storage while still maintaining an optimal preservation environment and
        ensuring security.</li>
    <li>Get design inspiration from other museums’ visible storage projects.
        <a
        href="#visibleCollectionAreas">Scroll down to see our favorites</a>.</li>
</ul>
<p>Need help? Connect with the museum collections storage experts at Spacesaver.
    A <a href="/contact-us/">free consultation</a> is the best way to start exploring
    your options.</p>	<a href="https://www.spacesaver.com/contact-us/">Contact Us</a>
    
    	<h3>Here are 5 ways that institutions have incorporated visible storage into their collections areas</h3>

	<h2>University Art Study Center</h2>

<p>This university had been assembling a diverse art collection since the
    early 1800s, but the collection was largely inaccessible to the campus
    community and the general public. In order to upgrade to modern storage
    standards and incorporate thousands of objects into teaching and study
    programs, the university created an art study center featuring visible
    storage. The architect specified <a href="/products/museum-storage-products/museum-storage-cabinets/">locking museum cabinets with glass doors</a> to
    protect stored objects while also allowing students and visitors to view
    collections.</p>
    
    	<h3>Natural History Museum</h3>

<p>The construction of a new museum provided staff at this institution with
    the opportunity to give visitors a glimpse into the research conducted
    by scientists and visiting scholars in the collections storage areas. They
    devised an innovative solution that integrates the collections area with
    public display space. The area provides researchers with convenient access
    to a small, climate-controlled portion of the storage area on one side
    of glass partitions, and the <a href="/products/high-density-mobile-shelving/">specially constructed Spacesaver carriages</a> provide
    a platform for an exhibit that teaches the public about the importance
    of specimen collection and preservation.</p>
    
    	<h3>Cultural Museum</h3>

<p>Staff at this museum worked with the local Spacesaver consultant to design
    an innovative way to protect the institution’s pottery collection while
    also promoting visibility. The collections are stored on <a href="/products/high-density-mobile-shelving/">Spacesaver compactors</a> that
    are fitted with special end panels that allow display pieces to be viewed
    from the gallery. In addition to making more of the collection visible
    to the public, this arrangement has allowed staff to better control temperature
    and humidity in the collections storage area, and it provides additional
    security and seclusion for culturally sensitive items. The visible storage
    solution allows even the most casual museum visitors to gain a better appreciation
    for the collection’s importance.</p>
	<h3>Art &amp; Science Museum</h3>

<p>A generous donor challenged this museum to design and build a new wing
    dedicated to visible storage. With the objective to display as much of
    their collection as possible, the museum’s staff and architects worked
    with the local Spacesaver consultant to make smart use of the space. The
    design concept called for <a href="/products/museum-storage-products/art-racks">art racks</a> (also
    called art screens), black shelving, and creative lighting to make the
    objects in the collection stand out. Plexiglass maintains security.</p>
    
    	<h3>Contemporary Art Museum</h3>

<p>The curatorial staff at this contemporary art museum wanted a visible
    storage solution to supplement exhibitions with sketches, references, and
    other two-dimensional works that would complement art on more prominent
    display. <a href="/products/museum-storage-products/archival-flat-file-storage/">Flat file cabinets with glass tops</a> provide
    the perfect solution: the cabinets lock to secure contents and keep artwork
    organized, while the UV-coated glass tops protect artwork and allow visitors
    to view what’s stored inside.</p>