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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.

<h4 style="margin-bottom: 0;">MUSEUM Q&amp;A</h4>
<h3 style="margin-top: 0;">How should we store oversized objects in our museum collection?</h3>
<p>Sometimes a museum’s mission to protect and preserve artifacts, artwork, or natural history specimens results in the need to store a variety of exceptionally large or heavy objects. These objects can be cumbersome and difficult to store.</p>
<p>Fortunately, your local Spacesaver museum planning consultant can design compact <a href="/products/high-density-mobile-shelving/">mobile storage systems</a> to optimize space and keep large objects organized and protected, just as they would for a typical museum collection. Spacesaver’s mobile systems eliminate empty aisles to promote the efficient use of space while also maintaining the highest standards of organization, accessibility, and preservation.</p>


	<p>In the past, some people simply suggested storing large museum objects like furniture or farm implements on the floor. Today most experts agree you should never store any museum object directly on the floor, due to the risk of damage from flooding or water seepage, mildew, pests, or other hazards. Shelving or compact storage systems get objects up off the floor and away from potential damage.</p>
<p>When space is a concern, heavy-duty compact storage systems can be used to compactly store even the largest museum objects like furniture, natural history specimens, farm implements, and more.</p>

<h3>Industrial-strength mobile systems optimize space for even the heaviest museum objects</h3>


<h3 >Heavy-duty Preservation</h3>
<p>The Naval Undersea Museum uses an <a href="/products/high-density-mobile-shelving/heavy-duty-mobile-racking/">ActivRAC system</a> to store torpedoes that weigh thousands of pounds. <a href="/portfolio-posts/torpedoes-heavy-duty-storage-solution/">Read the Story</a>.</p>

<script src="https://fast.wistia.com/embed/medias/bngm77kyyy.jsonp" async></script><script src="https://fast.wistia.com/assets/external/E-v1.js" async></script><div class="wistia_responsive_padding" style="padding:57.19% 0 0 0;position:relative;"><div class="wistia_responsive_wrapper" style="height:100%;left:0;position:absolute;top:0;width:100%;"><div class="wistia_embed wistia_async_bngm77kyyy videoFoam=true mute=true" style="height:100%;position:relative;width:100%">&nbsp;</div></div></div>



<h3>Moveable Museum Collections</h3>
<p>This museum uses <a href="/products/high-density-mobile-shelving/heavy-duty-mobile-racking/">Spacesaver’s ActivRAC® Mobilized Storage System</a> and Industrial Cantilever to store horse-drawn buggies, farm implements, and snowmobiles.</p>


<h3>Widespan Museum Shelving</h3>
<p>The Field Museum uses <a href="/products/commercial-metal-shelving/raptorrac-wide-span-shelving/">RaptorRAC® Widespan Shelving</a> to store large natural history specimens. The shelving is mounted on compact mobile storage systems to save space. <a href="/portfolio-posts/museum-storage-compact-shelving/">Read the Story</a>.</p>



<p>In addition to compact mobile systems, Spacesaver offers a range of other
    sturdy museum storage solutions, including widespan shelving and custom
    solutions like the industrial cantilever racking pictured above. As with
    all our museum offerings, these products are coated in non-off-gassing
    powder-coat paint and are engineered for safety and ease of access.</p>
	<h3>Products used in these museums:</h3>

<ul>
    <li><a href="/products/high-density-mobile-shelving/heavy-duty-mobile-racking/">ActivRAC® Mobilized Storage System</a>
    </li>
    <li><a href="/products/commercial-metal-shelving/raptorrac-wide-span-shelving/">Widespan Shelving</a>
    </li>
    <li>Industrial Cantilever</li>
</ul>

Saving space and protecting artifacts and specimens, no matter the size.

Storage for Oversized Museum Collections

<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>

Increase engagement & protect collections with visible storage.

Science & Technology Museum

Agents of Deterioration in Museum Collections

Storage for Oversized Museum Collections

Visible Storage for Museum Collections