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<h2>Methods of Conservation for Artifacts Storage</h2>
<p>As collections expand, space constraints can hinder staff work areas and compromise environmental conditions for artifacts. This blog explores effective strategies and solutions for maximizing storage space, highlighting how Spacesaver storage systems can aid <a href="/museums" aria-label="museum storage solutions">museums</a> in preserving their heritage for future generations.</p>
<h2>An Off-Site Facility to Keep Centuries of History On-Hand </h2>
<p>Preserving history is an important task that doesn’t always take top priority until it is too late. For the State of Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the challenge of storing and preserving Michigan’s historical artifacts in an off-site facility was significant. The shift toward a more organized and space-efficient storage method speaks volumes to the transformation that Spacesaver’s innovative solutions can offer. Our local rep was able to help the Museum properly store <a href="/case-study/dnr-heritage-artifacts-storage" aria-label="dnr install story">centuries worth of artifacts</a> within the same off-site facility by utilizing <a href="/products/high-density-mobile-systems" aria-label="high-density mobile system product details">High-Density Mobile Systems</a> with <a href="/products/shelving/4-post-case-type-shelving" aria-label="4 post shelving product details">4-Post shelving</a>. </p>
<h4>Maximize Artifacts Storage Space </h4>
<p>Running out of available space, <a href="/case-study/historical-mansion-adds-efficient-archive-storage" aria-label="mansion install story">Blithewold Mansion, in Bristol, Rhode Island</a>, faced a similar challenge, ultimately needing a better way to keep track of all of the materials being stored. Once the summer home of the affluent Van Wickle family, Blithewold Mansion has now been transformed to a <a href="/museums/local-history" aria-label="local museum storage details">local museum</a>, accessible to the public, with museum storage for their ever-growing collection of artifacts. </p>
<h3>Restoring Your Artifacts’ Storage Strategy</h3>
<ol>
<li>Are your artifacts crammed? Are they poorly accessible? If the answer is yes, your <a href="/museums" aria-label="museum storage solutions">space is reaching its limits</a>.</li>
<li>Make the most of every cubic inch of your storage space by scheduling an assessment with your <a href="/partners" aria-label="spacesaver network details">local Spacesaver museum consultant</a>.</li>
<li>Discover how our customized approach not only maximizes your artifacts storage space but also safeguards your heritage. <a href="/contact-us" aria-label="contact us">Contact Spacesaver today</a>.</li>
</ol>
<h2>A Testament of Time</h2> 
<p>The examples above stand as a testament to the transformative power of Spacesaver’s innovative storage solutions, showcasing the impactful results achieved through collaboration and visionary planning. Spacesaver's dedication to preserving heritage goes beyond traditional storage, offering customizable solutions to safeguard history right where you are, no matter the size of your museum.  </p>

From Local to State Historical Museums, exhibitions of all sizes deserve the same amount of care when it comes to preserving their artifacts. See how Spacesaver’s storage solutions provide for museums of all sizes. 

Supporting Artifact Storage Facilities at Near Capacity

Storage solutions for preserving historical artifacts in limited spaces.

<h3><small>The Challenge</small><br>Optimize Collections Storage Space</h3>
<p>The planning team for a new science and technology museum needed to optimize space and ensure that collections would be protected and accessible. Traditional cabinets often come in standard heights, with empty space above them in tall-ceilinged rooms. With tens of thousands of 3D museum objects to store, wasting space wasn’t an option in this facility.</p>

<h3><small>The Solution</small><br>Nantucket Drawers & Trays</h3>
<p>The planning team found that one of the most efficient solutions was using Spacesaver’s Nantucket Trays and Drawers on <a href="/products/commercial-metal-shelving/4-post-static-shelving/">4-Post shelving</a> and extra-wide trays on <a href="/products/commercial-metal-shelving/raptorrac-wide-span-shelving/">RaptorRAC® Widespan Shelving</a>.</p>
<p>The units were mounted on <a href="/products/high-density-mobile-shelving/">high-density mobile systems</a> to save even more space.</p>

<h3><small>The Result</small><br>Saved Space, Saved Money &amp; Improved Accessibily</h3>
<p>The system not only saved space; staff were relieved to find that the space-saving solution also improved their ability to find, retrieve, and study stored objects. “We can’t believe how easy it is to find pieces now,” said the collections manager. “And the drawer units are so accessible: you can pull them out and the piece is right in front of you.</p>
<p>The new collections storage spaces have an expansive, open feel, with plenty of room to study objects right where they’re stored. “The sheer amount of space in the drawer-and-shelving units is truly impressive,” he said. “I can’t even tell you how much space we’ve saved.”</p>
<p>On top of all the other benefits, the trays and drawers saved money, too. “Converting from our old map cabinets to the drawer units was both a space savings and a major cost savings,” said the collections manager. </p>

Nantucket Trays and Drawers save space, save money, and keep museum collections accessible.

Storing 3D Artifacts in a Museum

<h3><small>Challenge</small><br>Running out of space for county archives records storage</h3>
<p>County government archives store modern and historic documents like atlases, plat records, court documents, marriage records, and many other materials that are often required by state law to be preserved on paper. These archives hold a treasure trove of information and, because they’re public records, they must be made available to staff, researchers, the general public, or to the media upon request. </p>

<h3>4-Post Shelving</h3>
<p>Learn how interchangeable accessories simplify storage.</p>

<p>Storing an ever-expanding collection of printed materials is a challenge. The county government archives facility pictured here had been housed in a Victorian mansion for decades, and archivists were running out of room to store documents from 26 agencies in the county. </p>

<p>When the archives received approval to build out a new facility within an existing building, the planning team called on Spacesaver. They had 35,000 square feet of space designated for records storage and they wanted to:</p>
<ul>
<li>Invest in durable solutions</li>
<li>Protect materials</li>
<li>Keep materials organized and easily accessible</li>
<li>Design space with room to grow</li>
</ul>

<h3><small>Related case study</small><br><a href="/portfolio-posts/preserving-texas-history-with-spacesaver-archives-storage/">Texas State Archives</a></h3>
<p>See photos of a well-designed government archives with creative storage solutions. <br><a href="/portfolio-posts/preserving-texas-history-with-spacesaver-archives-storage/" target="_self">See Story</a>.</p>

<h3><small>The Solution</small><br>Well-designed archives storage</h3>
<p>The Cleveland-based Spacesaver consultant spent weeks assessing the archival materials that needed to be stored and drawing up plans for the space. By counting items, measuring them, and weighing them, he and the staff were able to design efficient, durable storage solutions that would stand the test of time. At the archivists’ request, he designed the new shelving to store items by type, size, and agency.</p>

<p>The new space features <a href="/products/commercial-metal-shelving/4-post-static-shelving/">Spacesaver’s 4-Post shelving</a> and file drawers. To avoid wasting space, the shelving is configured according to the size of stored items, and the shelving can easily be reconfigured over time if needs change.</p>


Government Archives Storage: Complete Solutions for County Archives

Complete Solutions for County Archives

<p>Imagine a museum collections area in perfect order: everything has its place, with no disorganization or overcrowding. Even recently acquired items are seamlessly integrated into storage, right where they belong. There’s even room to grow in the future!</p>
<p>You can start creating that space today — for yourself and for your colleagues decades down the road. </p>

<h3>An Interior that Changes with Your Collections</h3>
<p>The <a href="/products/museum-storage-products/museum-preservation-cabinets/">Spacesaver 920 Series: Preservation Cabinet</a>&nbsp;offers a unique combination of versatility and strength. For instance, you can fill it with trays today, and years from now, after collections have grown or changed, your future colleagues can reconfigure it with drawers, hanging rods, or other accessories.</p>
<p class="popmake-49589 pum-trigger" style="color: rgb(0, 180, 180); font-weight: bold; cursor: pointer;">Want to get the details on our most popular configurations? Download the Guide.</p>

<h3>Store More as Museum Collections Grow</h3>
<p>These modular cabinets can help add storage capacity in the future, too. Set them on the floor or mount them on casters at first, and years later they can be stacked or placed on <a href="/products/high-density-mobile-shelving/">compact mobile systems</a> to save space and create more room for growing collections.</p>

Versatile museum cabinets optimize space now & in the future.

Museum Collection Storage

<p>As beautiful as they are functional, <a href="/products/museum-cabinets" aria-label="museum cabinet product details">Spacesaver Museum Cabinets</a> have been blurring the lines between public and private museum spaces for decades. Now <a href="/products/museum-cabinets/preservation-cabinet" aria-label="preservation cabinet product details">920 Series: Preservation Cabinets</a> are displaying collections in public exhibit spaces. With reconfigurable interiors, glass doors, locking handles for security, and optional illumination, these cabinets can bring versatility and a new level of collections protection to public areas in any museum.</p>
<p>In traditional museums, only a relatively small number of collections items are on exhibit at any given time. Some museums, though, are helping visitors better understand collections by putting more stored items on public display. Those museums face a challenge: <a href="/blog/visible-storage-for-museum-collections" aria-label="visible museum storage story">visible storage</a> needs to display items while still protecting them from dust, pests, curious museum-goers, damaging UV light, and fluctuations in heat and humidity. </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Illuminated 920 Series: Preservation Cabinets are integrated into exhibit space.</p>
<p>“The Great Collections Experiment explores new ways of displaying and sharing more of the amazing, priceless and sometimes quirky objects in our vast collection.”<br />
– Ohio History Center</p>
<p>To protect items while they’re on display in exhibit areas, the Ohio History Center purchased illuminated <a href="/products/museum-cabinets/preservation-cabinet" aria-label="preservation cabinet product details">920 Series: Preservation Cabinets</a> to store military arms and uniforms. The cabinets’ interiors can be reconfigured in the future to display different items in the collection, and they can also be bolted together or mounted on <a href="/products/high-density-mobile-systems/standard-mobile-system" aria-label="high dnesity mobile system product details">high-density mobile systems</a> to gain storage capacity in the future. The cabinets lock to ensure security in the public exhibit rooms.</p>
<p>Spacesaver provided the LED lighting, which is powered via a typical 120v/12v transformer power source with a switch. Because LED have no UV or heat output, it doesn’t damage collections like daylight or incandescent light does. The client specified the LED light temperature, which is 2700K.</p>

Versatile, visible storage in an Ohio Museum

Museum Cabinets in Exhibit Design

<p>The biggest challenge in planning a collections area is usually dealing with future uncertainty: How will collections grow over time? Could collecting priorities shift in a few years? Will we ever get more room to expand collections storage?</p>
<p>Staff at the Frazier Museum in Louisville, Kentucky, faced some of those questions as well. </p>


<h3>A Cramped Collections Area</h3>
<p>Housed in a former tobacco warehouse that was built in 1898, the Frazier Museum has shifted focus over the past couple of decades. As a result, its collecting priorities and its collections have changed.</p>
<p>What hasn’t changed are the architectural constraints in the museum’s collections storage area. Large structural columns break up the space. Ductwork drops down from the low ceiling. In the past, inefficient static shelving filled the area. Staff knew something needed to be done to improve the space and add capacity, while still maintaining convenient access to all the objects in the collection.</p>

<h3>Custom Museum Storage Cabinets Optimize Space</h3>
<p>To optimize space throughout the collections area, museum staff worked with the local Spacesaver consultant to design cabinets, art racks, and a high-density mobile system that work around the basement’s space limitations.</p>

<p>Because the museum’s collections will continue to grow and change, the project team selected <a href="/products/museum-storage-products/museum-collection-storage-cabinets/">Spacesaver 920: Series Preservation Cabinet</a>&nbsp;with reconfigurable interiors. The custom museum storage cabinets are currently fitted with drawers, but in the future the drawers could be swapped out for hanging rods, trays, or other accessories.</p>

<p>Cabinets and shelving are mounted on mobile “carriages” and were designed to fit perfectly under protruding ductwork. One of the cabinets is also narrower than the others to allow it to fit in limited space. <a href="https://www.spacesaver.com/products/museum-storage-products/art-racks/">Art racks</a> with custom mounts are attached to the structural columns, turning unused space into storage for framed art. </p>

<h3>Designed for Future Flexibility</h3>
<p>The new collections equipment is a vast improvement over the cramped shelving that previously filled the space. Every object in the collection now has a home, and staff also have room to store shipping and conservation supplies right where they’re needed.</p>
<p>Best of all, the room provides future flexibility. With reconfigurable cabinets and room to add new cabinets and shelving as the collection grows, the museum will be able to pursue its mission for years to come.</p>

Reconfigurable Interiors for a Changing Collection

Custom Museum Storage Cabinets

<p>Spacesaver helps protect collections in museums of all shapes and sizes, even when they’re located in places that were never intended to be used as museums. The USS Yorktown, for example, was an aircraft carrier before being decommissioned by the US Navy fifty years ago. It’s now anchored at Patriot’s Point near Charleston, S.C., where it serves as a maritime museum.</p>
<p>Among the artifacts stored on board is a collection of flags that commemorate the ship and the times during which it sailed. Finding a way to organize and properly store the museum’s historic flags was a challenging task, especially given the oddly shaped spaces that were designated for museum storage onboard the vessel.</p>

<p>Museum staff worked with the nearby Spacesaver consultant to design a storage system for the flags that makes the most of limited space in one of the storage areas. They designed seven <a href="/products/rolled-textile-racks/">cantilever rolled textile racks</a>, which can be precisely configured to accommodate flags of various sizes. Most of the racks feature five levels of textile rolls per side, but the ship’s mechanical systems created obstructions in some areas, creating the need for only four levels on some sides.</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When the time came to install the racks, they were gently lowered, piece by piece, down the ship’s stairs and around tight corners. Factory-certified technicians from the nearby Spacesaver distributorship&nbsp; assembled them on site. </span></p>




Rolled textile racks optimize limited space.

Flag Storage on a Shipboard Museum

Rolled textile racks help optimize limited space.

<p>Long-term storage of large textiles such as flags, rugs, and quilts presents special challenges for museums. Folding textiles and storing them away for years on end can lead to permanent creasing and cracking along the folds.</p>
<p>To avoid such damage, these items can be stored flat in large drawers or rolled onto tubes.</p>

<h2 style="margin-bottom: 0;">Design Challenge</h2>
<h3 style="margin-top: 0;">Optimize Space in Collections Area</h3>

<p>They knew they wanted <a href="/products/museum-storage-products/museum-storage-cabinets/">Spacesaver cabinets</a> with rolled textile drawers, and they knew they would need exceptionally large drawers and cabinets to accommodate the flags. They also wanted to mount the cabinets on <a href="/products/high-density-mobile-shelving/">Spacesaver high-density mobile systems</a> (often called “compactors”) to optimize space in the collections area. Finally, they wanted to take advantage of the tall ceilings in the collections area by adding storage capacity above the cabinets.</p>


<p>Staff at this national military museum wanted to optimize space in their collections storage area while creating the best possible preservation environment for large flags. To reach their goal, they worked with their Washington D.C.-based Spacesaver consultant to use a variety of Spacesaver products in creative ways.</p>

Saving space and preserving military flags.

Case Study: Rolled Textile Drawers for Museum Collections

<p>Archives and museum collections often store fragile and volatile materials that require flat storage, isolation, and / or special ventilation requirements. For example, early printing processes for diazotypes and blueprints resulted in residual chemicals that are harmful to the prints themselves and to other materials stored in proximity. Recommended preservation storage for these materials often involves separate, protected storage and increased ventilation.</p>


<h3>Flat-File Cabinets with Ventilation</h3>
<p>Spacesaver’s custom engineering and manufacturing capabilities are helping archives staff at a southern California county responsibly store their large collection of historic diazotype maps, plans, and oversized documents. When the design team was working on a new building to house the county’s archives and other offices, archives staff expressed the desire for flat-file cabinets to store and isolate fragile oversized documents without folding or rolling. They also wanted perforations to promote ventilation and increased circulation to prevent further deterioration, but they hadn’t been able to find museum-quality perforated flat-file cabinets on the market.</p>

<p>Perforated flat-file cabinets provide ventilation for historic diazotypes and other documents.</p>

<h3>Collection Preservation through Storage Solutions</h3>
<p>The design consultant on the project suggested working with Spacesaver’s engineering team to create a solution. They modified Spacesaver’s standard <a href="https://www.spacesaver.com/products/museum-storage-products/archival-flat-file-storage/">flat-file cabinet</a> to create a flat-file cabinet with perforations in the front and back of each drawer, as well as a perforated back panel on the back of the cabinet. The design allows the cabinets to retain their structural integrity while promoting ventilation.</p>
<p>These special flat-file cabinets are available to preserve materials that require flat storage and increased ventilation.</p>

	

Storing fragile, chemically unstable materials.

Perforated Flat-File Cabinets

<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

<h2>Consolidating Collections and Storing Rolled Textiles</h2>

<p>Our newest case study features a federal agency based in Washington, D.C.,
    that maintains on-site museums in every state. One of its <a href="/portfolio-posts/rolled-textile-storage-federal-agency-collections-facility/">largest regional collections facilities</a>,
    located in suburban Maryland, supports a variety of collections care functions,
    including collections storage for regional museums, artifact preparation
    and restoration, and temporary storage of collections threatened by flooding
    and other natural disasters.</p>

<h3>The system has room for future growth, and additional rails and storage equipment can be added when the existing cabinets and textile racks are full.</h3>

<p style="text-align: center;">Avoid creases and wrinkles on flags, quilts, and other large textiles by storing them on <a href="/products/rolled-textile-racks/">rolled textile racks</a>.</p>

<p style="text-align: center;">The rolled textile racks pictured are fully adjustable and can bear approximately 700 pounds per rack.</p>

<p>In order to develop the most efficient plan for one area of the building
    dedicated to storing rolled textiles and small artifact storage, the manager
    worked with his staff, visited other museum collections care facilities,
    and talked with his local Spacesaver consultant, who had worked on other
    museum projects at the facility and around the D.C. area.</p>
<p>Because the collection consisted of a large number of three-dimensional
    artifacts as well as flags and other textiles, the planning team decided
    to purchase <a href="/products/museum-storage-products/museum-storage-cabinets/">Spacesaver cabinets</a> and
    <a
    href="/products/rolled-textile-racks/">rolled textile racks</a>and install them on <a href="/products/high-density-mobile-shelving/">Spacesaver compacting carriages</a>.
        This creative solution has resulted in a clean, compact preservation environment
        that’s organized, accessible, and reconfigurable.</p>

A federal agency uses cabinets and rolled textile racks to optimize space and provide long-term collections storage.

Storing Rolled Textiles at a Federal Agency's Collections Facility


<p>Libraries, archives, and other institutions often have three-dimensional objects in their special collections that must be documented, organized, and protected, but that can’t be stored on standard library shelving or in flat file cabinets. These objects often need protection from dust and potential breakage but don’t require the sealed environment that a museum cabinet provides.</p>
<p>To provide many of the benefits of a museum cabinet without the expense of sealed doors, Spacesaver has developed a unique solution: our <a href="/products/commercial-metal-shelving/4-post-static-shelving/">4-Post shelving</a> can be fitted with locking doors and with inserts that accept trays.</p>

<h3>Museum-Quality Trays</h3>

<p>Inserts and trays are the same museum-quality accessories that are used
    in our sealed museum cabinets, with all the robust quality you expect from
    Spacesaver. Inserts can be adjusted on 2” increments without special tools,
    allowing you to reconfigure tray spacing as needed. Add more trays as your
    collection grows.</p>
<ul>
    <li>Sturdy</li>
    <li>Reconfigurable</li>
    <li>Easy to Use</li>
</ul>

<p>Need the full protection offered by a sealed museum cabinet? Learn more about our reconfigurable <a href="https://www.spacesaver.com/products/museum-storage-products/museum-collection-storage-cabinets/">Preservation Cabinet</a>.</p>
<h3>Door Options</h3>

<p>These doors are not sealed, but they do protect objects from dust and
    light and their optional locks can secure your collections. Choose from
    our full range of 4-Post Frame-Mounted Doors:</p>
    
    <h3 style="margin-bottom: 0;">Spotlight</h3>

<h2 style="margin-top: 0;">Affordable Museum ‘Cabinets’ for a College Library</h2>

<p>Special collections receive special care at Harper College in Palatine,
    Illinois. When the college obtained funding for a new library, faculty
    and staff worked with their architect and their local Spacesaver consultant
    to design a secure room to store archives and special collections.</p>
<p>Most printed materials were housed on compact mobile shelving, but the
    college also needed to store odd-sized items including plaques, dinnerware,
    and other objects associated with the institution’s history.</p>
    
    <p>Due to budget constraints, and because the objects didn’t need the extensive
    protection offered by museum cabinets, library staff opted to install
    <a
    href="/products/commercial-metal-shelving/4-post-static-shelving/">Spacesaver’s 4-Post shelving</a>fitted with single-wall doors, keyed locks,
        and slide-out museum trays. The trays fully extend, allowing researchers
        to view objects without disturbing them, and the locks provide an additional
        layer of security.</p>
<p>As the collection grows over time, the trays can be raised or lowered
    without special tools, allowing staff to adjust tray spacing to maximize
    space and accommodate objects of different heights. They can also purchase
    additional trays at a later date.</p>
<p>The end result is an affordable museum cabinet alternative that protects
    collections and can be reconfigured over time.</p>


Museum trays and drawers in shelving units.

An Affordable Museum Cabinet Alternative

Museum trays and drawers in shelving units

<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.