A New Perspective On The Past
The legacy of a region can be presented in many shapes, sizes, and forms. To best present the evidence of their community’s past and share its story, institutions employ historians and curators who have dedicated their lives to uncovering and understanding the individuals and events that shaped their locality. Day after day, these knowledgeable professionals take patrons on a guided journey through their respective region’s past. But what would happen if they weren’t available to do this?
This is a question the Vermont Historical Society (VHS) sought to answer in developing its hybrid exhibit/open storage space centered around allowing patrons to play the role of historian when interacting with the artifacts they display. Having identified the space that could bring this vision to life, the VHS reached out to their local Spacesaver representatives for support in securing their priceless artifacts and doing so in a manner that offers increased access and visibility for patrons and staff.
Spacesaver's Museum Storage Solutions
No matter what shape, size, or condition, Spacesaver has a storage system to properly preserve your historic artifacts.
Spacesaver's Museum Storage Solutions
No matter what shape, size, or condition, Spacesaver has a storage system to properly preserve your historic artifacts.
A Clear Example of Immersive History
Like any facility focused on preserving the past, the Vermont Historical Society has a constant need for increased storage capacity as they are continually adding artifacts to their collection of over 30,000 pieces and counting. The building that the Vermont Historical Society resides in originated as a high school in the 1890s, was transformed into a middle school in the 1950s, and was converted to become the home of VHS (along with other entities) in the 1990s. As such, it features a unique layout including columns, HVAC systems, and non-uniform room sizes – further emphasizing the value of partnering with a full-service provider that could maximize the utility of the building’s finite footprint while achieving their goal of creating a hybrid exhibit/open storage space.
From the VHS's move into the building, staff had a clear idea of what the space should look like and how they would like it to function. However, without the funding to act upon it, they chose to configure the space as an exhibition gallery that could showcase a portion of their collections. Knowing continually rotating artifacts was time consuming for staff and potentially damaging to pieces due to overhandling – in addition to restrictions limiting visitors during the pandemic – VHS started to rethink how to best bring value with the space. This review led them to look back to original design plans that centered around open storage and allowing patrons to play the role of historian when interacting with artifacts.
Secure Solutions For Hands-On Access
When discussing which solutions to integrate within the space, there was a strong emphasis on choosing systems that would offer the greatest visibility into the pieces VHS is sharing. Because artifacts would be on exhibit longer than traditional galleries, VHS also wanted the safest storage for their items. Taking these ideas and the Society’s mission to provide access for all into consideration, our reps chose an array of secure storage solutions to accommodate pieces of all sizes within VHS's collections.
"It’s always a concern when you put something on view that allows a member of the public to have closer access to it than when it was in storage and that something would happen to it, but that is the risk we take. The artifacts do not belong to us, they belong to the public."
- Katie Grant, Museum Collections Manager
The entire gallery is setup with QR codes to allow for education programs and self-discovery without needing a staff member present to guide the journey. This allows patrons to access not only the approximately 1,500 items within the space, but also VHS's entire online collection, to choose their own learning adventure and find the perfect mix of artifacts for what they are looking to encounter that day.
Protecting Collections and Saving Space
Let Spacesaver help you design your space from the inside out to create the ideal solution for the visibility and security of your collections.
Protecting Collections and Saving Space
Let Spacesaver help you design your space from the inside out to create the ideal solution for the visibility and security of your collections.
Delivering Timeless Support
Spacesaver and our nationwide network of local experts understand that renovating a space or building new can be an intricate process. Our experts have the necessary experience to deliver the solutions you need to create a storage system that will securely display and protect your collections now and into the future. As you think about designing the layout of your current or future space, contact us to arrange a free consultation. Our experts will provide valuable insight and inspiration they’ve gained helping other organizations complete similar projects.
