Museum Collection Storage & Processing Collections

" Collection care is costly, time-consuming, and relatively 'invisible' to those who are not intimately acquainted with museum work. As a result, when budgets are being discussed or donors are being approached, collection care is usually the dowdy stepsister who is expected to defer to her more appealing siblings: public programing, new construction, marketing."

- Marie Malaro, from A Legal Primer on Managing Museum Collections (1998)

What is museum collection storage?

Museum collection storage is both a space and a process.

It is space that you dedicate to storing museum objects, natural specimens and archival items. It is space that is either designed or upgraded for the maximum protection and optimum use of collection.
It is the process of properly containing and caring for the collection while it is in the collection storage space. Each decision you make about storage should consider how changes will affect the various materials in the collection.

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Facility & Space

Suitable and sufficient space
Various rooms if possible
Separate Heating, Ventilation and Air Condition system from the rest of the building with a backup generator. It’s important to maintain a consistent temperature and humidity in collection storage.
Size- Incorporate aisles at least 48" wide between rows of equipment; this width allows safe handling and movement of drawers, cabinet doors, and larger objects.
Construction Features
- Doors/Window- Should have few exterior doors and windows
- Loading Dock and high floor capacity (at least 250 pounds per square foot)
- Building Materials should be able to keep out the elements
Metal shelving (no wood shelving= off gases acids & peroxides), raised off of floor 4-6” for cleaning and pest inspection, stabilized (bolted to floor.)

Why should my collection storage space be used exclusively for storing collections?

Separate curatorial office, work, and research spaces from the space housing your museum collection to minimize environmental impacts on the objects and security risks. Refrain from combining storage space with other functions for the following reasons:

People working in the storage area increase the number of air exchanges the area must undergo. Air exchanges cause temperature and relative humidity levels to fluctuate, resulting in the possible deterioration of objects.
Work areas require lighting levels that may cause damage to unprotected light-sensitive objects.
Movement of people into and within the area tracks in soil and disperses dust into the air, which in turn, is deposited on surfaces of equipment and objects.
The chance of pest infestation increases.

Security

Only staff that need to be in the storage area - curators, registrar, collections manager should have regular access to the collection storage.

There should be some sort of 24-hour surveillance

Housekeeping

Collection staff might want to clean the storage area or general museum staff should be trained in how to handle the artifacts and should only come into the space when collection staff are on duty.

Environmental monitoring and control

Light

Should be kept low, it can cause fading or trigger chemical reactions. Light damage is permanent. Better to have storage space in a room without windows.

Humidity (RH)

50% ideal with = or - 5% range (better to be more realistic at a lower rate than to have instability)
measure with an hygrometer

Temperature

measure with a thermometer
68-72 range preferred for most objects

Condition Reporting

It’s important to create a record of the condition of the object when it came into the museum collection.

Write down a good description of the object, its identifying number, type of object, title, dimensions, specific damage, previous repairs, name of examiner and date.

There will almost always be SOMETHING to report. Look closely at every piece that comes in and report every type, extent and location of damage

A drawing or photographs of the object are also a good method for documenting an objects condition.

(Possibly a good idea to take photographs if you’re not the best artist. )

Marking/Labeling

Attaching an identification number to the object

Labels
Writing directly on the surface
Applying a barrier coat, then the number
Tags

There are some basic rules for applying identification numbers to objects:

(1) For objects made of more than one material, choose the least porous surface. (Metal, shell, glass or ceramic are better than wood or leather.)

(2) Avoid numbering over paint or pigments.

(3) When in doubt, use a tag.

(4) Do not apply a stiff material to a flexible surface.

(5) Disasters happen. Remember, barrier coats and labels will float off objects immersed in water. Use tags as a backup system.

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

Must the number be "permanent? "
Do staff members remove tags before placing items on exhibit?
Do exhibit designers object to visible numbers?
Are some of your collections permanently stored in liquid?
Are insects a problem in your museum?
Do you need a simple inventory control tool?
Are you using a computer database? Or hand-written accession logs? Or both?
Do you agree that any form of damage to an object is unacceptable? (Some museums accept a certain level of damage in the name of inventory control.)
Who is applying the numbers? Are they skilled craftspeople or occasional volunteers?

Sewn labels are recommended for most textiles

The accession number was applied directly to this sword by applying protective coating of a line of paraloid B-72 and then writing the number on top of it.

This video shows some various techniques for applying labels and tagging artifacts based on type of material.

Also, check out A Simple Guide to Labeling Museum Objects.

When objects are stored in drawers or boxes it's a good rule to put the identification number on the outside as well as on the object.

For paper based items such as drawings, posters, and prints a soft graphite pencil should be used to mark the accession number or object ID on the reverse side.

Usually in the lower left or right hand corner.

Tagging is obviously the easiest method of labeling the object but tags easily get separated from the object. Also, tags often need to be removed during exhibition.

Leave the original tags on the object when you add your own tag. This helps maintain provenance.

You may not be able to mark or tag small items such as coins, medallions, jewelry.

If that is the case it should be placed in an archival sleeve, envelope, box or polyethylene bag that is marked with the number.

Storage Solutions

Archaeological Objects

Cleaning should be kept to a minimum as it can archaeological evidence such as food residues in a bowl, or blood or pigment traces might be removed. It can also interfere with scientific analysis.
Humidity and Temperature really depend on what the object is and what climate it comes from. These are really for stable stone, bone, shell, ceramic.
Something unstable like a mummified animal remains would require tighter humidity and temperature levels.
Archaeological objects can be stored in boxes, shelves or in bags depending on the size and weight. Small objects may want to be stored together in small labeled bags in a box.

Polyethylene microfoam (Ethnofoam), is an inert foam that can be cut to cradle the objects within a container, is a great way to support objects.

Textiles

Textiles can include such items as clothes, flags, quilts, tapestries, household furnishings.

Textiles can be made of natural or synthetic fiber. Storage can depend on fiber type.

Both natural and artificial light can fade color and contribute to the degradation and permanent damage of many textile fibers.

Storage solutions for textiles depends on the size and material. Some options include:

· rolling for smaller banners, flags, rugs

· padded hangers for clothing

· specially prepared mannequins or forms

· laid flat with as few crease lines as possible

Furniture

Wood and other organic materials contract and expand based on the humidity in the air.

Light can yellow a piece of furniture's finish. Furniture should be kept in low lighting

Powderpost beetles are a common furniture pest. Collection staff should keep an eye out for sawdust like material along the floor that might be sign of burrowing bugs.

furniture Upholstered with horsehair, silk and wool can also attract a variety of bugs.

Furniture is usually quite large and creating custom crates or finding boxes that would be practicle is costly and would take up additional space. A protective covering made of fabric or polyethyline sheeting is best for keeping dust and water off furniture.

Paintings are hung on screens with metal S hook.

Screens are not suitable for paintings in poor condition (loose canvas, flaking paint, tears.)

If paintings are in poor condition they should be stored in flat file drawers. Although, vertical storage is not the best solution since painting have to be pulled out to be viewed but it's an economical solution.

Photographs

Light damage is irreversible in photographs so exposure should be limited. Color photos most susceptible to light.

Gloves should be worn when touching photographic prints or negatives.

Enclosures

· paper provides protection against light damage, moisture but forces the user to pull the photo out to view it.

· Polyethylene allows user to view image without touching it but can trap moisture in an environment that is hard to control.

Recommended:

prints- polyethylene

glass negative - paper

negatives - paper

Negatives are best stored vertical and prints horizontal although this is not always possible. If prints are stored vertical make sure that they are well supported so they don't curl.

Maps, Posters, Architectural & Engineering Drawings

Folders- unbuffered acid-free folders are the least expensive protective enclosure

polyester film is great for posters and maps but not always great for drawings as they can cause static and remove pencil or ink drawings.

Folders with Polyester film enclosures combine the above two methods.

Window mats are more expensive and take up more space but they provide a more rigid support and are ready for framing and exhibition.

Rolled storage is not ideal but it is the best solution for oversized material that cannot be stored flat anywhere else.

Film

Determine Film Type

• cellulose acetate plastic film

• cellulose nitrate – as you likely know this can be flammable and certain steps should be followed if you have this in your collection.

• 20- 40 degrees F

• 30% RH

• Enclosures

• non-corrodible metal

• polyester (polyethylene terephthalate)

• polyethylene

• polypropylene

• Stored horizontal

Migrated to another media for access (you do not want to show the original film for exhibition purposes unless there is a reason to.

Magnetic Discs (cassette tape, VHS, open reel)

Do not touch the playing surface/s of any recording.

Tapes (Open reel)

Boxes should be stored vertically. Dividers are not essential, but the boxes must be secured with a bookend and not allowed to fall.

Discussion Topic

Above are just some examples of storage solutions. Use your museum “donation” to talk about how you would suggest that your object(s) be housed . List things such as storage recommendations, light/ heat/ humidity settings, if the material might be in danger of degradation. List some supplies you might need from Gaylord , Light Impressions, or University Products. Post your recommendations in our Google Classroom.

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