Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Tips For Appropriate Museum Storage

By Charles Smith


Civilization's great achievements are immortalized in its relics. These relics are more than simply showpieces. They are physical proof of the types of lives that were led by those who have lived before. Museums are created as spaces for the preservation and display of these valuable items. The need for space to keep these items grows with time. Fortunately, museum storage solves the problem of archiving when already large collections keep growing even larger.

With the passage of time, the number of relics produced by society increases. This means that museums are constantly brainstorming best practices and options for storage. For many of the world's museums today, the displayed artifacts on any given day represent a mere fraction of the actual possessions. Some museums rotate artifacts between storage an the display area.

The facility used to store museum items must meet certain specifications. This is important because the integrity of the stored items must be protected and preserved. Additionally some of these items tend to be rather delicate and any breach in care standards could lead to damage or destruction. Any location that is selected must be both safe and conducive to the preservation of the items being stored.

In order to keep historical relics in the best possible conditions, certain conditions are required. These include oxygen levels in the air as well as the temperature. It is very important that these conditions suit the needs of the museum because failure to do so may result in permanent damage to the items, or worse, loss of the items. Paper, for instance, may develop spots that blot out words or phrases, making what is written on them illegible if it exposed to atmosphere with high levels of oxygen for too long. Some pollutants int he air also cause damage to some artifacts.

There are situations though, in which it is just not possible to adjust atmospheric conditions to suit each piece being stored. A great solution for this situation is to place each piece in its own containment unit. These containment units are typically made of glass and transparent. They allow for each piece to be stored in it's own ideal environment and are very handy in cases where pieces have varying needs.

Security is an important factor to consider for these units. Museum property is usually priceless and their loss is grave in many circumstances. Additionally, they are targeted by thieves who profit by reselling them. Alarm systems including motion detectors and surveillance cameras are important to ensure maximum security.

Yet another crucial factor for these types of spaces is size. Since museums are likely to continue acquire pieces as time passes, they must think long term. This means considering spaces that offer sufficient accommodation for projected growth in artifact collection.

People who manage the world's museums are indeed tasked with an important job. They must ensure that the priceless relics of past present and future generations remain protected and preserved for years and years. The ensure that mankind's footprints through the ages do not get erased. Identifying and establishing ample and appropriate storing space is just one of the many tasks that they must accomplish as they work towards fulfilling their roles.




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