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Cultural property storage
The cultural property storage typically falls to the responsibility of cultural heritage institutions, or individuals. The proper storage of these objects can help to ensure a longer lifespan for the object with minimal damage or degradation. With so many different types of artifacts, materials, and combinations of materials, keepers of these artifacts often have considerable knowledge of the best practices in storing these objects to preserve their original state.
The process involved when creating a collections storage area usually involves determining the available resources, the needs of the specific collection, how the collection will be used, and the necessary space required based on the current collection and potential future acquisitions. The accessibility of objects in storage, as well as the need to retrieve them, will have an effect on the type of storage space desired. If only a small portion of the collection is regularly utilized, then a separate more easily accessible storage space may be chosen for these objects, while less utilized objects may be held in a less accessible area of the building, or an offsite facility. In either case, collections storage spaces are typically separate from all other activity in order to decrease the potential for damage to the collection from theft, tracked in soil, excessive light exposure, etc.
A well designed collections storage space is multi-layered, beginning with the building itself, a room, storage furniture, and packaging. The more layers utilized the greater the protection from agents of deterioration. It is generally agreed that storage spaces should not be at the top of the building or below grade, but attics and basements are often the most practical space for storage, so many institutions weigh the risks, and opt to upgrade these spaces in terms of structure, insulation, and/or vapor barriers to create a suitable space for storage.
The type and size of the objects in the collection also help to determine where and how the storage space is set up. If the collection has many large heavy items, like furniture, the storage spaces typically have low shelving for these items, and require wide aisles to move the objects, especially if they require large equipment like a forklift to be moved. In these cases, the doorways must be large enough to accommodate these large objects, and the floor structure must be reinforced to hold the weight of the collection. If a collection consists of mostly small objects, then cabinets and shelving are a practical solution, while a collection of two-dimensional works might require flat drawers and hanging racks.
The climate control systems in collections storage typically include the control of temperature, relative humidity, and a ventilation and filtration system to remove atmospheric pollutants like dust, chemicals, and micro-organisms. The basic idea of climate control is to keep the temperature and relative humidity at a steady rate so as to avoid expansion and contraction of materials, which can cause serious damage. Climate control is typically achieved by utilizing an HVAC system, though depending on weather patterns, these systems can often require a great deal of energy to run, which is a concern for many institutions.
Generally, keeping a lower temperature is better for collections storage, because chemical and biological reactions tend to increase as the temperature increases and structural damage is possible to objects made of materials such as wax, at high temperatures. In general objects collections temperature can range between 59 and 77 °F (15 and 25 °C), but fluctuations should be minimized. For some collections, there are specified temperature suggestions to protect delicate materials. For example, furs, paper archives, and textiles may be stored at a lower temperature between 41 and 50 °F (5 and 10 °C), and cellulose nitrate film is often isolated and stored below freezing, as it has the potential to ignite at 106 °F.
For collections with a combination of objects, humidity values within 45-55% - with an allowable drift of +/-5% - should be targeted. Short-term fluctuations should be reduced as much as possible. Over the year, seasonal values in the range of 40-60% are also acceptable. As with temperature control, the main goal of the control of relative humidity to is avoid major fluctuations which can cause physical damage to objects, with long term seasonal changes causing greater damage than short term changes. Hygroscopic materials such as wood, textiles, and bone, are especially sensitive to changes in humidity, as they swell and shrink according to the environment, which will cause deterioration over time. Mold growth occurs only when the relative humidity is about 70% or higher, and insect infestation is more common with a high relative humidity. A very low relative humidity, of about 35% or lower, can cause embrittlement of paper and adhesives, as well as cracking and warping of wood and ivory. Many museum objects are constructed of multiple materials, so in order to provide an appropriate relative humidity for the object as a whole, certain materials may be compromised.
An ongoing monitoring system is essential to the preventive care of objects in collections storage, as it helps to identify any problems, evaluate the effectiveness of corrective measures, and document the effect of extraordinary events such as water leaks, long periods of drought, or heavy rains. Hygrothermographs are a tool that constantly monitors both the temperature and relative humidity, and are fairly reliable if properly calibrated, a task that must be completed at least every three months if not more frequently. The value with these devices is that they constantly record the data onto graphs that can be analyzed at a later time. Hygrometers, thermometers, and thermohygrometers are also useful for determining the temperature and relative humidity of a space, but the most reliable tool is a psychrometer. Data loggers are becoming more popular in institutions as they are small, record data at desired intervals, and allow the data to be easily transferred to a computer in multiple formats including graphs and tables, which allows for easy collection and assessment of the data.
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Cultural property storage
The cultural property storage typically falls to the responsibility of cultural heritage institutions, or individuals. The proper storage of these objects can help to ensure a longer lifespan for the object with minimal damage or degradation. With so many different types of artifacts, materials, and combinations of materials, keepers of these artifacts often have considerable knowledge of the best practices in storing these objects to preserve their original state.
The process involved when creating a collections storage area usually involves determining the available resources, the needs of the specific collection, how the collection will be used, and the necessary space required based on the current collection and potential future acquisitions. The accessibility of objects in storage, as well as the need to retrieve them, will have an effect on the type of storage space desired. If only a small portion of the collection is regularly utilized, then a separate more easily accessible storage space may be chosen for these objects, while less utilized objects may be held in a less accessible area of the building, or an offsite facility. In either case, collections storage spaces are typically separate from all other activity in order to decrease the potential for damage to the collection from theft, tracked in soil, excessive light exposure, etc.
A well designed collections storage space is multi-layered, beginning with the building itself, a room, storage furniture, and packaging. The more layers utilized the greater the protection from agents of deterioration. It is generally agreed that storage spaces should not be at the top of the building or below grade, but attics and basements are often the most practical space for storage, so many institutions weigh the risks, and opt to upgrade these spaces in terms of structure, insulation, and/or vapor barriers to create a suitable space for storage.
The type and size of the objects in the collection also help to determine where and how the storage space is set up. If the collection has many large heavy items, like furniture, the storage spaces typically have low shelving for these items, and require wide aisles to move the objects, especially if they require large equipment like a forklift to be moved. In these cases, the doorways must be large enough to accommodate these large objects, and the floor structure must be reinforced to hold the weight of the collection. If a collection consists of mostly small objects, then cabinets and shelving are a practical solution, while a collection of two-dimensional works might require flat drawers and hanging racks.
The climate control systems in collections storage typically include the control of temperature, relative humidity, and a ventilation and filtration system to remove atmospheric pollutants like dust, chemicals, and micro-organisms. The basic idea of climate control is to keep the temperature and relative humidity at a steady rate so as to avoid expansion and contraction of materials, which can cause serious damage. Climate control is typically achieved by utilizing an HVAC system, though depending on weather patterns, these systems can often require a great deal of energy to run, which is a concern for many institutions.
Generally, keeping a lower temperature is better for collections storage, because chemical and biological reactions tend to increase as the temperature increases and structural damage is possible to objects made of materials such as wax, at high temperatures. In general objects collections temperature can range between 59 and 77 °F (15 and 25 °C), but fluctuations should be minimized. For some collections, there are specified temperature suggestions to protect delicate materials. For example, furs, paper archives, and textiles may be stored at a lower temperature between 41 and 50 °F (5 and 10 °C), and cellulose nitrate film is often isolated and stored below freezing, as it has the potential to ignite at 106 °F.
For collections with a combination of objects, humidity values within 45-55% - with an allowable drift of +/-5% - should be targeted. Short-term fluctuations should be reduced as much as possible. Over the year, seasonal values in the range of 40-60% are also acceptable. As with temperature control, the main goal of the control of relative humidity to is avoid major fluctuations which can cause physical damage to objects, with long term seasonal changes causing greater damage than short term changes. Hygroscopic materials such as wood, textiles, and bone, are especially sensitive to changes in humidity, as they swell and shrink according to the environment, which will cause deterioration over time. Mold growth occurs only when the relative humidity is about 70% or higher, and insect infestation is more common with a high relative humidity. A very low relative humidity, of about 35% or lower, can cause embrittlement of paper and adhesives, as well as cracking and warping of wood and ivory. Many museum objects are constructed of multiple materials, so in order to provide an appropriate relative humidity for the object as a whole, certain materials may be compromised.
An ongoing monitoring system is essential to the preventive care of objects in collections storage, as it helps to identify any problems, evaluate the effectiveness of corrective measures, and document the effect of extraordinary events such as water leaks, long periods of drought, or heavy rains. Hygrothermographs are a tool that constantly monitors both the temperature and relative humidity, and are fairly reliable if properly calibrated, a task that must be completed at least every three months if not more frequently. The value with these devices is that they constantly record the data onto graphs that can be analyzed at a later time. Hygrometers, thermometers, and thermohygrometers are also useful for determining the temperature and relative humidity of a space, but the most reliable tool is a psychrometer. Data loggers are becoming more popular in institutions as they are small, record data at desired intervals, and allow the data to be easily transferred to a computer in multiple formats including graphs and tables, which allows for easy collection and assessment of the data.