Hi to everyone,

I am currently writing a conservation policy for a public service
organization, that has a technical and industrial collection.  The objects
of the collection are mainly apparatus, tools, and equipment that are
related to the history and to the mission of the organization(i.e. to
produce, transport and distribute electricity).

In our activities of acquisition, we encounter a lot of identical apparatus
or equipment.  The same object was needed in many locations, therefore the
organization had to have more then one object of the same type and model.

We do not think that we have to preserve all objects of the same type and
model.  But we do not know how many examples we ought to keep.

The aim of the collection is to preserve samples of tools and equipments
that are significant in the history of the organization.  It is also to
help museums and science centers in finding industrial objects for theirs
activities.  For that manner, we developed a loan policy.

As you all know, large industrial objects take a lot of space ans some of
them weighed more then 4 tons, and even more.  Small objects offer a
different dilemma, the size is more manageable but the quantity is not.

We would appreciate hearing from those of you who had to deal with a
similar question.  We already gathered more then 2,300 objects in two
warehouses.

Thank you to all in advance

Michel Harnois
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