Small, valuable artifacts are stored in safes not just so they are not lost, but so they are not stolen.  Although storage areas are secured, the traffic that comes through, for example students, volunteers, contractors, researchers, other perspective observers, cannot be supervised at all times.  Small objects such as coins or jewellery can be easily slipped into a pocket or handbag.  This is just an extra percaution - I don't find it redundant.  Hope that helps!




Susan Sivric
Assistant Curator 
Anthropology Department
Royal Ontario Museum
100 Queen's Park Cres.
Toronto, ON Canada
M5S 2C6
Tel./Fax. 416-586-5643
E-mail: [log in to unmask]

>>> "Aikens, Jason" <[log in to unmask]> 04/12 4:40 pm >>>
I was wondering if any museum professionals out there could share their
policies on storing artifacts in a safe.  At my institution we store several
valuable coins, rings and documents in a safe but I wonder how prudent it is
do so.  We already have an alarm system for our storage area therefore
security is not issue.

Why store anything is a safe if all items are to be treated equally and
there is alarm securing everything.  The only advantage to storing items in
a safe is that a safe can be fire proof.  However does a safe always create
the best environmental conditions?

It seems in my institution cultural resources were stored in our safe in the
past to further insure that they wouldn't be lost.  However, I keep up to
date locations on everything and therefore I come back to my original
question.  Why store artifacts in a safe?

Jason Aikens, Collections Coordinator
Pro Football Hall of Fame
(330) 456-8207 ext 101

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