In response to the open storage issue:

In 1992 I worked as a planning consultant for the exhibit space in the USDA
Forest Service's, Wallowa Mountain Visitor Center in Enterprise, Oregon,
where we included an open storage concept in the design. Underneath each of
the dioramma platforms we housed a series of "discovery drawers." In each
pull out drawer are natural history artifacts (under plexiglass) on one side
with replicas on the other side. Labels were included. Visitors are
encouraged to handle the replicas. The exhibit space is small, approx. 2500
sq.ft.. Our target audience was families with children and school groups.
Not a new idea but a very popular one with visitors.

Susan Gaughan Tissot
Consultant
Washington State University, Vancouver
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-----Original Message-----
From: Tim McShane <[log in to unmask]>
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.museum-l
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Monday, February 08, 1999 9:18 AM
Subject: Re: Open storage


>At the A. V. Roe Canada Heritage Museum, we've recently been looking at
"open
>storage" possibilities as well.  However, we've been using the term
"visible
>storage."  We have a small collection of rather small artifacts, and the
system
>we were looking at is using display cases that have a traditional
"table-top
>under glass" portion, but incorporating a number of drawers visitors can
pull
>out to see more, related artifacts.  Each drawer, and the top display area,
>would all be under separate locks.  This system allowed us to combine our
needs
>for secure storage and display (reducing our start-up costs--we're still
new,
>with our gallery due to open next month), and making our collection as
>accessible as possible.   My take on visible storage is that, while it is
more
>"crowded" than traditional exhibits, the need to make collections visible
(and
>the exposure of your storage to public scrutiny) reinforces good storage
>principle, and lessens the incidence of harmful crowding in storage.  We've
even
>had a conservator commend our design (now, if we can just secure the grant
money
>to build 'em...)
>
>That's my $0.02 (or $0.0134 USD)
>
>
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>Tim McShane
>Curatorial Assistant, Parks Canada
>(also, Co-Chair of the Museum Division, Arrow 2000 Project)
>Calgary, Alberta
>