Hello Listserv!

My collection holds around 500 ceramic plates (dishes, basically) that are currently stored in non-archival cardboard boxes. I am in the process of unpacking, cataloging, and photographing them, but I can’t bring myself to repack them in the same way I found them (wrapped in a layer of ethafoam and stacked horizontally on top of each other in a box about 12” deep). They seem to be under a lot of pressure in these boxes, though I haven’t found any broken ones yet.  I have some funds to purchase new supplies, but major upgrades like cabinets or drawers are at least 3 years down the road. Until then I’m not sure how I can best improve their storage while we wait for a better long-term solution.

I would welcome any ideas or stories about how others manage a similar situation.

With thanks,

Sharon Clothier