Keeley,
The kind of case you get should depend on what you're putting in it. Is it documents? Large artifacts? There are many cost-effective solutions for cases- ranging from free to a couple hundred dollars- that you should explore before spending a bundle on a custom or even a new off-the-shelf case.
As to labels, there are a lot of books out there, but the basics are:
Short and sweet- not too wordy
Readable- consider font, size, placement, and covering/lamination
No more than 30 degrees from eye level- if a person has to bend their head more than a 30 degree angle up or down, they likely won't read your label.
Durability costs more- there is nothing wrong with putting up a temporary label to make sure you get it right before spending big bucks on labels.
If you were my client, I would advise you to go the cheap route at first. You will likely want to change/upgrade everything in a year or so anyway, and cheap fixtures, cases, and labels will allow you a lot of flexibility in finding what will work for your organization.
Feel free to contact me if you have any other questions!
-Casandra Karl
Principal, Museum Solutions Consulting
Hi Keeley,
What type of case you get will depend on your budget. You can buy them off the rack from places like Gaylord http://www.gaylord.com/, or you can have a custom case made from an exhibit fabrication firm in your area. You should expect to pay from 1,200 and
upwards, with 1,200 being a very basic small flat case.
I can recommend books that deal with exhibition labels: Beverly Serrell’s book on exhibit labels and
Designing Interpretive Signs.
A very useful exercise is to go look at how other museums handle labels.
Linda Jacobson
North Carolina Collection Gallery
Wilson Special Collections Library
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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919-962-0104
P.O. Box 8890
Wilson Library, Campus Box 3930
Chapel Hill, NC 27599
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Keeley K
Sent: Wednesday, April 01, 2015 10:55 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [MUSEUM-L] Small non-profit needing advice for display case
Hello!
I work for a small, historic non-profit that focuses on legal education. Our organization recently moved to a historic rowhouse in Dupont Circle. In this new space, we want to take the opportunity to focus on our organization's 115 year
history.
One of our goals is to set-up a glass-display case in our library. I turn to you for advice on any particular companies that provide such cases, the estimated cost, and any insights on placards/text/labels.
Any resources or insight you can provide would be incredibly appreciated. I look forward to responses from experts like yourselves!
Information Management Librarian
Association of American Law Schools
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