Hi all, A museum I work with is considering purchasing an external metal storage container to house museum collections. I'd appreciate your thoughts regarding this. My advice so far: *Fit-out / storage materials * Consider acquiring the following: - Mesh wall racks, two or three approx - especially for tools / larger items - this will free up a lot of space - Conservation grade pallets for floor storage - for large items. - Plan chest or integrated roller racking drawers - for existing archive. - If wooden in construction seal any wooden components with sealant (you have mentioned a metal container, so this would be less of an issue) - Make sure walls are insulated otherwise your bills are going to be nasty - happy to advise - Flooring: soft plywood only - avoid other types of wood. - Avoid windows. - Storage racking - consider load bearing for lower shelves. - Pad the shelves in both stores with Plastazote - Consider purchasing a surplus of boxes / packing material suitable for archaeological collections. - Make sure there is plenty of room for movement and expansion! (at least 1/3 surplice floorspace / empty shelving). - Fire detection / suppression - install smoke detector - link to main system - sprinkler will be unlikely - ensure fire extinguisher in place. *Environmental controls* - Strategically select what items are to go in this store. - Archaeological metalwork should remain stable in 19-30%RH. You can use conservation heating to achieve this. - Ultimately it's about the microclimate you can create for the types of metals in the collection - happy to advise. - Makes sure you have 24/7 electricity, a thermostat controlled heater and an optional dehumidifier able to be connected to plumbing, or have an exhaust drilled through wall. - Consider purchasing some inexpensive dataloggers. Any other thoughts? Thanks -- Robin Patel Ergadia Museums & Heritage t: 01786 860 691 m: 07815 312 562 [log in to unmask] https://ergadiaheritage.com/ ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).