Storage - Furniture Image from 'A behind-the-scenes look at our malacology collection'. Storage areas are a crucial part of the preservation strategy of a museum. Storage areas should be clean, dry, dark and cool, monitored regularly, and any changes in the physical condition should be dealt with immediately. What furniture considerations do we need to have in setting up a store area? It is important to consider the following points when deciding on storage furniture: Dust is a particular concern in storage areas, and the design of storage areas needs to include dust-combating measures. All storage doors should have dust seals, or if open shelving is used, have curtains made from either washed, unbleached calico or polythene material (e.g. Tyvek), which are pulled aside only to provide access to shelves. Light should be kept to a minimum. Ideally no natural light should be allowed to enter the storage area, or at least should be reduced using blinds and filtering film on the windows. Artificial lights should be turned on only when a person enters the storage area. They should be low wattage lights to keep the light levels to a minimum, and be fitted with UV filtering sleeves. Temperature and relative humidity (RH) should be stable at all times. Ideally, the RH should be between 50% - 60%, and the temperature 18 - 25 C, but the most important thing is a stable environment. Once the above issues have been considered, there are several types of storage systems available. Which one is chosen depends very much on the budget. All of these systems are very strong, do not need to be coated, are insect free (although the store room should still always be monitored for infestation) are not fixed, and therefore can accommodate a range of configurations to suit particular spaces. Metal shelving is certainly the most effective kind of shelving to use from the point of view of strength and durability, and also from a conservation point of view, as it provides the most stable environment for objects. Compactus shelving is an option when space is at a premium. However ensure that staff and volunteers are well trained in operating the system. Objects are best not left sitting directly on the shelves but be securely boxed as the movement of the compactus can be a threat to objects. However metal shelving can be costly and it may be more feasible to use wooden shelving. Wood must be used for storage (and display) purposes with caution, as it releases harmful vapours. These vapours can cause serious damage to museum objects, including corrosion of metals, fading of pigments, increasing the acidity of paper and other cellulose materials, and damage glass. Where metal shelving is not feasible, wooden shelving can provide an acceptable cost-effective solution (some museums have converted donated office and domestic furniture into suitable storage facilities), as long as the shelving is properly prepared: Choose the most suitable wood products. Woods to avoid include chipboard, plywood, medium density fibreboard (MDF), masonite, Formica, and particleboard (woods that are made of composite materials are especially harmful because of the adhesives used to bond the materials together). Hardwoods such as oak, Douglas fir, Oregon, pine and jarrah should also be avoided. Suitable woods include most soft woods, Kauri pine, and hoop pine. Test all wood to be used for shelving carefully for strength before it is included. The strength required will depend in part on the type of material to be stored. Seal all exposed wooden shelves, pallets and beams to prevent harmful vapours from affecting objects in storage. Suitable varnishes are Cabot's Crystal Clear, which is a water-based varnish; Wattyl's Epinamel 202, a two part epoxy; or Wattyl's Proclear, a moisture cure urethane. Apply three coats of varnish to seal shelving, with about a week allowed for drying time between each coat. Allow plenty of final drying time before placing objects in the storage area, and do not use the storage area until all detectable smell has gone. Adhere to careful environmental controls and a program of inspection because of the greater risk of insect infestation associated with wooden shelving. Ideally, all objects should be removed from the floor of a storage area. Pallets are useful for storing heavy objects. Smaller objects can be stored, similar objects together and wrapped in acid free tissue where necessary, in plastic crates or tubs. If these have lids they can also be stacked, which will help to save space. Larger, fragile objects and objects which consist of a number of components can also be stored in these tubs. Labels are then attached to the outside of the tubs indicating what is inside the tubs using the museum accession number and a description. The tubs are also useful for moving objects from one place to another. Paper-based objects and textiles also need to be treated in specific ways. Having space for specialised storage for photographs and negatives is worth aiming for, especially if you have a large call for these items (materials for specialised photographic storage are available from conservation specialist stockists -refer to suppler lists). Map cabinets can provide very useful storage space for paper-based objects, allowing even very large items to be stored flat. If map cabinets are used, aim to store like objects together, and interleave different types of paper objects (different kinds of paper have different kinds of properties and acidity levels) using acid-free tissue paper. Storage for textiles should be either hanging storage, which is suitable for some types of costume (as long as hangers are properly padded out); flat storage, which is best for very fragile items; and rolled storage, which is suitable for large items such as wall-hangings, rugs etc. References and further reading: Heritage Collections Council, reCollections Caring for Collections Across Australia, Managing Collections – Handling, Transportation, Storage and Display Museums Australia Inc (NSW), Museum Methods, A Practical Manual for Managing Small Museums, Sections 4.6 Choosing the best display and storage materials, 4.8 Storing small objects and 4.10 Steel shelving systems to small to medium sized objects Museums and Galleries NSW, Online Resources, Storage.