[NHCOLL-L:4083] RE: Open Storage

Tue Nov 18 13:18:36 EST 2008

For comparison (dare I say "au contraire"), if the objective is to make
collections a bigger part of the institutions PUBLIC dimension, then
museums have found ways to make the investment. Obviously, there was a
time when "open storage" and collections storage were the one and the
same, the primary features of museums. Today, some choose to make a fine
distinction between Open Storage and Visible Storage, and many
contemporary applications may combine something of both.

In the US, the various Luce Center installations at different museums
represent remarkable examples of Open/Visible Storage. See the following
links:

1.                             Brooklyn Museum: Luce Center for American
Art <http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/research/luce/> 

This program allows you to access information about the approximately
2000 objects on view in the Luce Center's Visible Storage * Study Center
and the ...
www.brooklynmuseum.org/research/luce/ - 14k

1.     The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Search Results
<http://www.metmuseum.org/search/iquery.asp?command=text&datascope=all&a
ttr1=Luce> 

The American Wing also houses The Henry R. Luce Center for the Study of
American Art, which puts on view the Museum's entire reserve collection
of American ...
www.metmuseum.org/search/iquery.asp?command=text&datascope=all&attr1=Luc
e - 44k - 

1.     New York Historical Society: Exhibits & Collections
<https://www.nyhistory.org/web/default.php?section=exhibits_collections&
page=exhibit_detail&id=3477831> 

The Luce Center is located on the entire fourth floor in the Historical
Society's landmark building on Central Park West. Innovative in its
design, the Luce ...
https://www.nyhistory.org/web/default.php?section=exhibits_collections&p
age=exhibit_detail&id=3477831 - 23k -

And of course, as Rob Huxley has frequently informed us, the Natural
History Museum's two phases of the Darwin Centre have sought to bring
the public into greater contact with collections. See these links:

1.                             Darwin Centre building | Natural History
Museum
<http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/history-architecture/darwin-centre-buildi
ng/index.html> 

The new Darwin Centre development is due to open to the public in
September 2009. ... The building, which provides world-class storage for
precious ...
www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/history-architecture/darwin-centre-building/index
.html - 14k -  

Darwin Centre innovation
<http://www.nhm.ac.uk/about-us/corporate-information/annual-reports/repo
rt/report2004/pdf/Darwin_Centre_innovation.pdf> 

File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
<http://74.125.45.132/search?q=cache:owj_M6CIoMAJ:www.nhm.ac.uk/about-us
/corporate-information/annual-reports/report/report2004/pdf/Darwin_Centr
e_innovation.pdf+darwin+center+phase+one&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=us> 
'Darwin Centre Phase One has. demonstrated the overwhelming ... Phase
One of the Darwin. Centre was largely financed from our own ...
www.nhm.ac.uk/about-us/corporate-information/annual-reports/report/repor
t2004/pdf/Darwin_Centre_innovation.pdf - Similar pages
<http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=active&rls=GGIE,GGIE:2006-46,GG
IE:en&q=related:www.nhm.ac.uk/about-us/corporate-information/annual-repo
rts/report/report2004/pdf/Darwin_Centre_innovation.pdf> 
More results from www.nhm.ac.uk >
<http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=active&rls=GGIE,GGIE:2006-46,GG
IE:en&q=+site:www.nhm.ac.uk+darwin+center+phase+one> 

Staff at these museums - and others -  can comment, of course, on how
well these approaches have met conservation requirements. As public
programs, I would say the levels of success have varied widely, but some
have played a major role in building public support for collections and
collections-based research at their respective institutions.

James M. Bryant

Curator of Natural History

Museum Department, City of Riverside

3580 Mission Inn Avenue

Riverside, CA 92501

(951) 826-5273

(951) 369-4970 FAX

jbryant at riversideca.gov

________________________________

From: owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu
[mailto:owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Jean-Marc Gagnon
Sent: Monday, November 17, 2008 11:12 AM
To: Kmorton at natureandscience.org; NHCOLL-L at lists.yale.edu
Subject: [NHCOLL-L:4082] RE: Open Storage

Karen,

If you take into consideration all the risk factors that Rob Waller uses
in his Risk Assessment approach (see below), you may find that trying to
mitigate many of those risks at the room or building level would be
much, much more expensive than having proper, enclosed storage (usually
cabinets, when object sizes are appropriate).

Recognition of these risks and the use of the risk assessment approach
may help in convincing your management team that the best investment is
in enclosed cabinetry. That said, one cannot neglect the control of
risks at room and building levels

The most common risks to museum collections include:

*	Physical forces (earthquakes, physical damage from staff,
vibrations from drawers, repair work 
*	Fire (flame, soot) 
*	Water (floods, plumbing or roof leak) 
*	Criminal (robbery, isolated theft, vandalism) 
*	Pests (rodents, insects) 
*	Contaminants (dust, gasses) 
*	Light and UV radiation 
*	Incorrect temperature 
*	Incorrect relative humidity 
*	Custodial neglect (data loss, misplacement, sample mixing)

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu
[mailto:owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Karen Morton
Sent: 17 novembre 2008 12:39
To: NHCOLL-L at lists.yale.edu
Subject: [NHCOLL-L:4081] Open Storage

Dear List Members,

In planning for an expansion of our museum, folks here are very gung-ho
for Open Storage.  I have yet to see an example of open storage in any
museum that I have been to.  Does anyone have open storage in their
facilities?  Do you know of a facility with open storage?  Have you had
the same problem and been able to come up with creative compromises?  I
welcome any thoughts on the issue.  I'd also love to see photos of
successful arrangements.  

Please e-mail me directly at kmorton at natureandscience.org.

Thank you.

Karen Morton

Collections Manager

Museum of Nature and Science

P.O. Box 151469

Dallas, TX 75315-1469

Phone: 972-201-0595

Fax: 214-428-4356

Inspiring Minds Through Nature and Science

www.natureandscience.org

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