Best Practices for Managing Federal Museum Collections

Section C. - Manage for the Long-Term

C-2 Know the condition of containers, equipment and facilities used to house your Federal museum collections

As heritage assets federal museum collections are intended to be preserved in perpetuity. To maintain federal property in the best possible condition, it must be kept stable. This means climate controlled space, equipment that provides a buffer against rapid changes, and storage supplies that do not interact with the objects they touch. The references below provide information to meet the required standards.

United States Department of the Interior (DOI)
Museum Property Handbook I - Museum Property Storage
http://www.doi.gov/museum/policy/pdf/mphi-9.pdf

National Park Service (NPS)
NPS Museum Handbook - Museum Collection Storage
http://www.cr.nps.gov/museum/publications/MHI/CHAP7.pdf
Conserve O Gram:
"Museum Storage Cabinets"
http://www.cr.nps.gov/museum/publications/conserveogram/04-01.pdf
"Museum Collection Storage Space: Is An Insulated Modular Structure Right For Your Collection?"
http://www.cr.nps.gov/museum/publications/conserveogram/04-07.pdf
"Selecting Environmental Control Systems for Insulated Modular Structures"
http://www.cr.nps.gov/museum/publications/conserveogram/04-08.pdf
"Buffered and Unbuffered Storage Materials"
http://www.cr.nps.gov/museum/publications/conserveogram/04-09.pdf
"Determining Museum Storage Equipment Needs"
http://www.cr.nps.gov/museum/publications/conserveogram/04-10.pdf
"Determining Museum Storage Space Requirements"
http://www.cr.nps.gov/museum/publications/conserveogram/04-11.pdf

36 CFR 79
http://www.cr.nps.gov/aad/tools/36cfr79.htm

The American Institute of Conservation
The Book and Paper Group
http://aic.stanford.edu/sg/bpg/annual/titles.html

Nebraska History
The Importance and Care of Archaeological Records
http://www.nebraskahistory.org/archeo/pubs/archeorecords7.pdf (pp.7 to 16)

Northern States Conservation Center
Storage Guidelines
http://www.collectioncare.org/cci/ccis.html

Society of Hawaiian Archaeology
Arranging for Housing/Curation with a Qualified Archaeological Repository
http://www.sha.hawaii.edu/guidelines.htm#Housing (2-1)
Qualified Archaeological Repository Facilities
http://www.sha.hawaii.edu/guidelines.htm#Facilities (3)

Fire Protection and Security (Department of the Interior)
http://www.doi.gov/museum/policy/pdf/mphi-11.pdf

Fire Protection and Security (National Park Service)
http://www.cr.nps.gov/museum/publications/MHI/Chapter%209.pdf

National Fire Protection Association Code for the Protection of Cultural Resources Properties - Museums, Libraries, and Places of Worship
http://www.nfpa.org/aboutthecodes/AboutTheCodes.asp?DocNum=909

National Fire Protection Association Life Safety Code
http://www.nfpa.org/aboutthecodes/AboutTheCodes.asp?DocNum=101