Many invaluable artifacts, documents and artworks are kept secure in museums. To maintain the condition of these items over time, they should be stored carefully. Specialised plan cabinets are the best solution for securely storing flat, delicate or oversized items. The unique structure of these shelving units is key to protecting historical collections.
The role of storage in museums
The success of long-term preservation in museums heavily depends on utilising appropriate archival storage methods. Environmental influences, including light exposure, humidity variation, and improper handling, pose significant threats to the integrity of architectural drawings, rare maps, historical blueprints, and textiles.
Archival-grade plan cabinets represent the optimal solution for storing these materials. They ensure protection from long-term deterioration by keeping items flat, which prevents damaging creases or warping.
The protective cover shields contents from dust and pollution while blocking light to keep them both preserved and visually clear. These cabinets are used in archives to protect cultural and historical resources so they can be preserved for future generations.
Design features that support preservation
Plan cabinets are explicitly designed to hold flat and oversized archival items safely and effectively. The broad, shallow drawers maintain full support across the entire item surface, thereby reducing risks of creasing, bending and additional storage-related damage. These solutions perfectly suit large documents, including architectural drawings, maps, posters and large-format prints.
Powder-coated steel serves as the primary material for most cabinetry because it offers both durability and resistance to corrosion. This type of finish remains inert and prevents chemicals from leaking out, which protects stored items from harmful fumes. With tightly sealed drawers, dust, light and other pollutants are kept out, allowing for controlled storage and fewer checks.
Organisation and accessibility benefits
Having efficient access is crucial for anyone doing research, conservation or work in museums and archives. With these specially designed cabinets, it becomes simple for staff to find and collect supplies, as they are arranged logically and at the same level. It helps organise the collection and protects delicate items from being damaged.
Unlike vertical or rolled storage, flat drawers allow you to see your contents without any hindrances, making them easier to manage. Being accessible helps with conservation, ensures accurate records and aids in exhibition planning. When museums organise their collections in this way, they achieve better efficiency and a safer environment for their valuable assets.
Integration with other shelving systems
Although plan cabinets are helpful for storing flat items, steel shelving is a crucial addition to a museum’s storage system. The flexibility of these units lets you store boxed objects, books and various materials together. By combining plan cabinets and shelving, you can achieve a flexible and efficient way to save your items.
You can adjust shelving units so they fit under or next to plan cabinets, making room for both tiered and hybrid storage layouts. This arrangement means that limited space can be used effectively without jeopardising either accessibility or preservation. By using both systems, museums can ensure that every object is stored correctly, thereby protecting a collection and providing curators with flexibility over the years.
Space management and customisation
Museums must ensure their artifacts are safe and secure in limited spaces and under strict temperature and humidity conditions, so proper storage is essential. These cabinets are flexible, offering various sizes and setups to match every collection’s needs. Their ability to stack lets you store more products in less space while still making them easy to get to.
Depending on how they are customised, these cabinets can comfortably hold anything from precious textiles and large maps to delicate drawings and prints. By using cabinets that fit both the available space and the preservation requirements, museums can carefully store and protect their unique assets for many more years to come.
Long-term durability and investment value
Buying archival-grade plan cabinetry is a wise investment that will help with a strong return on investment in the long run. Powder-coated steel is used for these cabinets, making them strong enough for years of daily use with minimal care. Having their contents sealed and stored flat in folders means they are protected from light, dust, humidity and easily damaged surfaces.
By acting early, you can save money on expensive restoration and repairs down the line. Not only are museums, libraries and archives safer with good storage, but they also benefit from the orderly and efficient use of space. Keeping valuable historical documents, blueprints, maps or artworks safe in these cabinets supports the mission and efficiency of any institution.
To ensure safe storage, museums use plan cabinets for archival materials. Their construction helps to protect delicate materials and enables easy access to them. The cabinets serve as essential tools for optimising storage space while reducing handling damage and maintaining essential environmental conditions to protect delicate historical and artistic materials. If used with steel shelving, they can effectively support the long-term preservation of collections.