Many museums display only a small fraction of their collection to the public. While collections in storage may be available for research, the need to increase access and promote relevance of collections has made visible storage of a larger portion of collections a viable alternative to traditional storage. However, it is important to note that conservators involved in visible storage projects have attested that there are several important considerations that must be taken into account for this to solve problems rather than create new ones.
The following thread was discussed on the Conservation DistList in February 2016 and the issues are summarized here. Thanks to contributors Alicia M. Bjornson, Resource Interpretive Specialist, New Jersey State Park Service, Vivien Chapman, Conservator (retired) National Museums Liverpool, Dee Stubbs-Lee, Conservator, New Brunswick Museum, Valerie Tomlinson, Conservator, Auckland War Memorial Museum
Things to think about when considering visible storage:
Space usage:
Visible storage might more correctly be termed compact or dense display. Generally visible storage takes up more room than true storage and therefore does not ease space issues as 5-10x as much space per object is needed when compared with high density storage. This is, in part, due to the need for wider aisles for public access, and because boxes can’t be stacked, or full storage height utilized if small items are to be seen.
Conservation resources:
In discussing visible storage it is important that curators have a realistic understanding of the condition of the collection. To ensure that everything is in displayable condition generally would require a large amount of conservator time. Is polishing silver that is tarnished but otherwise stable necessary? Might readying large numbers of items for display mean that original residues of historical interest be unintentionally eliminated? Is some dust acceptable? Should cosmetic treatment for otherwise stable artifacts be prioritized over treating unstable items? Truly unstable items are not appropriate for display or would require additional preservation resources so these items would still require traditional storage meaning that visible storage must be seen as a complement to, rather than replacement of traditional storage spaces.
Environmental Risks – Light:
In general visible storage exposes collections to more light and the ensuing degradation from it as artifacts that would have been in darkened rooms are now receiving light during opening hours. Motion sensors might help but undoubtedly collections will receive increased light exposure. Light sensitive objects should never be put in permanent display conditions. They should at most have short periods of display when relevant, and be protected in the dark the rest of the time.
Environmental Risks – Security:
Glass fronted cabinets or drawers are essential to providing necessary security. Display cases for items that should not be touched are required to prevent vandalism or theft, making visible storage as expensive as setting up a special exhibition.
Interpretation and visitor benefit:
In terms of visitor experience, large numbers of items on display may be overwhelming. It is difficult to focus on any part of it, and there’s usually little information on what you are looking at, so many visitors may not spend time interacting with the collection. Interpretation of visible storage collection items is often limited to catalogue entries accessed by computer. This works better for well -informed visitors with specific interests. Additionally, not all objects in a museum are things that should be displayed: some are uninteresting and/or ordinary looking, some may be ugly, and many can be sensitive and fragile. However, these objects can be hugely important historically, or have great research potential making them valuable for research but less so for display.
Oversize collections:
Large robust objects, e.g. land transport, boats, machinery, may be an easy starting point for visible storage as they may not need display cases or low light levels, they already require a lots of space around them (e.g. National Railway Museum, York).
Selected further reading:
Chapman, V. (1998). Guesstimating Storage Space. NSCG Newsletter, Issue 9, pp. 34-42.
Stubbs-Lee, Dee Stubbs-Lee, “Inside Out: A Conservator’s Investigation of Museums: Visible Storage, and the Interpretation of Conservation” in Collections: A Journal for Museum and Archives Professionals, vol. 5, no 4, fall 2009, Lanham, MD: AltaMira Press, 2010, pp. 265-324.