High-Density Museum Storage Helps Tell the Story of Florida’s History
The state of Florida covers almost 66,000 square miles. Its rich and storied history covers many millennia, encompassing cultures, peoples, events and both natural and societal evolution. What remains of these things – in the form of physical items like bones, gold coins, skeletal remnants, et al – help us understand where we’ve come from. Naturally, storing these items safely and efficiently is of the utmost importance.
HOW STORAGE MADE THE DIFFERENCE.
In a building on State-owned land next to Florida’s historic Mission of San Luis Apalache in Tallahassee, lie hundreds of thousands of pieces of the past. These varied items, collected from around the state and even in the waters off its coasts, help preserve the past and aide in critical research today. Thanks to a little foresight and whole lot of planning, they are housed in thousands of boxes in a high-density compact shelving unit that promises to facilitate excitement and expansion possibilities for many tomorrows.
After moving into a new building in 2012, the State of Florida’s Bureau of Archaeological Research’s Collections facility was faced with a challenge. How could it best collect, store and protect the priceless historic items it was charged with safeguarding? After surveying the items themselves and the space in which they were to be housed, the answer was discovered in an enormous high-density solution covering two rooms and more than 2,160 square feet.
“The thing about our collection that is both challenging and rewarding is that it is ever-growing. Finding innovative ways to store what we have while also planning for the future is central to what we do.”
– Marie Prentice, Senior Archaeologist, Bureau of Archaeological Research
