Coolers, freezers, and cold storage vaults provide the best long-term storage conditions for photographic materials, including film reels, negatives, slides, microfilm, microfiche, and x-ray film. Museums may store smaller photo collections in household freezers, but larger collections typically require a cold room or vault. Unfortunately, the more cold storage space your archival film storage occupies, the more expensive it becomes to maintain.
For museums with extensive photographic collections, it’s essential to make the most of your costly cold storage space. Fortunately, innovative storage solutions are available to safely house your archival film storage while saving you valuable space, time, and money. (Check out all of our museum storage solutions here.)
Coolers, freezers, and cold storage vaults provide the best long-term storage conditions for photographic materials, including film reels, negatives, slides, microfilm, microfiche, and x-ray film. Museums may store smaller photo collections in household freezers, but larger collections typically require a cold room or vault. Unfortunately, the more cold storage space your archival film storage occupies, the more expensive it becomes to maintain.
For museums with extensive photographic collections, it’s essential to make the most of your costly cold storage space. Fortunately, innovative storage solutions are available to safely house your archival film storage while saving you valuable space, time, and money. (Check out all of our museum storage solutions here.)
Compact Shelving for Cold Rooms
Compact shelving, also known as high-density mobile shelving or compactors, is one of the most efficient solutions for archival film storage. A compact storage system consists of shelving units mounted on mobile carriages that slide on floor tracks and compact together when not in use. By replacing wasted static aisle space with a single movable access aisle, a compact shelving system can double your storage capacity in your existing footprint or cut your space requirements in half.
By reducing the amount of space needed to accommodate your archival film storage, compact shelving allows you to save on energy costs. It may eliminate the need for costly new construction. A compact shelving system can also improve your archival film collection organization and increase accessibility for stored items. Learn more about compact storage systems for museums here. Visit our online store to see our museum storage products.
Electric Lateral File Cabinets
Another unique archival film storage solution is the electric lateral file cabinet. This automated storage cabinet comprises an enclosed series of vertically rotating drawers or shelves. Like compact shelving, this museum photo storage solution, which can be specially designed for cold storage, can drastically reduce your storage space requirements for photographic collections. One museum was able to replace 12 four-drawer file cabinets with one electric lateral file cabinet, recovering 40% of its floor space.
Electric lateral file cabinets also increase the accessibility and organization of your collection. The keypad-controlled cabinet brings the desired drawer directly to the user, making it much quicker and easier to locate stored photographs. The cabinet is fully enclosed to keep dust out and also locks to keep your valuable collection secure. Learn more about climate-controlled storage solutions for museums here.
Compact Shelving for Cold Rooms
Compact shelving, also known as high-density mobile shelving or compactors, is one of the most efficient solutions for archival film storage. A compact storage system consists of shelving units mounted on mobile carriages that slide on floor tracks and compact together when not in use. By replacing wasted static aisle space with a single movable access aisle, a compact shelving system can double your storage capacity in your existing footprint or cut your space requirements in half.
By reducing the amount of space needed to accommodate your archival film storage, compact shelving allows you to save on energy costs. It may eliminate the need for costly new construction. A compact shelving system can also improve your archival film collection organization and increase accessibility for stored items. Learn more about compact storage systems for museums here. Visit our online store to see our museum storage products.
Electric Lateral File Cabinets
Another unique archival film storage solution is the electric lateral file cabinet. This automated storage cabinet comprises an enclosed series of vertically rotating drawers or shelves. Like compact shelving, this museum photo storage solution, which can be specially designed for cold storage, can drastically reduce your storage space requirements for photographic collections. One museum was able to replace 12 four-drawer file cabinets with one electric lateral file cabinet, recovering 40% of its floor space.
Electric lateral file cabinets also increase the accessibility and organization of your collection. The keypad-controlled cabinet brings the desired drawer directly to the user, making it much quicker and easier to locate stored photographs. The cabinet is fully enclosed to keep dust out and also locks to keep your valuable collection secure. Learn more about climate-controlled storage solutions for museums here.
Compact Shelving for Cold Rooms
Compact shelving, also known as high-density mobile shelving or compactors, is one of the most efficient solutions for archival film storage. A compact storage system consists of shelving units mounted on mobile carriages that slide on floor tracks and compact together when not in use. By replacing wasted static aisle space with a single movable access aisle, a compact shelving system can double your storage capacity in your existing footprint or cut your space requirements in half.
By reducing the amount of space needed to accommodate your archival film storage, compact shelving allows you to save on energy costs. It may eliminate the need for costly new construction. A compact shelving system can also improve your archival film collection organization and increase accessibility for stored items. Learn more about compact storage systems for museums here. Visit our online store to see our museum storage products.
Electric Lateral File Cabinets
Another unique archival film storage solution is the electric lateral file cabinet. This automated storage cabinet comprises an enclosed series of vertically rotating drawers or shelves. Like compact shelving, this museum photo storage solution, which can be specially designed for cold storage, can drastically reduce your storage space requirements for photographic collections. One museum was able to replace 12 four-drawer file cabinets with one electric lateral file cabinet, recovering 40% of its floor space.
Electric lateral file cabinets also increase the accessibility and organization of your collection. The keypad-controlled cabinet brings the desired drawer directly to the user, making it much quicker and easier to locate stored photographs. The cabinet is fully enclosed to keep dust out and also locks to keep your valuable collection secure. Learn more about climate-controlled storage solutions for museums here.
See Museum Storage Solutions Prices
See Museum Storage Solutions PricesSee Museum storage shelving, racks, & cabinets prices
All Museum Storage Solutions
Art Storage Shelving
Wall Art Display Panels
Flat File Drawer Cabinets
Works on Paper Storage Shelving
Pull-out Art Panel Racks
Contact Us for Museum Archival Film Storage
Southwest Solutions Group® provides design and installation services for archival film storage solutions. We will also provide a free consultation to determine your exact needs and specifications before the design begins. To learn more or to speak with a specialist, call us at 1-800-803-1083 or send us a message today.
Resources
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Climate controlled high density storage shelving-154092 -
Cold room film storage museum-154094 -
Mobile shelving space saving storage climate controlled-154110 -
Museum cold storage videos photographs negatives-154098 -
Museum microfilm cold storage-154123 -
University archival off site high bay shelving-154124 -
Climate controlled storage solutions museums-154093
Museum Testimonials
“I want to thank your entire team for the outstanding work on our art storage project. The process from beginning to end was smooth and enjoyable, and the finished room looks terrific! Chester, Bryan, Chris, Chris, and the other members were extremely thorough and a pleasure to work with. They followed our house rules and took our direction very well. Thanks again for an outstanding project, and I look forward to working with Southwest Solutions in the future should the opportunity arise. ”
“The new art racks are massive and beautiful! I cannot wait to hang art on the racks with those fancy hooks, wow! Thank you for helping me see the project through. The efforts of your team and installation really made the project go very smoothly and on time. We look forward to showing off the new and improved art storage room to our Director, Board Members, and Staff. Thanks a million, it has been a pleasure to work with you and your wonderful team on our paintings storage area.”
“I would like to thank you and your team at Southwest Solutions Group for working with the museum so diligently over the years. I also want to thank you personally for your patience, professionalism and great attitude as we’ve navigated the sometimes bumpy road to completing the Blanton Phase I and Phase II. Southwest Solutions Group will certainly be at the very top of my list for any future museum storage needs.”
“Southwest Solutions Group is an amazing company made so much better by having Daryl at the helm of Museum and Library storage space saving designs in the NW. Daryl is not only an expert in high density shelving systems, but he consistently tunes into optimizing long term solutions to complex storage needs and pliable projects. Always reliable and knowledgeable, Daryl and his Spacesaver’s team have been indispensable partners in our world of cultural preservation.”
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