The Shared Storage Facility in Poland: A Pilot Project of the National Institute for Museums and Public Collections (NIMOZ)

Abstract

The safe storage of collections for future generations is the most important statutory activity of every museum worldwide. Although this objective is a long-held one, statistics show that, regrettably, a historical and global problem still exists in this field, including for Polish museums. Fortunately, positive changes have been implemented since the end of the 20th century, resulting not only in new infrastructure projects, but also in new approaches to the longstanding problem. Contemporary museum storage facilities are perceived not only as restricted museum spaces, but also, and primarily, as a combination of places, people and processes. Storage can therefore represent an optimum tool for museum conservation, when understood as a change management process whose purpose is to exercise conscious and real influence on the durability of collections. Importantly, this process should correspond to contemporary environmental protection practices. Then, and only then, will museums be capable of protecting cultural heritage appropriately, without increasing risks to future generations. In Poland, the National Institute for Museums and Public Collections (NIMOZ) is currently implementing an infrastructure project entitled ‘The Central Storage Facility for Museum Collections’ (CMZM), whose concept encompasses the questions and problems referred to above. In effect, a shared storage facility will be built in the suburbs of Warsaw to provide high-quality protection for collections, while employing cost-efficient construction processes and low-energy solutions while in operation. The pilot project and case study represents a model solution: one that can be followed by museum professionals planning new collection storage facilities in other regions of Poland.