Square Pegs, Round Holes: Thinking Creatively about Housing and Storage

Providing proper housing and storage of archival materials is a primary goal undertaken in all archives. Standard containers for manuscripts, documents, photographs, three-dimensional objects, and other archival materials are readily available. However, for nonstandard, unusual, or complex objects that require additional support, developing housing or specialized storage can be problematic. Thinking creatively about housing and storage of archival materials increases the wealth of housing options available to archives even when a conservator is not available. Archivists can incorporate premade and traditional archival supplies in innovative ways to create structures that store and protect, while at the same time, limit handling during use and exhibition. Three basic methods (sink mats, boxes with fillers, and archival sleeves and wrappers) can assist in this process and are illustrated with examples from the Iowa State University Library Special Collections.