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Re: Before I Hurt the Architects...



Mark:

Sorry to hear that you're having to deal with pushy architects (in my
experience, many of these people have super-egos, and can be difficult when
confronted with counter-persuasion).

Please be thoughtful of patron/visitor comfort, e.g., think of the exhibit
sightlines, angle of view, etc. Also be mindful of Federal ADA regulations.
A few years ago, with a former employer, I got to curate an exhibit of mixed
objects (railroad dining car-related artifacts, ephemera and such) and
display same in flat, table-like metal cases from a catalog. These had
terrible sightlines, collected dust throught the edges of the flat access
lids, and did not take kindly to the museum's overhead spot and flood
lighting.

The table-like exhibit cases from Gaylord, et al, are far from
ADA-compliance. Look to see whether any case designs are vented and
air-filtered. Most can turn into little ovens whether lit or not...obviously
bad from a conservation standpoint. Consider also how cases will be lit.
Outside lights can create glare, hot-spots, and if the patron stands (or
sits) between light and exhibit case, shadows. Will all your displays be
flat, or are there angled shelves; ways to passively hang some material
without going to a lot of trouble or causing stress to the exhibited
object(s)?

Regardless of what plan you follow, all these points are crucial. The
architects and exhibits designers I've had to work with do not always think
of all these considerations, either. You may have to compromise, and costs
will be affected (usually upwards unless you get lucky and/or very clever).

Kevin V. Bunker
Student Assistant
California State Archives
> ----------
> From:         Mark Lambert[SMTP:mlambert@STCL.EDU]
> Reply To:     Archives & Archivists
> Sent:         Tuesday, April 18, 2000 3:39 PM
> To:   ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU
> Subject:      Before I Hurt the Architects...
>
> Colleagues:
> We are in the process of designing a new library building, including
> adding areas for exhibit cases for special collections.  The architects
> are attempting to stick me with custom designed exhibit cases made of
> cherry wood, even after I asked for ( I assume, cheaper) metal cases
> (both flat and upright) found in Gaylord, University Products or similar
> catalogs due to preservation reasons. I have all the technical
> literature I need to throw in their faces as to why I don't want wooden
> cases, but they keep asking "Come on, how much damage could wood REALLY
> do to the stuff?"
>
> Has anyone (more persuasive than me) been in a similar situation, and
> either:
>
> Had the perfect argument to shut them up; or
> convinced the architects on getting metal cases with just a fascade of
> wood for aesthetic reasons (to match to rest of the library); or
> gotten stuck with wood, and then treated it somehow.
>
> Please contact me if you would like to share your experience.
>
> Thanks in advance.
> Mark
>
> Mark Lambert
> Special Collections and Government Documents Librarian
> South Texas College of Law Library
> Houston, TX
>
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A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!

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      In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
                    *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
To post a message, send e-mail to archives@listserv.muohio.edu

Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html

Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>