Collections Care on a Shoestring Budget: Acid-Free Storage Boxes

Let’s face it, acid-free boxes are expensive and money for collections care is becoming harder and harder to come by. A typical record storage box can cost as much as $13 or more just for one box. But, there is a way to save money provided you have the patience to take on the challenge!

Each year, companies spend millions of dollars researching box designs to provide the proper support for their products. These boxes come in many different shapes and sizes just like objects in a museum’s collection, and can be used as templates for creating your own acid-free storage containers. The first step is to save all of the boxes you come across that you feel would be a good size to store your collections. Then open up the boxes so that they create a pattern to use to create your own acid-free version.

Now you have box patterns, but you still need the materials in order to make your own boxes. A 10pt. acid-free piece of corrugated cardboard will make a box sturdy enough to hold most museum objects (board.jpg). This board can be purchased from most archival supply companies and you can get a 32”x40” sheet for about $3.36. You will also need an exacto or utility knife to cut the board and a bone tool to score your folds, a straight edge to cut along, and a pencil to do your tracings (tool.jpg). Finally, you will need materials to hold your box together, but we will discuss this more at the end of the article.

In order to create your box, place your template on the acid-free board and trace along the edges. Be sure that you know where you want to fold and where you want to cut to make your closure flaps. Use your bone tool to score the lines that you want to fold and use your knife to cut the others. Don’t forget to use your straight edge so that you can keep your line straight and to keep from cutting your hand or fingers.

Now you have a box, but you still need to secure it so that it stays closed. There are several options for closure methods depending on your needs. One option is to use hot melt adhesive that can be purchased from many archival supply companies; however this adhesive tends to be somewhat pricey (glue.jpg). Staples can also be used to secure the box ends. An additional option is the use of cotton twill tape. To use the twill, you will need to use a paper punch to make holes in the closure flaps. You can then slip the twill through the holes and tie a bow (twill.jpg). This is a good option given that once you untie the box ends, the object can be slid out of the box rather than lifted.

To reduce costs further, many smaller organizations may want to go together to place a supply order as most suppliers offer a price break for larger quantities. You can also contact the company for a price quote, which will often be less than their advertised prices. When it comes to caring for collections on a shoestring budget, the key is to always think outside the box (pun intended!).