Connecting to Collections Care

I would definitely not expose rusted artefacts to the risk of immersion in flood water – it is likely to make their condition much worse.  Instead, you could consider using the bottom shelf to store items in robust polypropylene boxes with well-fitting lids, that are watertight.  Some factors to consider:

• How deep does the flood water rise above the shelf? If it rises to the level of the shelf above, then no, nothing that can be damaged by floodwater (which is often contaminated with sewage, bacteria and chemicals) can go on it.
• If the flood water only rises an inch or two above the bottom shelf and you have fairly robust items, such as the rusted iron objects, which can be placed in boxes, they could be put on the lower shelf.  Include a big bag of silica gel beads in each box and make sure the objects are padded with a layer of thin polythene foam (Jiffy foam in the UK) so that they can't damage each other when the box is moved.
• Don't put lightweight objects in the boxes as they could float off in a flood and the box could then tip and fill with water.
• Don't use very large boxes and fill them with heavy objects or you won't be able to move them.

It's a compromise, but would enable you to use the lower shelves with a reasonably low risk to the collection.

Other thoughts:

What flood mitigation measures can be put in place to minimise flooding in the basement?

What actions do you take after flooding to reduce the relative humidity and minimise secondary damage to objects in the basement? Even if the water does not reach them, the high humidity and risk of mould and pests is a problem that must take considerable resources to address.

Hazards from the flooding including contamination from the floodwater are a serious risk to the people working with the collection.

On a general note, basements and attics are frequently used to store collections and are often the worst parts of the building to use. Historic houses and museums which have a shop or café should not store their collections in parts of the building that are not safe for shop stock or food storage, but you will often find saleable items get better storage than the collection which is the main reason for the organisation's existence. Or look at it another way:- if your director wouldn't have their office there, why should the collection be kept there?

Hope this helps

Helena

I would definitely not expose rusted artefacts to the risk of immersion in flood water – it is likely to make their condition much worse.  Instead, you could consider using the bottom shelf to store items in robust polypropylene boxes with well-fitting lids, that are watertight.  Some factors to consider:

• How deep does the flood water rise above the shelf? If it rises to the level of the shelf above, then no, nothing that can be damaged by floodwater (which is often contaminated with sewage, bacteria and chemicals) can go on it.
• If the flood water only rises an inch or two above the bottom shelf and you have fairly robust items, such as the rusted iron objects, which can be placed in boxes, they could be put on the lower shelf.  Include a big bag of silica gel beads in each box and make sure the objects are padded with a layer of thin polythene foam (Jiffy foam in the UK) so that they can't damage each other when the box is moved.
• Don't put lightweight objects in the boxes as they could float off in a flood and the box could then tip and fill with water.
• Don't use very large boxes and fill them with heavy objects or you won't be able to move them.

It's a compromise, but would enable you to use the lower shelves with a reasonably low risk to the collection.

Other thoughts:

What flood mitigation measures can be put in place to minimise flooding in the basement?

What actions do you take after flooding to reduce the relative humidity and minimise secondary damage to objects in the basement? Even if the water does not reach them, the high humidity and risk of mould and pests is a problem that must take considerable resources to address.

Hazards from the flooding including contamination from the floodwater are a serious risk to the people working with the collection.

On a general note, basements and attics are frequently used to store collections and are often the worst parts of the building to use. Historic houses and museums which have a shop or café should not store their collections in parts of the building that are not safe for shop stock or food storage, but you will often find saleable items get better storage than the collection which is the main reason for the organisation's existence. Or look at it another way:- if your director wouldn't have their office there, why should the collection be kept there?

Hope this helps

Helena