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Stabilizing Special Collections for High-Density Storage

Introduction & Planning | Globes | Objects | Rolled Drawings | Drawings and Prints
Bound Volumes | Archives and Manuscript Collections

Globes

CHALLENGES

• Large variety of sizes and shapes
• Large variety of materials including wood, glass, plastic, cardboard and metal
• Globes were stored in metal cabinets, on open shelves or on display (no individual containers)
• Some globes were extremely heavy

SOLUTIONS

• Drop-front custom corrugated boxes made on the in-house box-maker were designed with a slide-out tray to support each globe base during retrieval
• 120 oversize globes exceeded the size limitations of the in-house machine and were extremely heavy, so similar boxes of 60-point board were made to LC specifications by an outside vendor
• All boxes were outfitted with fold-out flaps for additional protection on the drop-front edge
• Binder’s board was used to reinforce the tray for particularly heavy globes
• Each box was outfitted with Ethafoam® supports around the base, adhered to the tray with hot-melt glue
• Similar supports lined with Volara® foam (a softer polyethylene) were adhered to each box edge to support the globe while protecting the delicate surface
• Each box was labeled with a full-color photograph, detailed bibliographic information, and handling instructions to ensure proper retrieval

(Click on image below to see larger image)

Left: Inside view of a medium globe box showing tray, foam and flaps.
Center: Inside view of a small globe box showing tray, foam and flaps.
Right: Inside view of a large globe box showing manufactured tray and flaps with custom foam furniture.

Left: Different sizes of boxes for the globe collection.
Right: Labeling for a globe box.