Below is the relevant extract from the discussion standard. Please discuss:

1. What works? What doesn't work?
2. What would be your preferred text?
3. What evidence could you provide to meet the standard?
4. Are the requirements for levels reasonable?

Storage and preservation

2.11 Storage provision

Objective: The standard of storage is sufficient to ensure the long-term preservation of all its physical collections

Standard:  Buildings inhabited by repositories, whether single occupancy or shared, broadly conform to PD 5454 in the following elements:

•              The storage environment for archival materials

•              Storage repository site

•              Storage repository construction

•              Fire precautions

Requirements for level 2

Example: 100% of a service’s storage conforms to PD5454

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Storage facilities should protect archival material from physical environmental damage, fire, theft, flood and vandalism.

It is understood that many archive services are housed in old buildings and utilise off-site storage facilities that may not be compliant to PD 5454.  In the interests of ensuring the long-term preservation of documents, the minimum standard requires that the primary archive-holding site (which stores key collections) broadly conforms to the above elements of PD 5454.

Where the service falls short in meeting PD 5454, it should have a strategy in place to reach the standard required and ensure that the future of its collections is assured.  Services with off-site storage that fails to meet the standard should also have a strategy in place to meet PD 5454.

Where an archive service is housed in a new, purpose built repository, it is expected that all on-site storage should meet PD 5454 in its entirety. 

Evidence…..

Information should be provided about the extent to which service’s storage facilities conform to PD 5454. Information will need to be provided for each separate storage site, indicating the type of material held within, and its compliance with the standard.

If new repository is currently being planned and/or built, evidence should be provided of its compliance to PD 5454