It won’t surprise you that Dorset History Centre contains a LOT of boxes. Our environmentally controlled repositories have a capacity of around 49,000 archive boxes – not including oversize items. The boxes are made from materials that won’t have any negative effects on the unique items they contain.
Collections arrive with us in various states of organisation. Nearly always, we will re-package the contents into archive-friendly envelopes, folders and boxes. This helps preserve the documents and makes labelling and finding them easier. Our Conservator can make bespoke boxes for any item which is a strange shape or has a particular need.
Boxes also help to maintain a stable micro-climate for the documents contained within, even if the external conditions fluctuate.