Collection Storage Project
From the Fall of 2017 to the Summer of 2018, the Iowa Jewish Historical Society (IJHS) worked diligently to solve one of our biggest challenges: a lack of storage for our growing collection. In fact, preparations for a collection storage upgrade were in the works for more than 6 years! Museum staff and volunteers worked hard at inventorying, cataloguing, and calculating the space needed to store our artifacts for the long term.
What Changed?
While the gallery was closed, the IJHS packed and moved the collection in order to:
- Clean and upgrade the infrastructure of the storage space
- Install movable and compact shelving and specialized racks
- Create a new “receiving area” in the office for the temporary storage of items being considered for donation
- Transfer the entire collection back into the space with a detailed recording of each artifact’s location for our catalogue
- Take photographs of many of the items, which will be added to the collections database and made available online to you, researchers, and the public
Before & After Storage Organization
Our Generous Supporters
This project is funded through grants from Bravo Greater Des Moines and its 17 partner local governments—Altoona, Ankeny, Bondurant, Carlisle, Clive, Des Moines, Grimes, Indianola, Johnston, Norwalk, Pleasant Hill, Polk City, Polk County, Urbandale, Waukee, West Des Moines, and Windsor Heights; the Beverly Blank Perry Foundation, the State Historical Society of Iowa, Historical Resource Development Program, and individual donations to the IJHS 20th Anniversary Fund Drive. There is still more work to be done to preserve these artifacts for future generations. Please join us in supporting this mission-critical project!