Operating a museum presents a host of challenges: financial, philosophical, practical, and political, to name a few. While these challenges change from time to time, there are a few concerns that still take center stage more than a century after the first public museums opened their doors. Foremost among them is protecting the objects in a museum’s collection.
The effective safekeeping of a museum’s collection is ensured by providing adequate security and environmental conditions. Environmental concerns are primarily the control of pollution, illumination, and temperature, but the leading threat is usually humidity.