Storage Areas

The record storage areas or "stacks" comprise the heart of any archives. Here the goal is to find a balance that maximizes the lifespan of the valuable records while providing and encouraging the access that Oregon's public records law requires. This part of the tour shows how the records are maintained and used. It also displays some of the oldest, most colorful and heavily used records in the Archives.

Capacity and Expandability

The Archives Building includes two floors of stacks for storing records. Each floor is approximately the same size and configuration. These areas comprise the large windowless part of the building that extends out to the south toward Mill Creek. As currently configured, the stacks have a capacity of 50,000 cubic feet. To visualize, each standard archival box (15" x 12" x 10") represents one cubic foot:

A standard archival box measures 15" x 12" x 10" for a total of one cubic foot.

The building is structurally engineered to carry the tremendous weight additional records bring. Because of this, compact, moveable shelving can be added later to increase the capacity to approximately 100,000 cubic feet.

Next: Environmental Controls >

The Stacks

Many rows of shelving 7 levels high are stored with boxes. — Storage areas or "stacks" of the Archives are closed to the public for security reasons. The shelves hold a variety of record types such as bound volumes and boxes.

Square, white, windowless building on a lawn of green grass with small trees around. — The stacks extend to the south and comprise most of the floor space in the Archives Building. The area has no windows because light can damage records.