Increasing Chicago Film Archives' storage Capacity with Archival Shelving

FAIN: PG-266735-19

Chicago Film Archives, NFP (Chicago, IL 60616-1120)
Brian Belak (Project Director: January 2019 to February 2022)

The purchase of shelving units for film storage, in response to the Chicago Film Archives' ongoing acquisition of film collections and as recommended in an earlier preservation assessment. The shelving would house nearly 2,000 items from eight collections, including an audiovisual collection that documents the work of modern dancer and choreographer Sybil Sherer, and a film collection that documents the life of Marya Lilien, the first woman to apprentice under Frank Lloyd Wright. These materials are used by documentary filmmakers, researchers, and dancers studying choreography. Increased storage capacity would not only facilitate preservation but would also contribute to the accessibility of these collections.

This grant seeks to purchase additional steel archival shelving for CFA's growing collections. Throughout the past 15 years CFA has acquired on the average ten collections each year requiring additional horizontal storage for its films on a regular basis. This project would include the manufacturing of 16 steel shelving units designed for optimal storage efficiency in CFA's climate-controlled space. The units would be shipped to CFA's site and then assembled by staff.

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