Archive Boxes – sometimes referred to as Archival Boxes or Bankers Boxes – are places to store important documents and other items. These boxes are used by both individuals and organizations when items must be stored for a period of time in a well organized manner. They must provide both an efficient means of storage, as well as an appropriate amount of protection for the items within.
Many documents created in an organization have long term value. As such, these documents must be stored for the lifetime of their usefulness. Usually the items being stored will not be accessed on a frequent basis, but an individual seeking them must be able to retrieve them in a timely manner. Archive Boxes are designed for this purpose. Typically Archive Boxes are made out of corrugated plastics, or some other acid free material that will not degrade the contents. This provides strength so that the boxes are stackable, allowing for efficient use of space. In addition each box usually contains a label visible on the end of the box, so that they need not be opened to determine their contents. This allows for easy retrieval. Many Archive Boxes open at the top, while Bankers Boxes slide out of a protective sleeve, like a file cabinet, offering additional convenience.
An individual may also find many uses for Archive Boxes around the home. Archive Boxes may be found in a home office holding old tax receipts. Bankers Boxes may be found in the project room holding pictures or scrapbooking material. Homeowners can find Archive Boxes to be an invaluable means of organized storage.
Depending mainly on cost, these Archival Boxes provide different features and levels of protection. The boxes can be made out of any number of materials with the better boxes being crushproof, water resistant, and acid free. Virtually all Archival Boxes present a place to write information about the contents, but the more costly boxes have forms printed directly on the box instead of labels that are affixed and could fall off over time. Regardless of whether the box has a top lid or slides horizontally into a cubby, a good archival box will provide a means of securing the contents within to avoid accidental spillage.
Archive Boxes are an invaluable means to store items and documents in an organized fashion. They provide an efficient means of retrieval and the right amount of protection for things we need to store for an extended time. They allow us to free up space in an office file cabinet as well organize our home documents, projects and crafts.
