DeepStore gets Royal seal of approval

THE Royal Society has extended its contract with Cheshire company DeepStore to manage almost 4,000 boxes of archives and records for another three years.

The independent science academy of the UK and Commonwealth, which is dedicated to promoting excellence in science, has worked with DeepStore in Winsford since 2009 and has many different items in storage from archival treasures to over 160,000 records and personal papers.
 
Some of the publications are held in standard storage rooms, with modern records and archive collections in higher specification BS 5454-compliant storage that meets archival standards for temperature and humidity.

The Society’s recent operational material is kept for a set period before being securely shredded, whilst archives can be recalled with a week’s notice for use by its researchers.

Keith Moore, head of library at The Royal Society, said: “We were looking for cost effective and reliable off-site storage with conditions suitable for archives and we found the security and environment in the mine excellent.

“The salt mine is a fascinating location in its own right and DeepStore are professional and easy to work with. They’re quick to help with any enquiries and we trust them with our records.”

Craig Trimby, DeepStore’s head of sales, said: “We are delighted The Royal Society has extended its contract with DeepStore to manage their records and archives. Our unique underground facility provides a secure, safe and temperature-controlled environment for all their items and we’re looking forward to continuing our relationship for many more years.”

DeepStore, which is part of Compass Minerals, created the underground storage facility from the space left following the extraction of millions of tonnes of rock salt from the mine owned and operated by Compass Minerals.

The mine, 150 metres below ground, is ideal for storing documents as it has consistent temperature and humidity levels that meet the specifications of PD 5454. Its storage areas also are naturally free from ultraviolet light, vermin and flooding.
DeepStore’s clients include The National Archives, Costain, SOAS and Wellcome Trust.