No one uses the tire shrinker these days, and the Clarkston post office boxes sit letterless. Lack of room is one reason, she explained. Besides that, most of the objects are damaged by extended exposure to light, dust and environmental changes. They spend the majority of their time in a storage area where the environment is more controlled. It's the protection and tracking everything that makes this kind of an off-limits area.
Protection is evident on a variety of levels.
In the history storage area, for example, the main door is locked to keep out unauthorized wanderers. To prevent damage from floods, most objects hang on racks or sit on pallets or shelves. Very few artifacts touch the floor. Opaque plastic dangles like curtains in front of the shelves to keep out dust. And, since Bozeman is in an earthquake zone, the museum is starting to place straps around shelves to prevent the artifacts from falling.