An archivist for over 40 years, Michele F. Pacifico has specialized in cultural heritage facilities since 1987. A consultant since 2000, Michele assists clients in all aspects of collections policy and planning, including proposals, assessments, collection surveys, feasibility studies, programming, design, construction, and post occupancy reviews for archives, records centers, museums, and special collections facilities.
Michele has worked on a variety of archival, special collections and museum facility projects, all with the goals to protect the materials; maximize the storage capabilities; use appropriate materials and finishes; provide proper environmental, fire protection, lighting, and security systems; and offer purposeful spaces for the staff and researchers to do their work. Michele's strength is in working with design teams and collections' staffs to develop and interpret the design criteria necessary to achieve a fully functional and flexible facility that meets budget and scope limitations, and provides appropriate spaces and adjacencies for collections storage and processing, preservation, staff and researcher use, and special use areas.
Michele managed the largest archival facility design and construction project in the world, NARA's Archives II. Author of AII: Using Technology to Safeguard Archival Records, I summarized the research and design processes that produced the state of the art systems and materials used to store and preserve the nation's collections, and later assisted in developing NARA 1571, the National Archives and Presidential Libraries' architectural and design standards.
My current projects include programming/design/construction of a museum and archives for the the Minnesota Military Veterans Museum; archives/special collections facilities for the District of Columbia, the Town of Marblehead, MA, the Midland Center for the Arts, and the University of Illinois; planning studies for the Alabama State Archives and the Hawaii State Archives. Recent completed projects include the programming/design/construction of Library Archives Canada's award winning new net-zero carbon Preservation and Access facility, which includes the world's largest ASRS system for archival collections https://youtu.be/zB7ExFsJIao, a cultural repository for the museum and archival collections of Guam, the award winning County of San Diego Archives, a collections depository for Ohio State University, the Hershey Legacy Archives, and the new Billy Graham Archive and Research Center.
I am past chair and member of the Society of American Archivists' Technical Subcommittee on Archival Facilities Guidelines, and was co-editor and an author for the 2009 SAA approved standard for US archival facilities: Archival and Special Collections Facilities: Guidelines for Archivists, Librarians, Architects, and Engineers. I continue to research and develop the most current guidelines for archival and collections facilities, including the development of a joint US-Canadian standard. Michele is an Executive Member of the International Council of Archives Expert Group on Archive Buildings and Environments and completed an international bibliography on archives facilities for the ICA that I continue to update.
Please contact Michele for a copy of her resume, sample work products, photographs, and references.
Michele has worked on a variety of archival, special collections and museum facility projects, all with the goals to protect the materials; maximize the storage capabilities; use appropriate materials and finishes; provide proper environmental, fire protection, lighting, and security systems; and offer purposeful spaces for the staff and researchers to do their work. Michele's strength is in working with design teams and collections' staffs to develop and interpret the design criteria necessary to achieve a fully functional and flexible facility that meets budget and scope limitations, and provides appropriate spaces and adjacencies for collections storage and processing, preservation, staff and researcher use, and special use areas.
Michele managed the largest archival facility design and construction project in the world, NARA's Archives II. Author of AII: Using Technology to Safeguard Archival Records, I summarized the research and design processes that produced the state of the art systems and materials used to store and preserve the nation's collections, and later assisted in developing NARA 1571, the National Archives and Presidential Libraries' architectural and design standards.
My current projects include programming/design/construction of a museum and archives for the the Minnesota Military Veterans Museum; archives/special collections facilities for the District of Columbia, the Town of Marblehead, MA, the Midland Center for the Arts, and the University of Illinois; planning studies for the Alabama State Archives and the Hawaii State Archives. Recent completed projects include the programming/design/construction of Library Archives Canada's award winning new net-zero carbon Preservation and Access facility, which includes the world's largest ASRS system for archival collections https://youtu.be/zB7ExFsJIao, a cultural repository for the museum and archival collections of Guam, the award winning County of San Diego Archives, a collections depository for Ohio State University, the Hershey Legacy Archives, and the new Billy Graham Archive and Research Center.
I am past chair and member of the Society of American Archivists' Technical Subcommittee on Archival Facilities Guidelines, and was co-editor and an author for the 2009 SAA approved standard for US archival facilities: Archival and Special Collections Facilities: Guidelines for Archivists, Librarians, Architects, and Engineers. I continue to research and develop the most current guidelines for archival and collections facilities, including the development of a joint US-Canadian standard. Michele is an Executive Member of the International Council of Archives Expert Group on Archive Buildings and Environments and completed an international bibliography on archives facilities for the ICA that I continue to update.
Please contact Michele for a copy of her resume, sample work products, photographs, and references.