[BCMA] Suggestions for Data Storage Systems

[Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv]

For digital storage, an on-site, and a cloud solution are best for
redundancy, if that's something you can afford.

For hardware, a NAS RAID system is the current industry standard. It has
multiple drives that hook up to an array and each drive holds redundant
backups of the other drives, so if one goes down, the others can restore
the information. The nice part about it too is that the data is held on
multiple drives, so you would only need to replace one if there's a
problem, rather than replacing the whole system.

For the amount of data you're talking about, it will probably cost a few
hundred dollars for the array and all the drives. Keeping in mind the more
redundancy you want between drives, the more overall data you will need.

For cloud systems, I would recommend going with one of the larger
companies, as they tend to have the most security, and little chance that
they're going to go under or lose your data. I think Google offers what
you're looking for for about $35 a month.

It's something I've been doing a lot of research on lately, so feel free to
reach out to me directly if wanted any more information


Melissa Ratcliff
*BC Society for the Museum of Original Costume (SMOC)*


1489 McRae Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V6H 1V1
604-216-7662
www.smoc.ca
Facebook:  @smocostume <https://www.facebook.com/SMOCostume/>
Instagram: @smocostume <https://www.instagram.com/smocostume/>

On Fri, Dec 19, 2025, 12:17 PM Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv <
listserv at lists.museum.bc.ca> wrote:

> Hello Museum Community,
>
>
>
> Our little museum is looking for data storage solutions that can house
> about 5 terabytes off-site. We currently rely on two NAS systems, one on
> site and another in a neighbouring town,  which have served us well for
> nearly a decade. Unfortunately, our IT company has relocated and can no
> longer provide space for the off-site unit, and our NAS systems are aging
> and may soon need upgrading.
>
>
>
> We’re also exploring cloud storage options, but the quotes we’ve received
> from the usual providers are higher than we would like for our budget. Our
> IT support is investigating other options, but I wanted to reach out to our
> museum and heritage community to ask:
>
>
>
> Has your organization found affordable, reliable solutions for off-site
> storage of large digital archives?
> Are there platforms, services, or approaches (hybrid storage, academic or
> nonprofit discounts, etc.) that you’ve had good experiences with?
>
>
>
> Any suggestions, tips, or lessons learned would be *very* welcome as we
> work to ensure our digital archives are secure, accessible, and sustainable
> for the long term. We know we will need to invest in either a new NAS or
> cloud storage, we are just trying to find the best fit.
>
>
>
> Thank you in advance and happy holidays to all of you.
>
>
>
> Warmly,
>
> Charmaine Carpenter
>
> Executive Director / Curator
>
> O: 604 894-5504
>
> M: 778 859-7903
>
>
>
>
>
> *I respectfully acknowledge I am speaking from and working on the *
>
> *traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Lil’wat Nation. *
>
> *Kukwstumckacw, merci, and thank you. *
>
>
>
> Check out our new VIDEO
> <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjX3W6KGwkE&t=11s>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Listserv mailing list
> Listserv at lists.museum.bc.ca
> http://lists.museum.bc.ca/listinfo.cgi/listserv-museum.bc.ca
>
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