[BCMA] Suggestions for Data Storage Systems

[Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv]

Hi Charmaine,
At the Bill Reid Gallery, we had an onsite NAS but switched to cloud storage a few years back. We now use SharePoint as our main storage, we have 1TB for free with the nonprofit license. For our collections, we use the software PastPerfect – we are in the process of migrating to its cloud version (I could give you more info in the new year).

I highly recommend going through TechSoup Canada for any software or hardware purchases. I can also recommend our IT company.

-- Alecska Divisadero (pronouns: she/her or they/them)
Operations & Venue Administrator
Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art
operations at billreidgallery.ca<mailto:operations at billreidgallery.ca> - www.billreidgallery.ca<http://www.billreidgallery.ca/>
My office hours are usually Tuesday to Friday 12-5 pm but my schedule varies each week. As I am working part time and mostly remotely, reaching out by email is best.
We respectfully acknowledge the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səl’il’wətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), and all the Indigenous peoples of the Northwest Coast, on whose traditional and unceded territories we live and work.

From: Listserv <listserv-bounces at lists.museum.bc.ca> On Behalf Of Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv
Sent: December 18, 2025 7:30 PM
To: Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv <listserv at lists.museum.bc.ca>
Subject: [BCMA] Suggestions for Data Storage Systems

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

[cid:image001.jpg at 01DC70EA.A1A86C60]

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>

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