ROME.- Precious artifacts and national treasures hidden away in the underbelly of museums are not as safe as we think. A recent international survey on museum storage by ICCROM (International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property) and UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) confirms that all over the world, museum collections in storage suffer from poor management, lack of maintenance, adequate space and equipment. This is particularly disturbing because on average 90% of museum objects are in storage, and despite poor conditions, collections continue to grow exponentially. Of the 1490 responses received from 136 countries, 1 in 4 museums report that their storage areas are so overcrowded that it has become difficult or impossible to get from one end to the other. For 2 in 3 museums, the overall lack of space is a problem identified as “major”