According to an international ICCROM-UNESCO survey (2011), collections in storage worldwide are at serious risk. This survey highlighted that in a sample of nearly 1500 museums in 136 countries:
While much has been written on how to plan new storage areas starting from zero, most museums are not faced with this problem at all. Instead, they must improve a situation that has deteriorated over time.
To help museums regain control of their collections in storage, ICCROM and UNESCO designed the RE-ORG Method with the help of a Storage Task Force of 15 professionals from 15 countries, and made it available online in 2011. By 2017, the RE-ORG Method had been applied in 83 museums in 27 countries via hands-on workshops, mentor sessions and online training.
All these experiences were used to revise the Method, a task undertaken by ICCROM and the Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI). The content is updated, enriched with online tools and resources, easier to use and adaptable to various contexts.