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June 4th, 2012
We are honored to be an exhibitor at the 2012 Kentucky Bar Association’s Annual Convention June 6th – 8th.
Lois Herrmann and Kristel Marquart will be there to offer solutions for secure records storage, imaging, and online backup just to name a few ways to help prepare for the future.
Stop by to visit Lois and Kristel in booth #14 and register to win a $50 Visa Gift Card. Details listed below:
June 6 – 8, 2012
Galt House Hotel
Suite Tower – 2nd Level
140 N Fourth Street
Louisville, KY
We look forward to visiting with you.
Posted in Events, Legal Records Storage, Storage Compliance, Underground Storage | Comments Off
June 1st, 2012
Next week is the Kansas Register of Deeds Seminar at the Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City and we are packing up to exhibit. The ROD’s in Kansas take records management & security very serious and we will be there to help make that happen for them.
Stop by to visit with Dennis Friedl at our booth and get registered to win a $50 Visa Gift Card. Dennis will be there to answer questions about secure storage options, standards and compliance, digital records and more. Details are listed below:
June 6, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Great Wolf Lodge
10401 Cabela Drive
Kansas City, KS
We look forward to visiting with you.
Posted in Events, Government Records Storage, Microform Storage, Underground Storage | Comments Off
December 14th, 2011
We recently posted about the secure storage of valuable baseball cards. A recent story in the Salina Journal brought the issue of secure storage front and center. A break-in at a Salina storage unit resulted in one person being robbed of “a collection of about 15,000 football, baseball and basketball cards valued at $3,000, and a stamp collection valued at $2,000.”
We hear these types of horror stories in the secure storage business and we see it as our mission to help people prevent this from happening to their valuables. Our hearts go out to the victim of this crime.
For the rest of us, this should serve as a reminder to review our storage plans and make sure that we are protected.
Posted in Fine Art and Artifact Storage, Underground Storage | Comments Off
November 11th, 2011
There were plenty of heroes in this year’s World Series, and that has us thinking about baseball cards. A few superstar players may see their card stock rise after an exciting seven-game nail biter. Congratulations to the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals.
Many may not know that baseball cards are one of the more unique items we store here at Underground Vaults & Storage. Like any item, proper storage of baseball cards is important and can help protect your investment, especially if you have one of these top ten most valuable cards.
If you were lucky enough to have any of these in your collection, you’d certainly take great precautions when storing them. The fact of the matter is that most businesses have valuable records that are vital to their operations and these records deserve the same protection you’d want for a T206 Honus Wagner. Remember, whether your protecting baseball cards or business records, basic storage best practices apply. Consider the space needed, environmental concerns, your access needs and the value of your items when determining whether to store them on or off-site.
Image courtesy of Flickr user Baseball Collection
Tags: unique storage
Posted in Fine Art and Artifact Storage, Underground Storage | Comments Off
September 13th, 2011
 Digital records make life easier, no doubt about it. But nearly all businesses still deal with records that aren’t digital, and contrary to popular belief, scanning paper documents can cost much more than simply storing them, both short and long-term. It is estimated that 90% of the world’s data bank still exists on 1/2 open reel tapes. Converting all of that data to digital would be a monumental task, even if one were so inclined.
Digital conversion can be costly, and in the case of older records or documents that only need to be accessed occasionally, it isn’t very beneficial. Technologies and media change, but the need to store them remains the same. When weighing the cost of conversion to newer media, it makes sense to evaluate the alternatives.
When same day retrieval just isn’t fast enough, a scanning and imaging system that converts records to a digital format make sense. For many other records that require infrequent access, secure, maintained and accessible storage may be the most cost-effective option.
If you need help figuring out the best solution for your situation, don’t hesitate to call. With experience in both conversion and storage, we can point you in the right direction.
Posted in Records Management, Underground Storage | Comments Off
September 8th, 2011
Preparedness is something we take very seriously. Day in and day out, our team’s major focus is on keeping the many critical documents, files and artifacts that we store safe so that our clients are prepared for the worst. We think preparedness is important and, apparently, we are not alone: President Obama has proclaimed September 2011 as National Preparedness Month.
We encourage you to take time this month to review your organization’s preparedness plans. You can start by reading our previous post on emergency planning.
Analyze your current document management and security processes from the perspective of these three core areas:
1) Storage needs – What records and materials are you currently storing and which space and environmental issues need to be addressed?
2) Management – What is process for document and material organization, retrieval and destruction?
3) Access – Who needs access to your critical records and how is that access determined and managed?
Addressing these key areas will go a long way towards ensuring that your organization is prepared.
Visit the official FEMA National Preparedness Month website to become a part of the national emergency preparedness effort.
Tags: National Preparedness Month
Posted in Events, Underground Storage | Comments Off
August 16th, 2011
You’re probably not storing the original document of the Magna Carta or The Declaration of Independence, but the same basic principles that keep these historic pages from crumbling to dust apply to preserving your own important records.
The four major factors that contribute significantly to the breakdown of materials are temperature, relative humidity, light and air quality. The Northeast Document Conservation Center discusses these factors in a preservation leaflet here.
Let’s take a look at a few of the highlights.
Temperature:
Heat plays a huge role in the rate of document deterioration. The hotter the temperature the faster your records deteriorate.
Humidity:
Extremes in humidity are a big concern. High levels of humidity result in moisture that can lead to mold and insect activity. Low humidity can make your documents brittle. Either case can be disastrous.
Light:
Exposure to light weakens document fibers, causing them to become brittle. Light can also render your documents illegible due to bleaching, yellowing, darkening and fading. This damage is irreversible.
Air Quality:
Pollutants, especial acid and soot, contribute document deterioration like discoloration and embrittlement.
Now, of course, not all documents are created equal, and your storage needs may vary quite a bit depending on their importance and the length of time they will need to be stored. At UV&S, we work with you to define your needs for storage and preservation and determine a plan that best meets your requirements in the most cost-effective way.
Tags: Preservation
Posted in Underground Storage | Comments Off
June 24th, 2011
The paperless office is a little bit like Bigfoot. A friend of a friend may have heard about someone who swears they have seen one, and there might be a grainy video on YouTube about it, but there is little verifiable evidence to be found on the phenomena.
But didn’t all the futurists of yesteryear predict that we would live in a paperless society by now? Well, some did, anyway. I’m still waiting on that personal hovercraft that I was promised, as well. And it’s anyone’s guess which will happen first.
We may actually use more paper now than ever as we constantly print out emails, blogs and Powerpoint presentations. And even with all of the technological advances in data back-up, some critical information still requires hard copies. As the quality of online viewing and reliability of data back-up continue to improve, we are seeing a reduction in paper usage in some areas even as it expands in others.
Even an office that has successfully eliminated paper use internally still has to deal with clients and vendors who haven’t. For now, we are inching along a winding path that may or may not ever lead to a truly paperless office. In the meantime, your best bet may be to implement a cost-effective capture strategy that allows you to handle media of all kinds.
Posted in Data Storage, Records Management, Underground Storage | Comments Off
June 17th, 2011
The reasons to store records off-site are many in number and vary from industry to industry. However, there are some basic reasons that every organization should consider that directly impact  productivity and profitability. Here are five main reasons to include off-site storage in your records management strategy:
5. Save valuable office space
Maybe you need to free up space so you can move around without bumping into things. Or maybe you can use that space to do something that actually makes money.
4. Geographic separation of records
It doesn’t take a climatologist to see that natural disasters can destroy property along with the records inside. Storing your records off-site can help in keeping a bad situation from becoming worse.
3. Security of information
Information security, and the lack there-of, is the stuff of headlines that you do not want to be associated with. It isn’t enough to think you have it covered. Know that we have it covered for you.
2. Management of information
Old records can get misfiled, damaged or lost when you keep them on-site. But you may still need to access those files occasionally. Well, off-site storage can allow for all the access you need. And with bar-code tracking and a team of management specialists, you’ll likely get the document you need faster than if you were digging for it yourself.
1. Cost savings
For less than the cost of a local storage unit, UV&S can typically store your items, move them into storage for you, and process them using bar-code tracking. The cost goes down after that, and records management can be paid on an as-needed basis.
Tags: Off Site, Top Five
Posted in Records Management, Underground Storage | Comments Off
June 3rd, 2011
The practice of storing things underground goes back as far as the earliest records of civilization. In fact, much of the information we have uncovered about these early cultures has survived through the ages because it was buried. From the  Egyptian pharaohs to the caretakers of sacred religious texts to modern dictators hoarding stolen artifacts during World War II, people have preserved their most valuable assets by storing them underground.
So when the founders of Underground Vaults & Storage began looking for a secure storage place for vital records, it was history that sparked an idea. During the fallout of post WWII Europe, stolen property was recovered that Hitler had hidden away in the salt bunkers and mines of Germany. The artifacts in storage were found in pristine condition.
Six men met to discuss the idea for a secured records storage company 650 feet below ground in the Carey salt mine. The result of these discussions marked the birth of Underground Vaults & Storage, and it didn’t take much convincing to persuade the first customers about the benefits the salt mine provided in protecting their valuables. Today, UVS securely stores important property for governments and individuals, museums and private collectors, major film studios and microfilm users, Wall Street moguls and Main street boutiques.
The best ideas, like the best secure storage, stand the test of time. And as history shows us, when it comes to secure storage of your valuable assets, it doesn’t get any better than Underground.
Posted in Company History, Underground Storage | Comments Off
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