Another important factor is the fact that preserving industrial artifacts requires sizeable facilities. In the past, not enough was done in the field of documentation on protecting collections. The federal government tended not to invest as much as was needed to meet the museum community's needs in this area.
In general, museum funding, be it for exhibits, research or conservation, has been woefully inadequate over the past 12 to 15 years. There are shortages in all areas. One of the areas in which museums play a key role is memory. However, memory needs to be looked after, something that is impossible if museums are unable even to afford their power bill. And this is a situation in which many museums find themselves.