Spoiler: It wasn’t just a few boxes.

He climbed the creaky wooden stairs expecting to see a few forgotten banker boxes. What he found instead was a dusty attic packed wall to wall with records. Payroll documents, building permits, handwritten meeting minutes, tax forms from the ‘70s—you name it, it was up there. Some of the boxes were collapsing. A few were unlabeled. One had a family of spiders Tom still refuses to talk about.

But amid the chaos, one thing was clear: this city had a historical and operational goldmine—and no plan for how to manage it.

What Happens When Records Are Out of Sight, Out of Mind

It’s easy for back rooms, basements, and attics to become the final resting place for records. But leaving them up there isn’t harmless. It’s risky. Paper degrades. Labels fade. Moisture, dust, and pests do damage over time. Worse, when someone needs to find something, no one knows where to start—or if it even still exists.

That’s why Tom called in the Advantage DS3 team.

From Forgotten to Fully Searchable

Within two weeks, we had a plan in place:

• Remove and inventory all attic-stored records
• Digitize critical documents (including handwritten minutes)
• Shred expired and non-essential content under a certified chain of custody
• Return permanent records to secure, off-site vault storage

Now, instead of an attic full of question marks, this city has a searchable digital archive and peace of mind. All because Tom decided to climb the stairs.

Got an Attic Full of “We’ll Deal with That Later”?

Whether it’s an attic, basement, storage closet, or even a locked filing cabinet no one’s dared open in a decade—Tom’s up for it. He’ll help figure out what’s up there, what matters, and how Advantage DS3 can turn it into something useful, accessible, and compliant.

Email him directly at tom@advantageds3.com or stop by Booth 70 at the League of Cities conference. Just maybe don’t mention spiders.