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General
Care And Handling
- The term "archival
quality" is a term used to designate materials or products that are
permanent, durable, and/or chemically stable and, therefore, can be
safely used for long-term preservation purposes.
- When selecting supplies for
collection storage, buy only from reputable suppliers of archival
products. Many commercially available folders, sleeves, and envelopes
are acidic. Plastics may be contaminated or have harmful coatings or
plasticizers, and adhesives are often acidic and can stain permanently.
- Handle archival materials as
little as possible.
- Always wash your hands before
handling valued material. Wash them frequently during extended use of
collections.
- The use of cotton gloves will
protect archival material from oily fingerprint transfer.
- Do not eat or drink in
storage, exhibition, or work areas. Liquids are easily spilled and will
also stain archival materials. These stains are often difficult, if not
impossible, to remove.
- Do not use metal paper clips
or rubber bands to secure objects together. Individual folders or
sleeves offer a better way to organize and combine multi-sheet records.
- One touch with a pH testing
pen will indicate if an item is alkaline or acidic. This will help to
determine the next course of action.
- The effects of light damage
are cumulative! Turn off direct sources of light, such as table lamps,
when items are left unattended. Use UV light filters on lights and
windows. Always protect valuable items from exposure to sunlight,
moisture, dust and dirt.
General Storage
- Archival storage boxes are
constructed from PAT-certified materials to ensure the integrity of
long-term storage. This archival material is crafted into solid, secure
boxes that resist dust, dirt, and light infiltration. Rigid,
metal-reinforced corners create a secure seam and resist crushing even
when stacked. This combination yields a container that will protect its
contents for generations to come.
- To read documents, lay them
on a flat surface and minimize handling.
- All documents should be
housed in a protective sleeve made of polyester (Mylar).
- When retrieving a single item
from a folder, first remove the file folder from the box, then remove
the item.
- When placing papers in file
folders, there should be no more than ten sheets per folder; the more
valuable the documents, the fewer the sheets.
- Interleave documents using
acid-free Bond Paper or glassine sheets.
- Newspaper clippings are very
acidic. They should be treated with deacidification spray and stored in
their own folders to limit acid migration.
- Store materials in a
relatively cool, dry, dark location.
- Interleave large items with
buffered paper for support.
When choosing an
acid-free tissue to use, consider the type of artifact you are storing.
Cotton, flax, linen, and jute should be stored using a buffered tissue
to neutralize acids. Wool, silk, and textiles are best stored using unbuffered
tissue which has a neutral pH.
Archival Storage of Photographs
- Storing your collection in
appropriate Photo Storage Boxes, envelopes, sleeves, and albums. will
protect against light, dust, handling, air pollutants, and rapid
fluctuations in temperature and humidity.
- The Photo Activity Test was
developed by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to
evaluate materials that come in contact with photographic emulsions.
Materials that pass the test help ensure safe long-term storage of
negatives, slides, and microfiche.
- All negatives and prints
require protection from finger oils, acids, dust, dirt, pollution, and
abrasion. Use of cotton gloves when handling your negatives and prints
will protect against damage.
- Buffered vs. Unbuffered: The
ANSI standard for color photo storage is unbuffered envelopes. The ANSI
standard for black and white photo storage is buffered envelopes.
- Photo storage should be made of
strong, durable and chemically stable material. Any material that comes
in contact with photographs should pass the PAT test. Do not store
photographs in commercially available "magnetic" photo albums.
Choose acid-free materials and pages.
- Extend the life of your photo
album by using archival material. The ideal photo album would be
constructed with 100% archival materials including a protective cover, a
hinge that allows the book to comfortably expand, and size that is easy
to shelve or store.
- If you choose to use plastic
page protectors, purchase them from a recognized archival products
company. Many "PVC-free" plastics that are available through
discount stores are not archival.
- Attach your photographs,
postcards, and other items with archival photo corners or choose an
acid-free adhesive. This will prevent discoloration of tape and
materials.
- Store slides in a cool, dark,
low humidity environment to avoid fungus growth. Avoid long exposure to
any light source including daylight, fluorescent lamps, illuminated
viewers and light boxes.
Care of Books
- Place books upright on the
shelves using bookends when the shelf is not full.
- Use a book cradle or padded
supports when viewing fragile volumes.
- Books should not be exposed
to sunlight. The damaging effect of UV rays can be minimized with the
application of UV-resistant Book Jacket Covers.
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