preserving family archives historical materials

8/14/2019 Preserving Family Archives Historical Materials

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On December 5, 2006, Kate Malcolm & Karen Jones attended a workshop sponsored by the Union CountyOffice of Cultural and Heritage Affairs and, as speaker, Mimi Bowling, ConsultingArchivist. Following is a. overview of the information given.. .

'"Preserving, Family Archives and His.torical Ma.terials

TWOVERY IMPORTANT NOTES:"

All things fall apart. Everything cbntains intrinsic elements within itself to cause its own destruction.Principle of Reversibility inpreserVingmaterials: Don't do anything that can't be undone in the future.

GENERAL-~"'~,.~'kJ1t""' .." .11"""'~DESTRUCTIVEFACTORS:- ""'.., =. ..,- .~- ~ !Ij>~-" ~... - ~~ ., ",""'" .~ "'O:C-..;J'~'"

Heat & Humidi!y'and the Fluctuations in both. Ideal = 68F& 50% or less Relative Humidity. Humidity increases chemical reactions & mold

growth. ... AVOID storage in attics, basements, garages, barns, sheds, unheated porches, and other areaswhere heat and humidity canpot be controlled. .. Avoid fluctuations in heat & humidity; they cause expansion and contraction of materials. Sincedifferent elementswithlp.theite.rp,respond differently,to heat & humidity, the item ultimately~ breaks down. (ink on paper, 2 elements). Monitoring devices for heat & humidity are available. Some inexpensive ones are available atplaces like Radio Shack. Seme have alarms.

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Lie:ht- ALL light causes damage& fadiyg. Store items in the dark, away from all light.Pollutants - Both Gases (exhaust, out gassing from other items) and Particulates (dust, kitchen grease, soot,dirt, etc) can cause damage. Protect items from pollutants.Pestsi\!,-o~~~~~~s~~."c~,dam~~~ items.:-~h~~kite~ Qfte,~~Agurcb~ej:r~~j!a .er~blem~,es; .STORAGE MATERIALS:

. Use archival materials from reliable sources (e.g., Gaylord, Light Impressions,Metal Edge, etc.).

. DO use archivalmaterials that are ,chemicallystable, buffered8.5pH. Photos do best in pH neutralstorage boxes & folders orpolyester sleeves.AVOID

e fasteners: paper clips & other fasteners (rust & distortion), rubberbands (go gummy or dry out & stickto item), staples (holes& rips), ang holders requiring punched holes (rips),. adhesives (glue, pas~, rubb~rcement -deteriorate and discolor), tape (~ails,gets.sticky),. acidic storage containers (like regular cardboard boxes), andeunstable plastic (especiallyvinyl and PVC).Page1of4

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Sealed plastic containers can release gases as well as cause a greenhou~~environmeBttrapping the gases andhumidity inside with your item, Monitor the container for signs ofmold and, if it occurs, add a desiccant toabsorb excess humidity.Don't mend, clean using fluids (a soft brush or special eraser is OK), dona fumigate for mold or pests (mayhave adverse affects onpaper). Also avoid Document Repair ['ape asitcan damage item and cannot easily bereversed.HANDLING: "

f .. Less is better. Keep hands cle~ (remove lotion).. Gloves: Use archivist white cotton gloves when handling photos as the oils in skin can damage thechemicals in the photos. It's not always necessary to use gloves when handling paper, especially if itbrittle, as the gloves are clumsy and cause more damage.iiIIIi!.~"JII; '~~""""oii ~@; ~ ~"' , """'~~-~""""~""' ,~,g~~",,~. Iiio.io ~'~'~~"'"""~DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

Know the risks (esp. water) to your storage ar~as and choose loeations accordingly.Back Up: copy ~verythingonto paper and stOFeaway from originals for safety. Keep negatives for picturesseparate from the prints. ,Computer backup online storage is not forever as both companies and technology change. ,1'IDENTIJ?ICATION:~Remember to preserve the informatioFlabout the photos, documents, home movies/videos, audiotapes, etc. aswell as the items themselves.Who - fIrst & last namesWhen-month, day, & year Where - e.g., actual address not just "my house"What - reason for picture, event, etc.

PAPER DOCUMENTSLetters, Legal & Vital records, Certificates, Diplomas, Newspapers, Newspaper clippings, & Artwork. Paperoften has short fibers & a high acid content."'Jfo"NO'l'~ -"" ~ '" ~

. Storefolded'.. Repeatedly fold& unfold. Laminate (enclosed plastic traps heat which deteriorates paper and breaks down binders)

. Display indefinitely - Length it can be displayed depends a lot on material.. Use adhesive labels on folders - they"falloff and the ID is lost. Instead, write in pencil directly on thefolder.

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Newsprint - designed not to last. Made ofpm.verized wooa pulp. Prpgn@sisis not [email protected] the dark & don't handle often. If you photocopy or scan,c1iPl"ings, th~ywilloutlast tke @riginal.Approved Storage Materials:. Archival folders - donot.use colored foMers as the color \\(;j,llJ~m1wb.enet.. Archival boxes - flat is best.. MylarlMelinex - ine~ clear polyester or polyethylene available as sheets or ellvelo~es.. Polypropylene sleeves, inert at1gcan be used to keep a tom Pflg~together (do not laminate or tape). NOT glycene envelopes -they'will deteriorate in time and became brittle.. Paper envelopes -archival qual~ty,are inexf'ensive but are noNransparent.. Food-quality storage bags are considered OK for storage, but do not seal for p>apertems.

Fully-sealed ~ncapsulation.isno longer recommended and encapsulations madewit1J..


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AY Materials: lheludes home movies (store flat), Videos (Magnetic mediums - 5;.yearlife- store vertical),and Sound (audio cassettes have very thin tape and break easily as they age).Every media will deteriorate over time. The media, hardware, and software ne.ed"tobe continuallyupdated to currenttecbnology. However, to be on the safe side, keep original media untiUt falls apart.

SCRAPBOOKS(Since scrapbookscontain manytypes of media, they are difficult to preserve. Question rust whether makinga scrapbook is necessary.). Old -store wrapped in acid free paper and place in archival boxes (drop spine or phase boxes).. New ~ Use archival materials, JM;ylarcomers,make copies (if,possible), and don't overlap objects onthe page.

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preserving family archives historical materials

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