CARING FOR RECORDS

Caring for Paper Documents

Newsletters, newspaper clippings, comic books, scrapbooks, can be preserved for many years. If stored in a basement or attic they can deteriorate and be lost forever. These tips can help preserve your papers.

  • Store papers in a cool, dry, dark environment
  • Heat and humidity can cause paper to become brittle or moldy, and light can cause fading or yellowing
  • Store papers in archival containers
  • Boxes, paper sleeves, folders, or mats should always be preservation quality.  When purchasing storage materials, look for specific terms that indicate stability such as low-lignin, lignin-free and buffered throughout.
  • Stable plastics made of uncoated polyester film such as Melinex ; polyethylene or polypropylene can also be used
  • Keep newspaper clippings away from other documents
  • Newspaper is highly acidic and can cause damage to other papers
  • If you must keep newspaper clippings with other items, place the clipping in a polyester sleeve or acid-free envelope
  • For safer long-term preservation of newspaper clippings, photocopy all clippings onto high-quality archival, acid-free paper
  • Store paper flat, not folded or rolled
  • Rolled papers can become very difficult to unroll later, and folded papers will often tear along the folds
  • Use archival boxes that are large enough to accommodate flat documents
  • Remove paperclips and rubber bands
  • Carefully remove old paperclips that can cause tears or rust stains, and rubber bands that will deteriorate and damage paper
  • Use archival folders instead to group and organize documents

 

Caring for Your Photographs

Photographs are an integral part of modern life and they may have originated from traditional proceesses or they may be in a digital format. It can be a challenge to preserve these images so they can be available for many years. The tips that follow are for film and/or emulsion based photos. 

Emulsion Base Photographs

Photographs, over time, can deteriorate, but they can be protected from harm. Photos can decay in poor quality albums or a shoebox. Photo negatives should also be handled carefully. 

  • Keep your photographs in a cool, dry, dark place
  • Keep photos out of basements or attics
  • Store photographs in archival albums, sleeves, or boxes
  • Albums with magnetic or self-adhesive pages are damaging to photographs
  • Use photo albums with acid-free pages; many readily available photo albums are acidic and will damage photographs
  • Use archival photo corners to attach photographs to pages; pressure sensitive tape and rubber cement are especially damaging to photos
  • Photographs can also be stored in acid-free buffered (alkaline, pH 8.5) or unbuffered (neutral, pH 7) paper enclosures or stable plastic sleeves made of uncoated polyester, polypropylene, or polyethylene
  • When purchasing storage materials make sure they are photo safe; materials should meet a set of standards for composition and performance; manufacturers catalogs should indicate enclosures pass the Photographic Activity Test (PAT)
  • Boxes should be acid-free; shoeboxes are not good  storage places
  • Sleeves and boxes should be larger than the materials but not so large that damage will occur from the photographs sliding around
  • Use pencil to write information on the back of photos
  • If you must label your photos, write with a soft graphite pencil on the back along an edge instead of with pens or markers which can bleed or leave permanent indentations
  • Display photographs away from direct light sources
  • Light will cause severe fading in color photographs, and will also damage black and white images
  • Handle photographs carefully
  • Hold photographs with two clean hands for support to avoid creases, wrinkles, or tears
  • Avoid touching the image area; oils from your fingers can cause permanent stains
  • Consult a conservator for damaged photographs you wish to repair
  • Do not try to repair tears with tape, the tape will cause long-term, permanent damage