Many families, organizations, clubs and religious institutions have papers, books and photographs of historic value. By observing a few simple guidelines, these items can be preserved for future generations.

Proper storage and handling are the two most important considerations for preservation. While people often worry about fires and floods, the greatest threats to documents are poor storage and careless handling.

Never store papers, books or photographs in a basement, attic, garage, or out building that is not heated and air conditioned. And even in an attic, garage or basement that is heated and air conditioned, be careful not to store documents underneath water pipes or windows that can leak, and not on the floor where they can be damaged by flooding.

Papers, books and photos are best stored inside your home or in an office area. If the room is conformable for you, then it will be safer for your documents. Temperatures should be maintained at 75 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, and humidity should be kept as close to 50% as possible. When humidity tops 65%, a humidifier should be used to remove moisture from the air.

Papers and books that are exposed to high temperature and humidity will yellow and deteriorate faster and can develop mold or mildew, which will permanently stain the pages. Warm, humid environments attract insects and rodents which can eat or shred your documents. Extremely low humidity (below 30%) can cause paper to become brittle.

Photographs that are exposed to high temperature and humidity can suffer irreparable damage including curling, yellowing, spotting or staining from mold and mildew. The emulsion (the clear coating over the image) can become sticky in high humidity and the photographs will stick to whatever surface they are touching, including other photographs. Pulling the photos back apart will often destroy the image.

Digital scanning provides good quality copies of papers and photographs that can be printed, sent via e-mail, posted on a web site or stored on a disc. But digital scans are not replacements for original papers and photos. The life of a scanned image is not yet known, and the computer and software that you use to create those scans will be obsolete in a few years. Even after scanning, you should carefully preserve your original papers photographs.

You can limit the need to handle many documents and photographs by making copies and placing those in a file folder or ring binder. If you have letters from a Civil War ancestor that family members often want to see, scan or photocopy (Xerox) the letters and have people use the copies. Store the originals in archival safe file folders and boxes. You can do the same with photographs. Scan or photocopy especially important photos, then store the originals. It is not recommended to photocopy photographs repeatedly, but doing so once or twice will not cause significant damage, and it will cause less damage than repeated handling.

And no matter who asks, do not loan your original papers and photographs. You may not get them back.

Papers such as letters and deeds should be removed from envelopes, opened flat and filed in archival safe folders. Do not over fill the folders, and fragile pages are best filed alone or between sheets of acid free paper within the folder.

The folders may be placed in a filing cabinet, though archival boxes, which allow the documents to breathe, are preferred. Fill a box so that the folders support one another and are standing up right. In a partially filled box the folders will bend and slide underneath one another. This can cause damage to the documents inside. But do not overfill the box so that folders have to be forced in. This can also cause damage. Archival boxes come in a variety of sizes, and you should buy a box or boxes that best accommodate the amount of papers you have.

Newspapers are difficult to preserve because the paper is often highly acidic and becomes brittle over time. Unless a newspaper clipping has sentimental value, it is best to photocopy (Xerox) the clipping and discard the original.

Most books are best stored upright on open shelves. Oversize books or books with damaged bindings should be stored flat. Open shelves allow air to circulate around the books. Books should not be packed too tightly on the shelf, but tight enough that all books are supported by those on either side. Shelve books of similar size together to provide additional support.

When removing a book from the shelf, push the two books on either side back slightly and then grasp the book by its binding near the bottom. Hooking your finger in the top of the book’s spine and pulling down can tear the dust jacket and damage the binding.

Do not touch the image side of a photograph with your bare hands (wear cotton

gloves). The oils and dirt from your hands will damage the emulsion (clear protective coating) covering the image.

When viewing a photograph leave it flat on a table or support it completely. Do

not hold it by a corner or allow it to flop around or bend. This can break the emulsion.

Do not leave photographs exposed to light for long periods of time.

Do not attach anything to a photograph such as paperclips, rubber bands, glue, or

sticky notes.

You can also protect photographs from damage and deterioration by storing them correctly. The best method for storing photographs is to place each photograph individually into an archival safe file folder or envelope and store the files or envelopes vertically in an archival box or metal filing cabinet. Pack the files or envelopes tightly enough that they are supported and stand up right, but not so tightly that they will bend when you pull them out or put them back.

Photographs should not be dry mounted, laminated, glued into albums, or placed into self-sticking or magnetic albums. You can purchase archival quality albums.

Most photographs can be safely copied by shooting a photo print. This is a simple process—taking a picture of a picture. But doing so produces an actual photographic copy and a negative, which can be stored away and used to make more prints.

While scrapbooks are a rich historical resource, they can be uncommonly difficult to preserve. The pages of scrapbooks are often made of inexpensive acidic paper that deteriorates rapidly and can speed the deterioration of objects in contact with it. The mix of mediums in a scrapbook (photos, various kinds of paper, textiles, hair, plants, and glues of unknown composition) encourages rapid deterioration and may attract insects and rodents.

Scrapbooks are best stored on the side in flat boxes. The box will help protect the item from light and dust, and will absorb stress when the item is being removed from or placed back onto a shelf.

Scrapbooks should be handled delicately. Never flip the pages as if browsing through a magazine. Never force a scrapbook open flat. Place some books or other items underneath the two covers, or place the scrapbook in a plastic book cradle, so that the book maintains a slight V shape.

Scanning or photocopying (Xerox) is not recommended for scrapbooks if it requires forcing the scrapbook face down onto a flat bed scanner or copier. A digital camera can be used to make copies without damaging the scrapbook.

Hollinger Corporation

1-800-634-0491

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1-800-862-2228

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University Products

1-800-628-1912

www.universityproducts.com