Overview

1. Preservation 101Basic Tips for the Household Archivist Michelle Light, Acting Head of Special Collections and ArchivesUniversity of California, Irvine Librariesmichelle.light@uci.edu

2. The worst archival evils How to best preserve your... Papers Photographs Traditional Digital Photograph albums Books Home movies Overview 2

3. Oh, the horror! Archival hazards • Light • Heat • Humidity • Water • Pests • Careless handling • "Enhancements" 3

4. Paper, paper, everywhere • Acidic paper = bad • Acidic paper turns brown and extremely brittle. • Acid from low quality paper can bleed onto neighboring pieces of paper. 4

5. Paper, paper, everywhere Store your paper to protect it from six hazards: • Keep at a stable humidity. Humidity above 70% promotes mold. Rapid changes damage paper. • Keep away from heat. Heat causes paper to decay. • Keep away from light. Light causes fading. • Handle carefully to prevent tears. • Avoid curling or folding. Store flat (horizontally or vertically) in acid-free folders. • Beware of acid. Isolate acidic paper. Make preservation photocopies. 5

6. Store photos and negatives in a dark, cool, dry and ventilated place. Relative humidity of 20-50%. Temperature of 65-70ºF. Save your photographs • Protect your photographs. • Enclose in safe plastics (Mylar®, Hostaphan® or Melinex; polyester, polypropylene, and polyethylene). • Enclose in acid-free, lignin-free, paper envelopes or folders. • All supplies should pass the Photographic Activity Test (PAT). 6

7. Save your photographs • Hold photographs & negatives at their edge. • Label your photographs • Write on enclosures OR • Write on the back • Use No. 2 pencil for B&W • Use felt tip, film marking pens for color. • Write on the of the photograph on a flat, hard surface. 7

8. Save your photographs • Display copies on the wall; protect your originals. Light will fade them. • If you really want to display them... • Use museum-quality mat board. • Make sure photographs don't stick to the glass. • Use photo corners, edge strips, or paper hinges. • Display infrequently. • Keep away from bright light, heat, and dampness. • Should I digitize? • Sure, but don't throw away the originals! 8

9. Save your digital photographs • Take images at high resolution. • Use common image formats (.jpg, .tif) • Organize them logically. • Back them up often. • Understand the consequences of compression whenever you save. (Jpeg files are compressed.) • Add captions that can travel long-term with the photographs. • Avoid investing in proprietary or uncommon software. 9

10. Use the best combination of paper and ink. Pigment-based inks are more stable than dye-based inks but have a smaller color range. Select archival papers that areacid-free, buffered, lignin-free and optical brightener-free. Coated ink jet papers work best with compatible inks. Create long-lasting ink jet prints • Control the storage environment. • Ink jet photographs are more sensitive than traditional prints. 10

11. Construct archival albums • All papers, plastics, and adhesives should pass the Photographic Activity Test (PAT), particularly anything that comes into contact with the photographs. • Colored paper rarely passes the PAT. • Never laminate. • Types of albums • Plastic pocket pages • Paper pages (with or without plastic covers) • Self-stick albums (Avoid at ALL costs.) • The album should provide room for expansion. 11

12. Construct archival albums • When adhering items to paper pages… • Do not use household white or yellow glues, hot glue guns, and rubber cement. They can fail, or cause staining or fading. • Do not use tape, even tape labeled as “archival” or passing the PAT. They ooze beyond their edges. • Use plastic or paper photo corners that have passed the PAT. • Use preservation quality adhesives, (e.g., purified starch paste or methyl cellulose) but dry carefully and don’t add too much. 12

13. Preserve older albums • Older albums on black or colored paper… • May not be harming your photographs. • Staining and fading could be from poor photo processing, not the paper. • Interleave pages with plastic sheets or acid-free paper. • Self-stick albums • Don’t remove photographs if the adhesive is too tacky. • Store and handle albums carefully. 13

14. Care for your books • Keep books away from light, humidity, and heat. • Dust carefully with a dry, lint-free cloth or a soft-bristled brush. • Shelve books vertically; store large volumes flat. • Don't pull a book off the shelf with the top of its spine. • Leave an inch in front of and behind the book. • Don't force a book open too far. • Use bookmarks, not folded corners. • Avoid post-it notes, inksand highlighters. 14

15. Make those home movies last • Store in a cool, ventilated, dark, dry place. • Keep away from dust, smoke, and oil. Keep videos away from electromagnetic fields. • Play on well-maintained equipment. • Store videos on their side. Before storing, play through and do not rewind. • Store film reels flat. Make sure they are evenly wound. • Migrate videos often...or lose them. • Videotapes degrade quickly (lifespan = 10-30 years). • DVD formats keep changing. • Be aware of compression in digital files. 15

16. Need more help? • More advice • California Preservation Programcalpreservation.org/education/ training_tools.html • Canadian Conservation Institutewww.preservation.gc.ca • Library of Congresswww.loc.gov/preserv/familytreasures • National Archiveswww.archives.gov/preservation/ family-archives • Northeast Document Conservation Centerwww.nedcc.org • Society of California Archivistswww.calarchivists.org/pubs/SCA_PYH.html • Wilhelm Imaging Researchwww.wilhelm-research.com • Archival suppliers • Creative Memorieswww.creative-memories.com • Gaylord Bros.www.gaylordmart.com • Hollinger Corporationwww.hollingercorp.com • Light Impressionswww.lightimpressionsdirect.com • Metal Edge, Inc.metaledgeinc.com • Get Smart Productswww.pfile.com • Talaswww.talasonline.com • University Productswww.universityproducts.com • Webway Photograph Albumsos.shopwebway.com 16