Transcript Pass it On: Saving Heritage and Memories

Pass it On: Saving Heritage and
Memories
Developing Programs for the Public
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
• New Jersey State Library sponsored program with
funding from Institute of Library and Museum Services
Additional Recognition:
• American Library Association. Association of Library
Collections and Technical Services
• Library of Congress
• Institute of Library and Museum Services
• American Institute for Conservation
• Society of American Archivists
• Heritage Preservation
Preservation Week
• Heritage Health Index finding
• Need to reduce risk and damage to our
collections
• Preservation Week opportunity to inspire
action
• Role of cultural institutions have to provide
preservation information
• [email protected]
OBJECTIVES
• Preservation strategies for public caring for
their treasures
• Developing outreach programs
• Resources for fostering preservation programs
• Ideas for low/cost and low staff labor events
MAJOR MESSAGES
• Purpose of preservation is to save memories.
• Preservation is a theme to use to develop new
audiences.
• You do not need to be an expert. There are
resources.
• Celebrate Preservation Week May 9-15, 2010
www.ala.org/preservationweek
Family Treasures
• What are family treasures?
• Why preserve them?
• What to preserve?
Deterioration
Internal Vices + External Vices
Object Composition
Environment
Causes of Deterioration and Damage
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Environmental Conditions
Storage Conditions
Display Conditions
Handling
Environmental Conditions
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Temperature
Humidity
Light
Pollutants
Pests
Temperature + Humidity
• Promotes chemical
reactions
• High temperature
increases decay rate
Humidity
• Too dry is damaging
• Too humid is damaging
• Wild fluctuations is
damaging
• Sensitive to humidity
Organic materials and
metals
Light Damage
• Cumulative
• Irreversible
• Fading, Color change,
Brittle
• Sensitive to light
Organic materials-paper,
photographs, textiles,
furniture, ivory
Dust and Air Pollution
• Dust
• Gaseous
• Housekeeping
• Sensitive to pollution
Silver/metal tarnishes,
corrodes
Fibers breakdown in paper
and textiles
Pests
• Insects
• Rodents
• Sensitive
Organic materials,
Building structures
Storage Location
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Determine best place to store
Dry, cool, stable environment
Beware of attics, basements or garages
Insects
Rodents
How to Display Treasures
• Avoid heat sources
• Limit light exposure
• Install shades and close
curtains
• Hang on interior walls
• Safe locations from
bumping, hitting,
unnecessary handling
• Use proper matting and
frames
• UV filtering glazing
Safe Handling and Use
• Know your walking path
and have a safe place to
put down the object
• Two hands when
needed
• Clean Hands
• No Lotion
Do No Harm
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Paper clips
Rubber bands
Tapes
Sticky notes
Glue
• To remove staples, clips
www.nedcc.org/resources/leaflets/7Conservation_Proc
edures/08RemovalOfFastener
What to Do?
How Should Objects Be Stored?
• On shelves
• Off the floor
• Protective enclosures
- folders and boxes
• Labeled
Think Inside the Box
Storage Materials
• Durable
• Provide physical
support
• Boxes closed without
gaps
• Match size of object
Storage Materials
• Term Archival-Quality is
Confusing
• Paper enclosures
- Low-lignin or ligninfree
- Buffered
• Use unbuffered papers
for: blueprints, some art
on paper, color
photographs, textiles
Photographs- papers
passed Photographic
Activity Test (PAT)
Storage Materials
• Preservation Grade
Plastics
- Brand name: Melinex
516
- Polyethylene and
polypropylene okay if
no plasticizers used
• When not to use!
Pencil, charcoal, friable
media due to static
properties on plastic
Should I Do a Repair?
DO NO HARM
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Home repairs? Control Yourself
Self–adhesives tapes are not safe
Stains – Learn to live with them
Lamination – Just say no!
When to Call in the Experts?
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Severely damaged
Valuable
Poor framing
Mold damaged
Pest Infestation
• Read about how to
select and find a
conservator
www.conservationus.org
• Regional Alliance for
Preservation
www.rap-arcc.org
Disaster Preparedness
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Security
Fire protection
Natural disasters
Insurance
Salvage
Salvage
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Safety first
Assess damage
Make a plan
Start as soon as can
Handle objects as little
as possible
• Care in handling
• Call an expert
Disaster Resources
• Heritage Preservation
www.heritagepreservation.org
• Council of State Archivists
www.statearchivists.or/prepare
• Disaster Resources from ALA Preservation
Week
www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alcts/confevents
/preswk/tools/disaster.cfm
Other Issues
• Appraisal
www.loc.gov/preserv/appraiserref.html
• Donating
http://www.archivists.org/publications/donatingfamilyrecs.asp
• Organizing and documenting treasures
www.mnhs.org/people/mngg/stories/orgpapers.htm
www.netnebraska.org/extras/treasures/
Family Papers
• Store
- Folders, sleeves, boxes
• Separate newspapers
• Copy
- Newspapers ,
frequently handled
• Display
- Copies if possible
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Stable environment
Low or no light
Seldom fold or unfold
Do not use: clips,
rubber bands, tape, etc.
Photographs
• Store
- Sleeves
- -plastic or paper
- Folders, boxes or
albums
• Display
- Limit time
- Use a copy
- UV filtering glazing
• Stable environment
• No light
• Use clean white cotton
gloves
• Avoid adhesives
• Avoid overcrowding
• Photographic
reproduction
Books
• Store
- Flat, upright or spine
down
- Shelving or boxes
• Use wrappers sized to
book
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Stable environment
Low or no light
Clean hands
No head cap grabbing
No sticky notes or tapes
Dust properly
Textiles
• Store
- Flat, rolled, hanging
- Unbuffered tissue
• Display
- Frame with
UV glazing
- Hanging system
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Stable environment
Low or no light
Pest prevention
Cleaning ? Ask a
conservator
• Regular inspection
• Handle without your
jewelry on
Digital Images
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Back-up files
Tag files
Migrate and Save
E-mails
Store safely
• How to embed photo
metadata
http://www.photometa
data.org/METATutorials
Power point prepared by:
Jill Rawnsley
Preservation Consultant
[email protected]
Key Resources
I would like to acknowledge the main resources used to develop
this power point program.
• Hold on to the Memories: Saving Family Treasures. Prepared
for the California Preservation Program and the Inland Empire
Libraries Disaster Response Network by Sheryl Davis,
3/5/2005
http://calpreservation.org/services/programs.html#saving_fa
mily
• Preserving Family Collections: A Workshop Manual. Clement
Bautista and Gina Vergara-Bautista, 2008
http://efilarchives.org/pdf/Preservation_Manual2-2_web.pdf
Some Videos to Show
Here are some videos to show during breaks or part
of your program.
Saving Your Treasures
http://www.netnebraska.org/extras/treasures/inde
x.htm
Mr. Bean goes to the library
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGjnuV1iIWc
Canadian Conservation Institute
http://www.preservation.gc.ca/howtocomment/index-eng.asp