Transcript Preservation

An ATC Workshop
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Letters
Diaries
Newspaper articles
Books
Photographs
Scraps of clothing
Locks of hair
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What, exactly, is preservation?
◦ Done on site by archivist or records handler
◦ Inexpensive
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What, then, is conservation?
◦ Done off site in a lab by someone with chemical background or
knowledge
◦ Expensive
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To make records useable
To lengthen the life of the document
To maintain your legacy
Digitization is not preservation!!!!!
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Paper
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Newsprint
Linen
Cotton
Hemp rags
Lignin
Parchment and Vellum
◦ Parchment=sheepskin
◦ Vellum=calfskin
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Leather
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Changes in Manufacturing
◦ Processes resulting in
 Acidic
 Shorter fibers
 Weaker paper
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Durable Paper
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Developed during the 1980s
2% minimum alkaline reserve
less than 1% lignin,
good tear resistance
pH of 7.5 to 10.0
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Adhesives
◦ Natural (e.g., wheat starch paste)
◦ Synthetic (e.g., polyvinyl acetate)
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Binds
Characteristic Types of Deterioration
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Staining
Swelling
Brittleness
Failure
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Ink
◦ 2500 BC in Egypt and China
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Pencil
◦ Developed and patented in France in 1795
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Deterioration of Ink
◦ Iron gall ink
 12th century well into the 20th century
 Highly acidic
 Corrosive that eats through paper
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Pollutants
◦ Gases
◦ Particulates
 Dust!
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Climate
◦ Temperature
 Cool and stable
◦ Relative Humidity
 Dry and stable
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Papers like the dark!
◦ Effects of light are cumulative and irreversible
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Sources of Light
◦ Natural light
◦ Artificial light
◦ Incandescent bulbs
 High IR (infrared), low UV (ultraviolet)
 Discharge bulbs
 High UV
◦ Fiber optic
 Low IR, low UV
mold pics
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What is Mold? And Where Does It Come From?
◦ Type of fungus
◦ Always present in the air and on objects
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Optimum conditions development
◦ Commonly
 Temperature is above 70° Fahrenheit
 Relative humidity is above 70%
◦ Uncommonly but still possible
 50° Fahrenheit and in
 45% relative humidity
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Paper
◦ mold and mildew eat library materials
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People
◦ Exacerbates allergies, asthma, or other respiratory problems
◦ Some fungi can cause skin and eye irritation and infections
◦ Prolonged exposure to germinating molds in closed areas can
damage the lungs, mucous membrane, cornea, respiratory
tract, stomach, intestines, and skin
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The ONLY way to permanently protect your
collections from mold is to control the environment by
keeping the temperature within 65º-70º Fahrenheit and
the relative humidity within 45%-65%
Consistency of temperature and relative humidity, even
if outside ideal range, is better than fluctuations in the
environment
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Temperature
◦ 65-70 degrees F +/- 5 degrees
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Relative humidity
◦ 45%-65% +/- 2%
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Light
◦ Let the sun shine in!
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Air circulation
◦ HVAC
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Don't shelve books directly against an outside wall
No plants indoors or near walls
Waterproof basements and walls below ground level
Check gutters and drains regularly
Regularly inspect your collection for mold or mildew
Install the best filters, preferably HEPA filters
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Determine whether the mold is active or inactive
◦ Active mold can be colorful, damp, slimy, and web-like and has
a musty odor
◦ Inactive, or dormant mold is dry and powdery
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Isolate affected materials
Determine the source of the outbreak
Control the environment
◦ Psychrometer
◦ Hygrothermograph
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Clean the collection
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Mold does not die!
Fungistatic versus fungicidal treatments
Freezing or air-drying followed by cleaning
Any type of treatment must include some temporary
modification of the environment
Inactivate the mold so it can be easily cleaned from the
item
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Freezing
◦ Fungistatic
◦ Stopgap
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Air Drying
◦ Inactivate the mold
◦ Vented or isolated, to prevent the spreading of spores
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Vacuuming most effective way to remove mold spores
from books and paper
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doesn't spread the spores
HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter
Ordinary vacuums should be used outdoors ONLY
Vacuum mold from flat paper documents through a screen to
avoid damage
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Clean mold with a soft bristled brush or clean rag
◦ Can cause increased staining
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Wipe off books or papers outdoors or under a fume
hood
Replace rags frequently
◦ Store used rags in sealed plastic bags
◦ Wash in bleach for re-use
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For fragile and rare materials, or if you're unsure about
how to treat an item, don't hesitate to consult a
conservator
10:15-10:30
Surveying and Planning
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Documents/Manuscripts/Ephemera
Newsprint
Framed materials
Scrapbooks
Photographs
Bound volumes
Damage pics
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Foxing (small brown spots probably caused by mold or
by the presence of tiny metal particles)
Tears, folds, and creases; dog-eared corners; abrasions;
Staining from rusted paper clips, deteriorated rubber
bands, or tape
Loss of parts of the paper
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Distortion and staining from previous water damage.
Brittleness and fragility due to acidic deterioration and
light exposure;
Discoloration or darkening due to acidity and light
exposure;
Staining and weakening from mold growth
Holes from insect infestation
Acid migration
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The hard decisions
◦ You cannot save everything
 Even with cooperative projects
◦ Priorities must be set among collections
 You must define your collection's strengths and concentrate on
them
◦ Every item may not need to be preserved
 Will a representative sample of certain materials be acceptable?
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What groups of items are most deteriorated?
Which have most importance to your institutional
mission?
What is the current and projected use for these
materials?
What collections should be your highest priority for
preservation within each category, and why?
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Storage and Handling
◦ Acid free containers
◦ Clean hands
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Security
◦ Security systems
◦ Security procedures
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Pest Management
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Housekeeping
◦ Housekeeping plan
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Cleaning collections
Stack maintenance
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Fire Protection
◦ Detection
 Heat detectors
 Smoke detectors
◦ Suppression
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Sprinkler systems
Water mist systems
Gas suppression
Fire extinguisher
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Water Damage
◦ Unholy harvest
 Mold
 Fungi
 Mold
 Mildew
 Mushrooms—really!
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Enclosures
◦ Paper
 Acid-free
 Lignin free
 Buffered
◦ Plastic
◦ Custom
◦ Standard
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Documents
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Acid-free folders
Acid-free boxes
No overstuffing!
Complete encasement
Interleaving
Remove frames or mountings
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Newsprint
◦ Characteristics
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Acidic
Brittle
Oversized
Bound vs. unbound
◦ Preservation options
 Photocopy
 Microfilm
 Digitization
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Flat storage
Rolled storage
Mattes
Frames
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Preservation Challenge!
Acidic pages
Adhesives
Newsprint
Photographs
Storage
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Processing
◦ Maximum handling
◦ Preservation opportunities
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Use/Reference
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Minimal handling
Copies
Supervised use
Banned substances
Education is key!
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Quick Fix:
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Unfold Folded Papers
Removing Fasteners
Brushing off dust, rust, frass
Re-housing
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Do I have a valid reason for picking this up?
What is its condition?
What is the safest way to hold it?
Is it too fragile to lift without a secondary support?
Do I need a second person to assist? Do I need a cart or
trolley?
After I have lifted the object, where will I set it down
again?
Are my hands clean? Should I wear gloves?
12:00-12:30
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http://unfacilitated.preservation101.org/logg
edin.asp
http://www.lyrasis.org/Preservation/Resourc
es-and-Publications/Invasion-of-the-GiantMold-Spore.aspx
http://derangementanddescription.wordpress
.com/
Michelle Riggs, MLIS, CA
University Archivist &
Head of Central Louisiana Collections
James C. Bolton Library
LSU Alexandria
8100 Hwy 71 South
Alexandria LA 71302
318.619.2960
[email protected]