© by Erin Bradford
Many of us do not have original documents, instead, we have the photocopies of the original still in an archival depository; however, the conservation of these copies is just as important as the original. Why? Well, we all are well aware that fires can happen in an archival depository (Think of the 1890 census!) and also, eventually originals deteriorate beyond recognition no matter what kind of preservation and conservation actions are taken, especially with the older records. It’s inevitable that all documents, at some point, will be gone. Some may last a few centuries, other a few millennia, but they’ll all eventually disappear. Say you were just at the archives and got a copy of great great great grandpa Joe’s will from 1804, we may want to highlight important parts and think to ourselves, “well, I know where it is so if I want another copy, I can just go back later,” but 10 years pass, you realize you need another copy, so you go back to the state archives to get one, but Grandpa Joe’s will is no longer there, what are you going to do? That is what this segment of the series is about. A note, if a word is followed by an asterisk (*), a more detailed description can be found in part V.
The first step you need to take in order to conserve documents is to gather everything up and go through the pile one by one. Remove any staples or paper clips you find and replace them with acid free plastic paper clips (word of caution: even though plastic coated metal paper clips are better than the metal themselves, in the long run, these are not a great option). I recommend Baumgarten's Plastiklips*. Anything metal on those documents needs to be removed as soon as possible. Eventually they will rust and cause rust on the paper. I am sure most of us have seen damage caused by rust from those metal paper clips or staples. Although 100% stainless steel clips and staples are better, I still recommend the plastiklips because I've seen rust caused by these stainless steel clips and staples. Part of the reason is that staples, no matter what material they are made of, will cause damage to some extent to any document. First, they cause those miniature holes in the paper, but after time, those holes can create tears in the paper emanating from them. Although when you remove staples, those holes will be there, it is better to remove them now before they start to rust. When removing staples, do not use a regular staple remover as that will tear the paper when you remove them. You can remove them by using your finger nails (or other flat object) to lift up each prong and pull it up through the holes, and this will help create minimal further damage. Using your fingernail is not necessarily a great idea because it can damage your fingernail itself, even if the document stays intact. If you can’t find anything to lift the prongs up, you can purchase Spatula* for around $10, and it really is a great investment.
The second step that should be taken is to flatten all the documents. If they are folded up, you need to unfold them. If they are rolled up, they need to be unrolled. This is especially true of folded paper. Letters are almost always folded, and the pages should be unfolded and then clipped together with its envelope (if it exists) using plastic acid-free clips. It’s very important to unfold papers. You may have noticed in the past with older paper that the creases tend to become more fragile. Many times, paper will disintegrate at the creases faster. There many be discoloration (which is a visible hint of disintegration), the paper may be more brittle around the creases, and start to tear. You many find folded paper that is just too fragile to unfold. In that case, it is best to leave those as is, but you want to make sure to unfold the paper before it gets to that state or eventually it will fall apart when you try to open it. Flattening rolled documents is just as important because as the document ages, the documents becomes less flexible and more brittle. If you try to unroll one of these brittle, inflexible documents they may shatter. It's best to get them flattened out now rather than wait. As with folded documents, if they are already in the brittle state, it's better to leave them as is. With both folded and rolled documents that are too fragile for flattening, a professional preservationist may be able to do it for you, but this will not be a cheap venture.
After you’ve done these first two steps, you have a couple of options. The first option, and the one I recommend is to make a photocopy of them and then store them in a safe deposit box, while keeping the copies for your own use. The second option is to store them in your house. If you choose the second option, I still recommend making photocopies and using the copies for your use instead of the ones you are working to conserve. The reason for that is that the oils from your hands, over time, can increase the rate of deterioration. I am personally going with the first option and just recently opened up my own safe deposit box. These boxes are fire safe, and in most cases, flood proof. With all these records in my apartment, I’ve constantly been afraid of losing them through fire or even flood (although I live on the second floor and it’s not as big of a concern). Now my mind can rest at ease that these records are in a safe place.
Now that you've figured out where to store them, you may be wondering how should these records be stored? Well, no matter where they are kept, they should be stored in acid free folders*. If stored at home, those folders should be stored in acid free boxes*. If stored in a safe deposit box, those acid free boxes won’t fit most likely and they should be fine in their acid-free folders inside a safe deposit box. If you store them at home, there are two things to keep in mind. First, do not store them in a place that could potentially be flooded, in other words, not in your basement. Even the first floor may not be suitable. Your 2nd floor, but not the highest point in your house, would be the best bet. Second, you want to make sure they are in a climate controlled atmosphere. Humidity, light, and heat can contribute to faster deterioration of your documents. Make sure that wherever you keep them, it is cool, dry and dark.
So, you have taken care of the documents you already have, but what about future documents?? Basically the same steps will be taken. Some archival depositories will actually staple things in the archive. If that is the case, find out if the stapes are stainless steel or not. If so, it’s up to you if you want to leave them, but if they are not stainless steel, you will need to remove them. If you know that a depository automatically uses staples, you can tell them ahead of time not to staple things together. They should comply, and some of them may have some plastic clips to use. After staples and metal clips are removed, paper needs to be laid flat if not already, then a copy made for your own use at home (some repositories will make more than one copy at once so you can get it all done at the repository, but remember they charge for those). Find out at the depository where the original copy was made if they use acid free paper or not. If not, it would be a good investment to purchase some acid free printer paper or copy paper to make your copies if you have a personal photocopier. If you are making copies at a place like Kinkos, specify the copy to be made on acid free paper. Use the acid free copy as your archival copy to conserve and the other copy as your working copy. It is best not to make marks on the stored copy, and with the documents already in your possession, it is understandable that there may already be marks, but if you must make marks to future documents, make it on the working copy rather than the stored copy. After you do all this, put it in an acid free folder and either in the box upstairs or in the safe deposit box.
Taking these steps will greatly increase the life expectancy of your documents for use by future generations. Your descendants will thank you for taking the extra time to conserve and preserve your records.
Webmaster: Erin Bradford
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