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More on Archiving:
The Good, The Bad and The Terrible--
The Good:
Acid-free, Archival Supplies:
• “Good” Plastics (polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester/ Mylar); Page Protectors, Art Portfolios, Sleeves, Protective Boxes
• Albums, Folders and Boxes
• High Quality, Acid-free Paper not from a recycled source
• Use Proper Pens, Pencils and Adhesives; Laser Printing (Do NOT USE Ink-Jet Ink)
Prevent Further Damage:
• Unfold ALL Papers
• Remove Everything from Envelopes and Other Packaging
• Unfold Fabrics—Store Rolled or with Creases Padded
Stored:
• Away from Heat
• Away from Light
• Away from Water and Humidity
• In an Archival Manner and Container
• Without stress on the item (example: Fragile papers encapsulated and stored in a flat file)
Digitized:
• Documents Scanned
• Photos Scanned
• Artifacts Photographed
Identified:
• All Archived Items are Identified with All Know Information
• As Far as Possible—Everyone in Photos is Identified
Organized:
• Ask: Could someone else locate or return an item in my organization system?
• Keep Your System SIMPLE
• Use Labels Made with Permanent Adhesive
Some Suggested Supplies:
More links at: http://www.preservingtime.org/photos-and-stories.html
Art Portfolios (I prefer the Itoya brand) are an excellent way to archive original documents. They are especially useful for odd size and thicker items (See photo of LARGE Portfolio below). The Art Portfolios come in various sizes and a variety of page counts. I purchase them from Dick Blick: http://www.dickblick.com/products/itoya-i-series-art-profolios/_ I use the spine insert as a template to create my title and contents for the book. The file hanging bars are secured to the title paper with clear packing tape before inserting the title back in the spine of the book.
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For all those smaller photos--
- I use photo boxes made by Iris to hold photos that are 4 by 6 or smaller. I use archival flat bags to further protect the photos. I label each photo box to show the contents. (Make sure the label has a permanent adhesive.) I also label the flat bag with important information using an archival film marking pen. The Iris photo boxes are available many places including Hobby, Office and Fabric Stores. Search using "Film Marking Pen" to locate these pens.
- These boxes work well to store other small memorabilia such as jewelry, watches, ID badges and Back-up Digital Media.
- The bags are also available from a number of locations. They vary greatly in price for the same quality bag. Go to one of these sites to get an idea of what is available and then search again: http://www.bagsunlimited.com/ or http://www.uline.com/BL_107/2-Mil-Industrial-Poly-Bags or http://www.gaylord.com/listing.asp?H=3&PCI=128085 or http://www.bagsandbowsonline.com/shopdeluxe/home/home.jsp
- For Bags in Quantity: http://nupackaging.com/products.php
The Bad:
“Bad” Plastics:
• Acetate
• Vinyl, PVC
Magnetic Albums—even those that say they are acid free
Lamination--even if it says it is acid-free (Note: Don’t try to remove lamination!)
Not Removing Items from Un-Safe,
Un-Protected Environments
Non-archival Supplies:
• Staples, Paperclips, Bulldog and Binder clips, Rubber Bands
• Almost all Tapes—Masking, Cellophane, Strapping, Duct, Electric…etc.
• Paper that is Folded and/ or Still in Envelopes
• Envelopes with Metal Clasps
Non-archival Methods:
• Cutting a Polaroid Photo
• Not Sleeving a Polaroid
• Storing in Wood Containers or Non-Acid-Free Cardboard
• 3D Memorabilia (flowers, baby teeth etc.) Damaging Other Items
• Handling Items with Unclean Hands (There is controversy about using gloves)
• Acetate
• Vinyl, PVC
Magnetic Albums—even those that say they are acid free
Lamination--even if it says it is acid-free (Note: Don’t try to remove lamination!)
Not Removing Items from Un-Safe,
Un-Protected Environments
Non-archival Supplies:
• Staples, Paperclips, Bulldog and Binder clips, Rubber Bands
• Almost all Tapes—Masking, Cellophane, Strapping, Duct, Electric…etc.
• Paper that is Folded and/ or Still in Envelopes
• Envelopes with Metal Clasps
Non-archival Methods:
• Cutting a Polaroid Photo
• Not Sleeving a Polaroid
• Storing in Wood Containers or Non-Acid-Free Cardboard
• 3D Memorabilia (flowers, baby teeth etc.) Damaging Other Items
• Handling Items with Unclean Hands (There is controversy about using gloves)
The Terrible:
- Not Scanning or Photographing Family Photos and Heirlooms
- Not Identifying and Dating Photographs (as far as possible)
- Not Backing Up Digitized Computer Files and Keeping Current with Technology
- Not Sharing Family History with Other Family Members
- Not Caring About Preserving Family Heirlooms and Stories
- Not Taking Advantage of Opportunities to Gather Family History or Interview Relatives Before it is TOO Late
- Getting So Stressed You Do Nothing to Protect Your Family History—Just Do the Best You Can!
- Don't let preserving memories get in the way of making new memories.