Penn State Libraries | Press Releases

May 28, 2008

Conservator's tips on caring for family collections

University Park, PA—In need of expert advice on preserving old books, photographs and other treasured items at home? Penn State University Libraries' Conservator Karen Dabney, who works in the Digitization and Preservation Department, offers the following tips to get you started. Dabney has over twenty years of experience in the field of conservation and holds a master's degree in Art Conservation from the University of Delaware. She has recently started a preservation column in the Centre Daily Times, which appears one Saturday a month. The articles and her blog, Preserving Your Treasures, can also be found on www.centredaily.com.

1. Store valuable collections in the dark, in archival, alkaline-buffered folders and boxes. Store damaged books in custom book boxes. Photographs should be kept in storage materials and albums that have passed the Photographic Activity Test (P.A.T.), an ANSI/NAPM Standard Test (ANSI NAPM IT9.16-1993) and an ISO Standard (ISO 10214-1992) that tests storage enclosures for possible adverse chemical reactions with photographic materials. Sticky or “magnetic” album pages will cause damage and should be avoided. See the lists below for suppliers.

2. Display valuable items in dimly lit areas away from bright light. Tungsten lights are preferred because sunlight, halogen lights, and most fluorescent lights emit significant amounts of ultraviolet light. Visible light and ultraviolet light cause fading. pictured right: Fading on right sight was due to bright light exposure for one month. Left side was kept in the dark. photo by Curtis Krebs.

3. Use only museum quality mats and backing for valuable framed items. High quality reproductions of original photographs can be displayed instead of originals to prevent fading. Below: Brown staining near edge of print caused by acidic mat. Use alkaline buffered museum quality rage or alpha-cellulose matboard instead. photo by Curtis Krebs

4. Store and display valuable items in rooms with a moderate, comfortable, stable temperature and humidity, ideally between 60–75° degrees and 35–55% relative humidity. Excessive dampness can cause mold. High temperatures speed the deterioration of collections.

5. Wash your hands before handling valuable books, documents, and art on paper. The image areas of photographs and negatives never should be touched with bare hands. Instead handle them by the edges, or wear cotton gloves or Nitrile gloves.

6. Don’t eat, drink, smoke, or wear hand lotion while working with collections.

7. Don’t force tight-bound books to open too wide or the spines can be damaged. Use a slip of paper to mark your place instead of leaving the opened book face down. Avoid taking books off shelves by the headcap of the spine to prevent tears. Use book ends on shelves to prevent slumping, and store oversize books horizontally.

8. Avoid using paper clips, rubber bands, and staples.

9. Don’t attempt to repair damage using tapes, glue, or lamination. Torn paper can be placed in folders or transparent polyester sleeves, sealed on two adjacent sides (L-sleeves or L-Velopes).

10. Using photocopies or digital images instead of original documents will reduce wear and future damage. Newspaper clippings are best preserved by making photocopies on archival paper.

11. Label collections lightly with a number 2 graphite pencil, or label the sleeve or container. Never use pens or felt-tipped markers.

12. Immediately isolate moldy or infested items in sealed plastic bags.

To find a professional conservator to repair damaged collections, use the American Institute for Conservation (AIC) Guide to Conservation Services, http://aic.stanford.edu/public/select.html and http://aic.stanford.edu/public/select.html or 202-452-9545. For more information, contact Karen Dabney: 814-865-0046, kld25@psulias.psu.edu

Suppliers of archival storage materials

Conservation Resources International: 800-634-6932 www.conservationresources.com

Gaylord Brothers: 800-962-9580 www.gaylord.com

The Hollinger Corp.: 800-634-0491 www.hollingercorp.com

Metal Edge Inc.: 800-862-2228 www.metaledgeinc.com

Brodart: 888-820-4377 www.shopbrodart.com

University Products, Inc.: 800-826-1912 www.universityproducts.com

Suppliers of custom book boxes

Wert Bookbinding: 800-344-9378 www.wertbookbindingcom

Custom Manufacturing, Inc.: 607-569-2738 http://www.archivalboxes.com

Some good online preservation resources:

http://nedcc.org/resources/leaflets.list.php