Archival Preservation: Documents in

DistressAn ATC Workshop

Letters Diaries Newspaper articles Books Photographs Scraps of clothing Locks of hair

What is a record?

Derangement and Description Comic

What, exactly, is preservation?◦ Done on site by archivist or records handler◦ Inexpensive

What, then, is conservation?◦ Done off site in a lab by someone with chemical

background or knowledge◦ Expensive

Getting started

To make records useable To lengthen the life of the document To maintain your legacy Digitization is not preservation!!!!!

Why preserve?

Paper◦ Newsprint◦ Linen◦ Cotton◦ Hemp rags◦ Lignin

Parchment and Vellum◦ Parchment=sheepskin◦ Vellum=calfskin

Leather

Introduction to Paper

Changes in Manufacturing◦ Processes resulting in

Acidic Shorter fibers Weaker paper

Durable Paper◦ Developed during the 1980s ◦ 2% minimum alkaline reserve ◦ less than 1% lignin,◦ good tear resistance ◦ pH of 7.5 to 10.0

Paper Processing

What Damages Paper

Poor boxes!

Adhesives◦ Natural (e.g., wheat starch paste)◦ Synthetic (e.g., polyvinyl acetate)

Binds Characteristic Types of Deterioration

◦ Staining◦ Swelling ◦ Brittleness◦ Failure

Damage and Deterioration

Ink◦ 2500 BC in Egypt and China

Pencil◦ Developed and patented in France in 1795

Deterioration of Ink◦ Iron gall ink

12th century well into the 20th century Highly acidic Corrosive that eats through paper

Ink and Pencil

Pollutants◦ Gases◦ Particulates

Dust! Climate

◦ Temperature Cool and stable

◦ Relative Humidity Dry and stable

External Factors

Papers like the dark!◦ Effects of light are cumulative and irreversible 

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

Light

Gross Gallerymold pics

What is Mold? And Where Does It Come From?◦ Type of fungus◦ Always present in the air and on objects

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

Mold

Paper◦ mold and mildew eat library materials

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

Damaging Effects of Mold

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

The Repulsion of the Giant Spore, or How to Rid One's Collection of Mold

Temperature◦ 65-70 degrees F +/- 5 degrees

Relative humidity◦ 45%-65% +/- 2%

Light◦ Let the sun shine in!

Air circulation◦ HVAC

Mold Prevention Checklist

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

Growth Inhibitors

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

Isolate affected materials Determine the source of the outbreak Control the environment

◦ Psychrometer◦ Hygrothermograph

Clean the collection

What Can You Do If You Have a Mold Outbreak?

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

Cleaning up the Mold

Freezing ◦ Fungistatic◦ Stopgap

Air Drying ◦ Inactivate the mold◦ Vented or isolated, to prevent the spreading of

spores

Steps

Vacuuming most effective way to remove mold spores from books and paper◦ 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

Cleaning Books and Paper

Clean mold with a soft bristled brush or clean rag◦ Can cause increased staining

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

For fragile and rare materials, or if you're unsure about how to treat an item, don't hesitate to consult a conservator

Cleaning Methods

Break10:15-10:30

Preservation StrategySurveying and Planning

Documents/Manuscripts/Ephemera Newsprint Framed materials Scrapbooks Photographs Bound volumes Damage pics

Evaluating Damage to Your Collection

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

Types of Damage

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

More Damage

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?

What to Preserve

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?

Preservation Survey

Prevention through Preservation

Storage and Handling◦ Acid free containers◦ Clean hands

Security◦ Security systems◦ Security procedures

Pest Management

Routine Measures

Silverfish

Housekeeping◦ Housekeeping plan

Cleaning collections Stack maintenance

Document Hospitality

Fire Protection ◦ Detection

Heat detectors Smoke detectors

◦ Suppression Sprinkler systems Water mist systems Gas suppression Fire extinguisher

Water Damage ◦ Unholy harvest

Mold Fungi

Mold Mildew Mushrooms—really!

The Biggies

Enclosures◦ Paper

Acid-free Lignin free Buffered

◦ Plastic◦ Custom◦ Standard

The Proactive Solution: Collection Care

Documents◦ Acid-free folders◦ Acid-free boxes◦ No overstuffing!◦ Complete encasement ◦ Interleaving◦ Remove frames or mountings

Storing Paper Collections

Newsprint◦ Characteristics

Acidic Brittle Oversized Bound vs. unbound

◦ Preservation options Photocopy Microfilm Digitization

Continued

Flat storage Rolled storage Mattes Frames

Oversized and Framed Materials

Preservation Challenge! Acidic pages Adhesives Newsprint Photographs Storage

Scrapbooks

Processing◦ Maximum handling◦ Preservation opportunities

Use/Reference◦ Minimal handling◦ Copies◦ Supervised use◦ Banned substances◦ Education is key!

Handling and Use

Quick Fix:◦ Unfold Folded Papers◦ Removing Fasteners◦ Brushing off dust, rust, frass◦ Re-housing

Document Triage

Processing Fatigue!

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?

Handling Collections

The Work in Workshop, or The Hands-on Experience

12:00-12:30

http://unfacilitated.preservation101.org/loggedin.asp

http://www.lyrasis.org/Preservation/Resources-and-Publications/Invasion-of-the-Giant-Mold-Spore.aspx

http://derangementanddescription.wordpress.com/

Citations

Michelle Riggs, MLIS, CAUniversity Archivist &

Head of Central Louisiana CollectionsJames C. Bolton Library

LSU Alexandria8100 Hwy 71 SouthAlexandria LA 71302

318.619.2960mriggs@lsua.edu

Contact Information