Preservation Strategies for Family Treasures: A Guide for Care and Maintenance

1. Pass it On: Saving Heritage and Memories Developing Programs for the Public

2. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS • New Jersey State Library sponsored program with funding from Institute of Library and Museum Services Additional Recognition: • American Library Association. Association of Library Collections and Technical Services • Library of Congress • Institute of Library and Museum Services • American Institute for Conservation • Society of American Archivists • Heritage Preservation

3. Preservation Week • Heritage Health Index finding • Need to reduce risk and damage to our collections • Preservation Week opportunity to inspire action • Role of cultural institutions have to provide preservation information • www.@yourlibrary.org

4. OBJECTIVES • Preservation strategies for public caring for their treasures • Developing outreach programs • Resources for fostering preservation programs • Ideas for low/cost and low staff labor events

5. MAJOR MESSAGES • Purpose of preservation is to save memories. • Preservation is a theme to use to develop new audiences. • You do not need to be an expert. There are resources. • Celebrate Preservation Week May 9-15, 2010 www.ala.org/preservationweek

6. Family Treasures • What are family treasures? • Why preserve them? • What to preserve?

7. Deterioration Internal Vices + External Vices Object Composition Environment

8. Causes of Deterioration and Damage • Environmental Conditions • Storage Conditions • Display Conditions • Handling

9. Environmental Conditions • Temperature • Humidity • Light • Pollutants • Pests

10. Temperature + Humidity • Promotes chemical reactions • High temperature increases decay rate

11. Humidity • Too dry is damaging • Too humid is damaging • Wild fluctuations is damaging • Sensitive to humidity Organic materials and metals

12. Light Damage • Cumulative • Irreversible • Fading, Color change, Brittle • Sensitive to light Organic materials-paper, photographs, textiles, furniture, ivory

13. Dust and Air Pollution • Dust • Gaseous • Housekeeping • Sensitive to pollution Silver/metal tarnishes, corrodes Fibers breakdown in paper and textiles

14. Pests • Insects • Rodents • Sensitive Organic materials, Building structures

15. Storage Location • Determine best place to store • Dry, cool, stable environment • Beware of attics, basements or garages • Insects • Rodents

16. How to Display Treasures • Avoid heat sources • Limit light exposure • Install shades and close curtains • Hang on interior walls • Safe locations from bumping, hitting, unnecessary handling • Use proper matting and frames • UV filtering glazing

17. Safe Handling and Use • Know your walking path and have a safe place to put down the object • Two hands when needed • Clean Hands • No Lotion

18. Do No Harm • Paper clips • Rubber bands • Tapes • Sticky notes • Glue • To remove staples, clips www.nedcc.org/resources/leaflets/7Conservation_Procedures/08RemovalOfFastener

19. What to Do?

20. How Should Objects Be Stored? • On shelves • Off the floor • Protective enclosures - folders and boxes • Labeled

21. Think Inside the Box

22. Storage Materials • Durable • Provide physical support • Boxes closed without gaps • Match size of object

23. Storage Materials • Term Archival-Quality is Confusing • Paper enclosures - Low-lignin or lignin-free - Buffered • Use unbuffered papers for: blueprints, some art on paper, color photographs, textiles Photographs- papers passed Photographic Activity Test (PAT)

24. Storage Materials • Preservation Grade Plastics - Brand name: Melinex 516 - Polyethylene and polypropylene okay if no plasticizers used • When not to use! Pencil, charcoal, friable media due to static properties on plastic

27. Should I Do a Repair? DO NO HARM • Home repairs? Control Yourself • Self–adhesives tapes are not safe • Stains – Learn to live with them • Lamination – Just say no!

28. When to Call in the Experts? • Severely damaged • Valuable • Poor framing • Mold damaged • Pest Infestation • Read about how to select and find a conservator www.conservation-us.org • Regional Alliance for Preservation www.rap-arcc.org

29. Disaster Preparedness • Security • Fire protection • Natural disasters • Insurance • Salvage

30. Salvage • Safety first • Assess damage • Make a plan • Start as soon as can • Handle objects as little as possible • Care in handling • Call an expert

31. Disaster Resources • Heritage Preservation www.heritagepreservation.org • Council of State Archivists www.statearchivists.or/prepare • Disaster Resources from ALA Preservation Week www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alcts/confevents/preswk/tools/disaster.cfm

32. Other Issues • Appraisal www.loc.gov/preserv/appraiserref.html • Donating http://www.archivists.org/publications/donating-familyrecs.asp • Organizing and documenting treasures www.mnhs.org/people/mngg/stories/orgpapers.htm www.netnebraska.org/extras/treasures/

33. Family Papers • Store - Folders, sleeves, boxes • Separate newspapers • Copy - Newspapers , frequently handled • Display - Copies if possible • Stable environment • Low or no light • Seldom fold or unfold • Do not use: clips, rubber bands, tape, etc.

34. Photographs • Store - Sleeves - -plastic or paper - Folders, boxes or albums • Display - Limit time - Use a copy - UV filtering glazing • Stable environment • No light • Use clean white cotton gloves • Avoid adhesives • Avoid overcrowding • Photographic reproduction

35. Books • Store - Flat, upright or spine down - Shelving or boxes • Use wrappers sized to book • Stable environment • Low or no light • Clean hands • No head cap grabbing • No sticky notes or tapes • Dust properly

36. Textiles • Store - Flat, rolled, hanging - Unbuffered tissue • Display • Frame with UV glazing - Hanging system • Stable environment • Low or no light • Pest prevention • Cleaning ? Ask a conservator • Regular inspection • Handle without your jewelry on

37. Digital Images • Back-up files • Tag files • Migrate and Save • E-mails • Store safely • How to embed photo metadata http://www.photometadata.org/META-Tutorials

38. Power point prepared by: Jill Rawnsley Preservation Consultant jrawnsley@msn.com

39. Key Resources I would like to acknowledge the main resources used to develop this power point program. • Hold on to the Memories: Saving Family Treasures. Prepared for the California Preservation Program and the Inland Empire Libraries Disaster Response Network by Sheryl Davis, 3/5/2005 http://calpreservation.org/services/programs.html#saving_family • Preserving Family Collections: A Workshop Manual. Clement Bautista and Gina Vergara-Bautista, 2008 http://efilarchives.org/pdf/Preservation_Manual2-2_web.pdf

40. Some Videos to Show Here are some videos to show during breaks or part of your program.  Saving Your Treasures http://www.netnebraska.org/extras/treasures/index.htm Mr. Bean goes to the library http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGjnuV1iIWc Canadian Conservation Institute http://www.preservation.gc.ca/howto-comment/index-eng.asp