Many companies have little room for staff, let alone extensive storage for an archival collection. This means that fragile (and rare) materials often end up in less-than-desirable locations. Most materials deteriorate over time, especially film/video and paper products, so a vigilant eye is required to protect the items designated for your archival collection. Included in this section are basic preservation guidelines that should be reviewed with company staff.

Areas housing archival documents should be climate-controlled and regularly monitored to ensure that the materials are protected. Often storage areas have ceilings that leak, are not properly ventilated, and/or are subject to other environmental hazards (rodents, dust, etc.). General climate standards for archives are 68 degrees Fahrenheit and 50% RH (relative humidity). However, maintaining stable temperature and humidity levels is preferable to pursuing an “ideal” of climate control that may be very difficult to attain in many buildings. If archival collections must be stored in loft spaces or in areas subject to water and/or environmental hazards, take the steps necessary to protect the items by installing metal shelving units, tarping boxes, or re-housing/removing sensitive materials (photographs, media, rare poster artwork, one-of-a-kind manuscripts, etc.) to ensure a more stable environment.

If archival documents have been damaged (water damage, mold, excessive light exposure, etc.), it is important to immediately isolate these items and treat the damage.  Mold can be extremely dangerous if inhaled, so it is best to consult a specialist who can advise and carry out treatment if necessary. If possible, wrap the affected item in freezer paper and keep frozen until it can be seen by a specialist. Never freeze audio and video tapes, CDs or CD-ROMs, DVDs, ambrotypes, daguerreotypes, or tintypes.

Keeping one step ahead of environmental concerns is only part of the preservation effort. Materials identified for retention in perpetuity will often need to be cleaned and/or repaired and will undoubtedly have to be re-housed in archives-compliant boxes and folders.

At the most basic level, archival items should be properly boxed and stored on metal shelves in areas not subject to waterways, windows, A/C vents, or excessive fluorescent lighting. Use acid-free sleeves and boxes to store the materials and place these boxes in easily accessible, temperature-controlled rooms. Keep these rooms free from food and beverage use. Purchase inexpensive UV fluorescent light filters to protect archival collections from fading due to prolonged UV/light exposure and maintain a regular cleaning schedule to remove dust, dirt, and other organic/inorganic materials from shelves and floors. Communicate with your building maintenance staff to be aware of and negotiate cleaning services and changes to the temperature control and lighting of the archives room. For example, your company might lower or turn off the building’s heat when the building is not occupied, but extreme temperature changes could significantly damage some records.

Stabilize slides/photos/negatives by housing these items separately from paper collections. Use archival-grade photo envelopes and sleeves to protect the film and clearly label the sleeves with identifying information about the image using inexpensive archival marking pens. House posters/window cards/elevations/stage plans in flat metal drawers with all paper clips and rubber bands removed prior to storage. Store media (video/moving image film) in the coolest room possible (ideally 50 degrees/50% RH). Never store loose paper in the storage box/can containing moving image film, and monitor film degradation by periodically smelling the storage box/can to detect vinegar syndrome. If the film is giving off a vinegar scent, isolate the materials from the general collection, as this “vinegar syndrome” is a sign of deterioration.

If funding is limited for the above ideal archival supplies, store the items in size-specific folders/boxes of the highest quality available given your budget. Do not overstuff or underpack the boxes—you want to create an environment in the box whereby the documents are easily pulled for access and not bent when documents are removed. Clearly label the outside of each box with a range of dates and/or specifics about the contents. Purchase a bag of white cotton gloves for use (and cleaned for reuse) when handling photographs and other sensitive materials. Purchase reams of acid-free paper to use to interleave material and as dividers within the boxes.

No matter the quality of the storage conditions, a well-planned emergency plan should be in place should unforeseen natural disasters impact the archival holdings. Designate staff members to take charge of ensuring proper handling of the damaged materials and have a plan for dealing with the damage in a quick and effective manner. This plan should be shared with all staff members, and multiple copies should be kept in and outside of the theatre. The plan should also include emergency phone numbers, including local organizations that can assist the theatre in case of damaged materials, such as the Northeast Document Conservation Center, whose leaflets can be particularly useful when preservation crises (e.g., flood, fire, etc.) arise. While most companies will not have the resources to have a full preservation survey and follow-up treatment conducted, company staff should become familiar with basic triage methods. Basic emergency supplies, including plastic drop cloths, a wet vac, etc., should be kept on hand specifically for the archives (see Appendix F for a list of companies specializing in archival supplies). Types of natural disasters that affect the company’s geographic area, such as flooding or earthquakes, will dictate emergency supplies that will be of most use. Discuss this emergency planning with your company/facility administration so that the archives can be integrated into an institution-wide plan.

STORAGE & PRESERVATION

  1. Identify the best storage option for your archives within the parameters of your facility.
  2. Aim to keep climate conditions stable, ideally at 68 degrees Fahrenheit and 50% relative humidity.
  3. Purchase the best archival shelving and supplies within your budget.
  4. Identify and preserve any records that are damaged or in jeopardy.
  5. Develop an emergency plan for your archives in case of natural disaster.

 

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