Protecting the Records of Our Past

Paper is the key to our entities as genealogists. We are always looking through documents, newspapers, books and records. Paper has some key enemies, Acid, Metal and Light. Here are some ideas and suggestions to help you save these for future generations.

Protect

1) Remove all metal. No metal should be stored in contact with paper. Rust will scar and mark paper, leaving it more fragile and stained. Remove all paper clips and staples from documents and pamphlets. This is even more critical when there are metallic inks or seals involved. Dissimilar metals will react with each other, causing oxidation (rust!) and eating away things around them.

2) Use Acid Free storage containers. Obtain acid free folders and boxes to store and protect your documents. Archival suppliers will sell to individuals. You can obtain supplies from Archival Methods. They provide 5% of their sales to the Central European Archives flood relief program. Other suppliers are Gaylord and The Gemmary.

3) Don't mix newspaper and other documents! Newspapers of the 20th Century contain a high acid content that will bleed over into other papers, accelerating their deterioration. Your best bet for saving them is to copy the newspaper article onto acid free paper.

4) Flat is better! Open the document as much as possible, removing letters from envelopes and opening up folded pamphlets. We've all seen the worn away folds of a letter, causing that key date to literally disappeared into thin air.

5) I shudder when I see important document framed and displayed. Light is one of the enemies of paper and other materials, particularly those that have been duplicated using early methods with photosensitive paper. It causes the paper to brown and ink to fade.

6) Be clean! Original documents should really never be touched with bare hands. Gloves will protect the paper from the oils and acids of your fingers.

7) Record information about the items using acid free ink on the acid free folder or acid free envelope you are storing it in. Don't write on the picture itself! Have I mentioned that you want to avoid acid?

8) Keep it comfortable! If you wouldn't like to be stored that way, neither will the documents. They should not be too hot, or too cold, and certainly don't want to be damp or wet. Ideally the documents would be stored in dark, air tight, nitrogen filled, constant temperature and constant humidity environments. Given that this is not easy to find or afford, try to keep all things moderate.

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