Preservation and Conservation
Preservation is the totality of processes and operations involved in the stabilization and protection of documents against damage or deterioration and in the treatment of damaged or deteriorated documents. (Source: A Glossary for Archivists, Manuscript Curators, and Records Managers. Lewis and Lynn Lady Bellardo. Society of American Archivists, Chicago: 1992).
This subject area includes material on preservation planning, the nature of archival materials and causes of deterioration, handling, storing documents, caring for collections, conservation, preservation procedures, preservation supplies and equipment, etc.
This section lists each of the Preservation documents:
| Document Title | Document Description | Document Size (measured in KBs) |
|---|---|---|
| Archives: Preservation through Photocopying | This leaflet confines its discussion to the procedures and materials used in electrostatic photocopying onto plain paper as a means of preservation. 4 pages. 1993. National Park Service Conserv-O-Gram. | 892 KB |
| Best Practices for Reproducing Public Records | This document provides information that will assist in the task of analyzing business records and the possible solutions for managing them and serves as an introduction for the best practice documents published by the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries, including: Best Practices for the Microfilming of Digitized Records, Best Practices for the Microfilming of Paper Records, and Best Practices for the Capture of Digital Images from Paper or Microfilm. 12 pages. | 230 KB |
| Best Practice Guidelines for Vital Records Preservation | This document summarizes specific guidelines to ensure the long-term preservation of important records and addresses issues on the storage environment, care and handling, rehousing and reformatting, and establishing priorities. It also provides a listing of online sources for additional information. 6 pages. NH Department of State. 2006. | 247 KB |
| Care of Archival Compact Discs | This leaflet discusses CD life expectancies, construction, evaluation, and includes a bibliography for additional guidance. Also includes a number of “do’s” and “don’ts.” 4 pages. 1996. National Park Service Conserv-O-Gram. | 1061 KB |
| Care of Archival Digital and Magnetic Media | Basic procedures for the care of archival audiotape, videotape, and digital media re provided in this leaflet. 4 pages. 1996. National Park Service Conserv-O-Gram. | 1080 KB |
| Caring for Blueprints and Cyanotypes | Both blueprints and cyanotypes are produced using light-sensitive iron salts that lodge deep in uncoated paper, yet the images are usually stable and can maintain a bright image with proper care and handling. 3 pages. 1995. National Park Service Conserv-O-Gram. | 656 KB |
| Caring for Color Photographs | This leaflet provides general guidelines for the care of color photographs in a variety of formats. Includes “do’s” and “don’ts. 4 pages. 1998. National Park Service Conserv-O-Gram. | 593 KB |
| Caring for Photographs: General Guidelines | This leaflet provides general guidelines for the care of photographic prints, slides, negatives and transparencies. Includes “do’s” and “don’ts.” 4 pages. 1997. National Park Service Conserv-O-Gram. | 682 KB |
| Causes, Detection, and Prevention of Mold and Mildew on Textiles | This leaflet discusses causes, detection, prevention, and treatment of mold and mildew on textiles. 3 pages. 1993. National Park Service Conserv-O-Gram. | 413 KB |
| Choosing UV-Filtering Window Films | This leaflet discusses the evaluation of filtering films and product characteristics. Museum Management Program staff requested film samples from the manufacturers listed in this leaflet. Results of the readings from the film tests are included. 6 pages. 2004. National Park Service Conserv-O-Gram. | 329 KB |
| Handling Archival Documents and Manuscripts | Basic handling procedures for archival documents and manuscripts are provided in this leaflet, including “do’s” and “don’ts.” 4 pages. 1996. National Park Service Conserv-O-Gram. | 1160 KB |
| How to Care for Bound Archival Materials | This leaflet provides general guidelines for caring for bound materials, including “do’s” and “don’ts.” 4 pages. 1996. National Park Service Conserv-O-Gram. | 1143 KB |
| Polyester Encapsulation | Polyester encapsulation is a way of sandwiching a paper object between two pieces of stiff, chemically-inert, clear plastic. This leaflet discusses appropriate uses, choosing the proper materials, and procedure. 4 pages. 1993. National Park Service Conserv-O-Gram. | 462 KB |
| Preservation Checklist for Government Officials | In order to help you plan and implement your preservation actions, the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives has created a preventative checklist for identifying and evaluating details in a number of key areas. This checklist should be filled out yearly and retained in order to track your situation and preservation actions. Last updated 03/07/2005 (7 pages). | 91 KB |
| Preservation Bibliography | This bibliography is a succinct listing of basic, useful references on the many topics covered in the Conserve-O-Gram technical leaflet series. 4 pages. 1993. National Park Service Conserv-O-Gram. | 314 KB |
| Preservation of Magnetic Media | To preserve the information on magnetic media, it is important not only to preserve the media but to also keep the machines that read the data operational. This leaflet also discusses the properties of magnetic media and how to store the media. 4 pages. 1993. National Park Service Conserv-O-Gram. | 1241 KB |
| Removing Original Fasteners from Archival Documents | Outlines procedures to be followed when removing fasteners from archival documents, including: staples, paper clips, string ties, rubber bands, brads, and straight pins. 2 pages. 1993. National Park Service Conserv-O-Gram. | 532 KB |
| Storage Enclosures for Photographic Prints and Negatives | Storage enclosures for photographic prints and negatives are available in a variety of materials and formats. This leaflet review the various options, discussing advantages and disadvantages of each. 4 pages. 1993. National Park Service Conserv-O-Gram. | 542 KB |
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