Personal Archiving: Papers & photographic prints

Significant parts of this page were exerpted from the American Library Association's personal archiving tips online at : www.ala.org/alcts/pwtips

1. Store papers in an environment where you are comfortable being. Basements can be damp and lead to mold.
2. Organize papers into acid-free folders and boxes for easy access and to protect from light and damage. 
3. Handle papers with clean, dry hands.
4. Protect artwork and documents from direct sunlight when displaying.
5. Don’t force rolled or folded items open if they resist.  Call a conservator.
   (Excerpted from www.ala.org/alcts/pwtips)

1. Handle photographs at the edges with clean, dry hands.
   Natural oils in our skin can stick to the prints and attract dirt.
2. Store photographs in albums or other enclosures that have acid-free pages or polyester, polypropylene, or polyethylene sleeves. 
   If the plastic smells like plastic or chemicals, you can bet it isn't chemically inert and may damage your photos. 
3. Mount photographs with photo corners, not glue or tape.
   Adhesives can discolor the prints.
4. Store photographs in an environment where you are comfortable. Basements can be damp and lead to mold.
   Photos do best in a cool, dry, dark environment.
5. Protect from direct sunlight when displaying.
   Framing suppliers can provide UV-light filtered glass or plexiglass.
   Consider displaying a replica of your original.
   (Excerpted in part from www.ala.org/alcts/pwtips)

1. Store slides in a cool, dry place.
2. Keep slides in their carousels or boxes to keep out dust and light.
3. Label the containers with the event, location, people, and date.
4. Use polyester, polyethylene, or polypropylene sleeves to store loose slides, not PVC.
5. Clean the film side, not the emulsion side, with a cotton swab dipped in a water/ethanol mixture if slides are dirty.  Clean the emulsion side with a gentle puff of air or lightly with a very soft brush.

1. Store scrapbooks in an environment where you are comfortable and away from direct sunlight.
2. Store older, fragile scrapbooks in protective boxes flat, not upright, on a shelf.
3. Handle scrapbooks with clean, dry hands and turn pages with one hand underneath to protect heavy scraps.
4. New scrapbooks should have acid-free support pages.
5. Use photo corners to mount items in a scrapbook, not tape or rubber cement.