Submitted by: Virginia Why is this item important to you?: This school workbook belonged to an ancestor of my husband and has been passed down over a number of generations. Expert Advice (Chloe Jones): We have examined the school workbook belonging to your husband’s ancestor; it seems to be in excellent condition. This is likely due to the way that it has been stored, removed from direct sunlight, and off of the floor away from any possible environmental hazards (i.e., flooding, mold, excessive heat). However, we recommend that this particular item be stored in an acid-free archival enclosure, rather than in a metal file box with other papers or materials. These enclosures can be purchased to size through retailers such as Gaylord Archival or Hollinger Metal Edge (these retailers are just examples and are not an endorsement over any other archival supplies company). Storing this item in an acid-free enclosure can help preserve and protect the cover and binding, as well as the pages and ink. It will also protect the item from mold or pests introduced from other archival materials that it is being stored with. Additionally, if the item is stored laying flat, it can be better for preservation than if it was in a file cabinet resting on its binding or stored vertically. Another environmental factor to consider is humidity levels. Higher humidity can expediate deterioration of sensitive materials. While your workbook appears to be in great condition, we recommend that you limit handling the material to keep it that way. We recommend washing your hands before handling the book in order to prevent any damage to the material from oils or substances on the hands – we also do not recommend that you wear gloves while handling the material. Cumbersome gloves do not allow you to feel the page, which can lead to more damage or breakage of fragile pages. It is also advisable to lay the book flat on a clean, even surface when examining the pages. In order to preserve this workbook long-term, the material should be digitized to at least 400 dpi resolution to preserve the pages, in the event that the workbook is damaged. By backing-up high-resolution files, you will be able to preserve the content of the material for yourself and future generations. There are many regional organizations across the United States that may assist you in professionally digitizing the scrapbook, depending on where you are located.
Submitted by: Patty Why is this item important to you?: It is part of a history project Expert Advice (Todd Pattison): You have submitted a late 20th century machine-made paper document with printing ink. The document appears to have some staining or water damage near the top, is discolored and has tears along the edges. Recommendations: I would encourage you get high-quality scan or photograph made of the document, including the back if there is any information on the verso. You may want to have some conservation treatment done prior to reformatting in order to improve the appearance and handling, as the tears make the paper more fragile. There is a Find a Conservator page on the AIC website that allows you to search for a conservator by specialty and location; you would want a paper conservator. A conservator should be able to mend tears and can test the paper and inks to see if washing would be a possibility to reduce the staining. Storage and handling: You mention that the item is currently housed flat, but it could really use the protection of an acid-free, buffered folder. The folder would protect it from light damage and from dust. If the foldered object was not going to be stored in a box you would want a stiffer folder or even a portfolio to better protect it. Good storage conditions with stable temperature and humidity will also be important to prolong the life of the paper as higher temperatures and humidity will speed up the chemical reactions that will result in the deterioration of the paper. You should avoid handling the document in its current fragile condition. If you do need to handle it, you should wash your hands with soap and water but not wear gloves. Gloves will lower the feeling in your fingers so it would be more likely that you would cause further damage, especially wear gloves could catch on the corners or torn areas of the paper.
Submitted by: Kathleen Why is this item important to you?: The daily inscriptions are difficult to read. It is my hope, over time, to wade through his description of the daily weather to find family oriented information and to transcribe some of his entries. Just preparing this submission has been helpful. I see as I photo each page I can enlarge enough to read it better. Thank you already! Expert Advice (Todd Pattison): Your diary is covered in cloth and has an extended flap with a tongue on the back board and a closure strap on the front board that the tongue fits into to keep it closed. The diary has machine-made paper with entries in manuscript ink. There are also several scraps tucked into the diary, including a newspaper clipping, coupons and a fire insurance payment bill. The cover of the diary has a lot of wear, especially along the edges and the extended flap of the back board but the volume appears to be intact. The pages of the diary are discolored and appear to be acidic. The manuscript ink has sunk into the paper in some areas and is visible on the opposite side of the page; it is possible, although not likely, that the ink may be iron gall ink that is beginning to deteriorate. Recommendations: You mention that you would like to transcribe the notations looking for family information and that taking images and enlarging them has been helpful. I would encourage you get high-quality scans made of the pages of the diary and the enclosed scraps. This will provide copies to aid transcription while limiting handling of the original. It will also allow you to share this information with other interested parties and with people that may be able to help you in some cases where the handwriting is difficult to read. It will also preserve the information in case the original is damaged or lost. The diary may need to be imaged one-up, or one page at a time, with an overhead camera to protect the fragile binding. This would allow for quality capture of the information without opening the volume more than 90 degrees, preventing stress of the sewing or page attachment. You mention that the diary has been stored with three other diaries. You should consider having all of the diaries boxed, either individually or together in one larger box. The scraps can also be placed in a folder or folders and housed with the diary in the box, keeping the information together. There are several styles of custom enclosures, including cloth-covered, drop-spine boxes and phase boxes (there are several styles of phase boxes). The key to any enclosure is that it fit the volume exactly. If you measure this yourself you need to make sure that you find the largest square dimension, as the box will be square even if the volume is not, and include the thickness the folded scraps, which should be cut to the size of the volume. A cloth-covered box can be made by a conservator or bookbinder while phase boxes are usually ordered from a vendor. The folders should be made from acid-free Bristol or other cardstock material that is lignin free. You may want to consider having a conservator look at the manuscript inks that are bleeding through the paper to the opposite side, to determine if these are iron gall inks that are deteriorating. There is a Find a Conservator page on the AIC website that allows you to search for a conservator by specialty and location. You would want a paper conservator with some experience with iron gall ink. Handling and storage: Handling of the diary should be limited. When handling the volume or the scraps, you should wash your hands with soap and water but not wear gloves. Gloves will lower the feeling in your fingers so it would be more likely that you would damage the object; cotton gloves, especially, will catch on the worn areas of the binding and could cause further damage. You should also place the diary in a cradle so as not to stress the binding when handling. There are foam supports that are available to cradle the volume, but you can also just use clean towels or pillows. You mention that the diary is currently in a brown paper bag. The bag will protect the diary from light and dust but is most likely acidic and should be replaced with a box as suggested above. The diary should be stored in an area that has temperature and humidity controls.
