by: Shirley-Ann Pyefinch
email: shirleyann@pyefinch.net website: www.ottawastakefhc.on.ca
Family History Preservation and
Conservation
Presentation Outline:
 What is preservation and conservation?
 Why preserve your family history?
 What is your family history?
 Where can you find your family history?
 Who wants to know about your family history?
 How to preserve your family history?
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and Conservation
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“All actions aimed at the safeguarding of
cultural property for the future. The purpose of
conservation is to study, record, retain and restore
the culturally significant qualities of the object with
the least possible intervention.”
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and Conservation
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What is the preservation and
conservation of your family history?
All actions aimed at safeguarding your
family history objects for the future.
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and Conservation
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1. If you don’t, who will
do it?
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and Conservation
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Why preserve your
family history?
2. The family forms the basic unit of
society. Therefore, family histories
form an important reflection of our
country, culture and society.
In the practice of records management
we are taught that we keep records
to preserve the collective memory,
“human records give record of life.”
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Why preserve your
family history?
3. Develops bonds between
generations.
4. Some individuals require
molecular genealogies of their
ancestors to know if they may be
a carrier of a genetic disorder or
have a genetic disorder.
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and Conservation
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 Is it an old textile or fragile china
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belonging to an ancestor?
Grandma’s secret recipe for tea
biscuits?
Music and dances passed from
generation to generation?
A dying language taught from
parent to child?
A picture?
A journal?
Audio and visual sound
recordings?
Paper documents and books?
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and Conservation
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What is your family
history?
 Genealogy is defined in the Oxford Dictionary
as: “A line of descent traced from an ancestor,
the study of lines of descent.”
 Family history is more encompassing and
can include tangible and intangible items.
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and Conservation
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All around you in
your home and in
the homes of your
extended families.
Your family
members.
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and Conservation
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Example of a Common Family Prayer Book
Containing Family History Information
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Where can you find your
family history?
 In repositories
such as libraries,
city, provincial
and federal
archives.
 In courthouse
records.
 The internet.
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and Conservation
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Where can you find your family
history?
 Historical and
genealogical
societies.
 Church records and
cemeteries.
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Family History Preservation
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Where can you find your family
history?
 The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-Day Saints
Family History Centres and
Library.
 There are over 4,500
Family History Centers
worldwide operating in
over 100 countries.
 Family History Centers are
staffed by helpful
volunteers.
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and Conservation
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Where can you find your
family history?
Family History Library
was first established in
1894 to assist
members of the church
with their family
history and
genealogical research.
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and Conservation
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Where can you find your
family history?
Family History Preservation
and Conservation
 The great resources of
the Libraries’ collection
are found in the Granite
Mountain Record Vault
or also known as the
GMRV.
 The GMRV contains over
6.4 million worldwide
microfilmed records
which can form an
important resource for
your family history
research.
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Who wants to know about
your family history?
 In May 1999
President Gordon
B. Hinckley
launched the
familysearch
internet service.
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•
Document and
research your
family history.
•
Use the 5 step
process.
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•
•
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Use the best quality of products
that you can afford to buy.
Quality of products either lengthen or shorten the
lifespan of the item.
Use the services of a conservator to professionally
care for your objects when necessary.
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Professional Services of a
Conservator
An example of before and after photos of treatment for a book by Kyla Ubbink.
http://www3.sympatico.ca/kyla.ubbink/index.html
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and Conservation
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Choosing the best paper:
 Paper comes in different weights; decide the right paper for the
right job.
 Contains less than 0.7% lignin and at least 2% calcium carbonate.
 Cold pH extract from 7.5 to 10 and be acid free.
 Made of cotton, linen or fully bleached chemical fibre and virgin or
recycled fibres.
 Meet strength requirements for tear strength, tensile and fold
endurance. There are two strength grades: Grade 1 and Grade
2(high referral papers).
 Perform well under age testing and meet requirements for opacity
and brightness.
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and Conservation
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Proper Handling and Storage of
Paper Documents
 Wash and dry your hands before handling paper
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because oil and debris can permanently stain
paper.
Use white cotton gloves when handling
documents.
Use larger horizontal supports for fragile paper
documents especially if moving the document.
Careless handling can cause tears, folds, creases
and abrasions to the paper.
Store in a dark place, exposure to florescent light
and sunlight can promote chemical degradation
and cause the ink to fade.
Fragile or damaged papers should be stored
horizontally.
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and Conservation
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Understanding the Stability of
Photo Copied Paper Documents:
 Use permanent copy paper
 Meets established standards set by ASTM
(American Society for Testing Materials). The
most permanent paper is coded:
“LE-1000”(or Type 1) and is expected to
last several hundred years.
 Toner must also be considered.
 The best toners are composed of carbon black
pigment and a stable resin.
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Understanding the Stability of
Photo Copied Paper Documents:
 Avoid toners with iron oxides or also known as
ferrite because iron oxides are unstable in
dampness.
 Avoid coloured toners because coloured
toners have light and heat fastness problems.
 Avoid stacking photocopies, especially at high
temperatures because the papers may stick
together from heat and pressure.
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and Conservation
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Understanding the Stability of
Photo Copied Paper Documents:
 Avoid placing photocopies in direct contact
with PVC and similar plastics because
migrating plasticizers can make the toner
sticky and capable of transferring to adjacent
surfaces. Polyester film is safer.
 Polypropylene or Mylar are often used to store
paper documents safely in an archival setting.
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Paper Documents
For Computer Printing;
Laser Versus Ink Jet on Paper:
 Laser is a more stable medium than inkjet.
Therefore, a better choice for long term
storage of your data.
 Inkjet on papers are unstable if exposed to
water the ink will bleed.
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Containers for
Storage
Containers should be used:
 To protect paper from dust and light exposure.
 Not be overcrowded, spacers used to support vertically
stored papers so they do not slump.
 Should be acid free. Ideal storage containers are acid free
cardboard boxes, polyethylene and polypropylene.
 Moderate temperature and low humidity discourages pests
and mould growth.
 Never store your family history objects or documents in
the basement, garage or attic. Temperature and humidity
needs to be stable in order to preserve objects and
documents.
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•Update and back-up your files regularly.
•Have multiple back-up copies, several stored on site
in a variety of locations and several off site.
•Review your archived electronic records every 2
years (maximum).
•Have a migration strategy for your data as you
upgrade your hardware and software applications in
order to avoid information loss.
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•Develop your own disaster plan.
•Identify and store essential records.
•Storage off-site?
•Accessibility?
•Divide and assign responsibilities to various family
members.
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Care of Negatives:
 Negatives are sensitive to light, temperature, humidity,
pollution, mishandling and poor processing.
 Colour negatives are subject to fading more than black
and white negatives.
 Old film negatives that are acetate based may develop a
vinegar-like smell, which indicates a chemical reaction
has taken place. Nitrate films may have deteriorated,
the film softened and the image faded. The gases
released from Nitrate film are toxic and storing large
quantities of this type of film can be a health risk and a
fire hazard.
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Care of Negatives
 Negatives may need to be repackaged in safe
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acid-free materials for storage. Label the
package before placing the negative inside.
Mylar is great for storing negatives.
Handle with cotton gloves picking up by the
edges.
Never fold or leave unprotected.
Clean negatives with a soft brush, dry ethyl
alcohol, anymore than that should be left to
professional conservator.
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Care of Negatives
Avoid :
 High humidity.
 UV rays (cause gelatine layer to become
brittle).
 Storing negatives in attics, basements and
garages.
Cold storage is fine and will help prevent decay.
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Care of Photographs
 Prints are sensitive to the same causes of damages
as negatives, but also can be damaged by framing
materials.
 Very dry conditions cause the prints to curl and too
much humidity cause mould and mildew to form.
 Direct exposure to UV rays will fade colour
photographs quickly; black and white photographs
are not as sensitive to fading.
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Care of Photographs
Improper framing can cause:
 Damage to prints if products containing acids and
lignin are used against the print.
 Masking tape and scotch tape can discolour and
stain prints.
 Un-matted photos can stick to the glass and get
permanently damaged.
 Prints need to be framed and matted to museum
standards using safe products.
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Care of Photographs
 Prints are best stored
in Mylar envelopes or
acid free envelopes or
acid free boxes.
 Write descriptions on
the envelopes or on
the back border of the
print with an HB
pencil.
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Care of Photographs
Family History Preservation
and Conservation
Photo albums are another alternative
for storage:
 Choose albums that are acid and
lignin free.
 Avoid self-stick plastic covered pages,
which can stain and damage photos.
 Sleeves in albums should be made of
Mylar or polypropylene.
 Acid-free corners can be used to
mount prints.
 Avoid white glue, rubber cement,
scotch or masking tape and staples
when mounting prints in photo
albums.
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Care of Photographs
 Keep prints out of direct light, in a stable
environment where the humidity will not
have large fluctuations. Store prints in a
cool and dry spot avoiding attics,
basements and garages.
 Clean prints with a soft brush, if stained
consider scanning the image, edit the
stain and print on photo paper.
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 Careful handling, to protect the book bindings.
 Use a bookmark instead of turning down a page
corner.
 Turn pages from the top corner and not from the
bottom edge, which can cause tears.
 Avoid using sticky notes or adhesive tapes on
bindings. Tape will cause discolouration. A paper
conservator can repair tears in paper using
Japanese tissue paper.
 Do not press flowers in books or store acidic
newspaper clippings in books because both can
cause staining.
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and Conservation
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Care of Books
 Carefully photocopy books to protect the spine
from cracking. Let one half of the book hang
over side while the other side is flat against
the copier.
 Preferred shelving is baked enamel steel that
can stand away from an exterior wall and
enclosed glass door shelving is good to protect
the books from dust. Books should be stored
vertically and not overcrowded.
 Books should be kept dusted with a soft brush
or vacuumed. Dust is abrasive, will soil paper
and attract pests.
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and Conservation
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Care of Books
 If books get wet mould can begin to grow within 24 hours,
the freeze-drying method is preferred, but should be done by
a professional.
 If books are wet, mouldy or infested put them in a plastic zip
bag, seal it. If wet in addition to bagging also put in a
freezer until the book can be seen by a paper conservator.
 Wrap the damaged book in acid-free paper and tie with twill
tape until re-binding or conservation treatment can occur.
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Magnetic tapes:
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Preservation copying of originals may be the only way to
preserve your audio and visual sound recordings. This is
done so that the original is not constantly being played.
You may also want to upgrade to a more stable
technology. For example copying nitrate and acetate
film to a more stable media.
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Best storage temperatures for magnetic tapes are at 8
degrees Celsius with a temperature variance +-2
degrees Celsius and a relative humidity at 25% with a
variance of about +-5%, variances should not be
exceeding these limits in a 24 hour period. However, it
is acceptable to handle tapes with environment
temperatures between 18-25 degrees Celsius and a
relative humidity at 15-50%. Mould growth will occur
with relative humidity above 65%.
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Care of Magnetic
Tapes
Avoid:
 Ultraviolet light. Ultraviolet light can cause the
tapes to breakdown.
 Dust and Water. Dust can cause poor playback and
water can cause hydrolysis on the surface of the
tape.
 Magnetic sources so that there is no possibility of
erasing the magnetic data on the tape.
Store in protective cases in a vertical position and
not in the player. Air should circulate well around
shelving units.
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and Conservation
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Care of Magnetic
Tapes
 Food and drinks should not be consumed near
tapes because these particles can be airborne
and land on the surface of the tape sticking to
it and damaging the tape.
 Fungus may be found on tapes, if dry it is
powdery and is considered dormant, if fungus
smears when rubbed it is considered active.
Fungus should be considered toxic and should
only be removed by a professional.
 Inspect tapes for damage or contamination
before use and handle tapes with care.
 Make sure your player is properly aligned and
in good condition.
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CD and DVD Care
 Keep your CDs and DVDs in the coolest area of your
home, ideal temperature for the media is at 23
degrees Celsius and at a relative humidity of about
35%-50%.
 Store in low light and in a vertical position in jewel
cases.
 Read only CDs, CD-RWs have a life expectancy from
5-100 years, CD-Rs however have a life expectancy
from 5-200 years depending on storage, handling
and manufacturing processes and materials used.
Life expectancy for all formats of DVDs are
unknown, but are expected to be similar to that of a
CD. The media may last, but will the players?
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CD and DVD Care
 The best way to clean your CD or DVD is with
compressed air. The second best way is with a
soft lint-free cloth wiping in a radial direction
from the centre out to the edge.
 Repairing scratches is not recommended
because you will probably cause more damage
than good.
 Handle discs by the centre hole and the edges.
Try not to touch the shiny surface.
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Conclusion:
In conclusion, there are so many ways that we can preserve our
family history.
 Documenting our work and sharing it
 Providing safe storage
 Careful handling
 Stable temperature and a stable relative humidity are key to
preserving our family history.
Doing such practices will lengthen the life of our objects
 Preventative care is the best form of conservation that we can do!
 Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) as a valuable resource for
learning how to preserve your family history.
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References:
 Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI), Department of
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Canadian Heritage
Canadian Heritage Web site,
http://www.preservation.gc.ca
Library and Archives Canada, http://www.archives.ca
Association of Moving Image Archivists,
http://www.amianet.org
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints,
http://www.familysearch.org
David Gratten,“Technical Bulletin 22, The Stability of
Photocopied and Laser-printed Documents and Images:
General Guidelines”, (Ottawa:Canadian Conservation
Institute, 2000).
 Kyla Ubbink website,
http://www3.sympatico.ca/kyla.ubbink/index.html
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and Conservation
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Canadian Resources on the
Web for Archival Supplies:
1. Carr McLean at: www.carrmclean.ca
2. University Products of Canada (Div. of BFB
Sales) at: www.universityproducts.com
3. Archival Products.ca at:
http://www.archivalproducts.ca/index.htm
Other sources:
Archival Methods at:
http://www.archivalmethods.com/
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Shirley-Ann Pyefinch Email:
shirleyann@pyefinch.net
Ottawa Stake Family History Website:
www.ottawastakefhc.on.ca
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and Conservation
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