Tips, Tools and Resources for
Preserving Historical Records
Utah-Salt Lake ARMA
Chapter Meeting
January 21, 2010
Agenda
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Physical storage issues
Affects on preservation
Prevention
Planning
Resources
Physical issues: Your Facility
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Existing
environmental
conditions
Storage and
Access
Fire Protection
Policies &
procedures
What are the existing
environmental conditions?
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Condition
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Age of the building
Temperature/Humidity
Light
Multiple users
Commercial storage
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Ensure historic records storage needs
are addressed.
What are the desirable
environmental conditions?
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Controlled storage environments
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Temperature: 68 and 72 degrees F
Relative humidity (RH): 40 and 50%.
Maintain consistency
Lighting
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UV (both natural and fluorescent)
increases the rate of deterioration
Shut off lights; block off storage areas from
light, curtain windows
Storage and access
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Storage options
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Shelving
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Storage
enclosures
Fire proof vaults
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Building access –
who has keys or
codes
Building security
systems
Open access
storage areas
Locked storage
areas
Fire protection
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Fire suppression
systems
Fire/smoke
alarms
Arrangements
with local fire
officials
Policies and Procedures
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What is the role the records play:
 Administrative, historic, r & d,
marketing?
Security/access
 Who has access and to what level?
Care and handling
 Duplication for use/distribution
Risk management/insurance
Physical record types
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Books and volumes
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Covers – leather,
canvas or fabric
Bindings: Loose-leaf
or sewn
Blueprints, flat or
rolled
Photographs
Paper
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Tri-folded
Flat paper folders
Onion-skin files
Oversize paper
documents
Fasteners
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Clips
“O” fasteners
Deterioration - Rust from clips
Water damage on folders
What can we do?
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Mitigate - prevention
Preservation: Action taken to slow or
prevent the deterioration or damage of
archival records. (we should do this)
Conservation: Taking specific, physical
treatment to repair a damaged
document. (get a professional!)
Reformat – film or digitize
Prevention – the Do’s &
Don'ts of Storage
Do
 Use non-combustible
shelves
 Handle records with
clean hands and/or
white gloves
 Store in areas free of
dirt, dust & pollutants
 Keep in secure
containers to reduce
pest damage
 Keep records off floors
(3 to 6 inch barrier)
Don’t
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Store in attics,
basements, storage
containers
Stay away from heat
sources
Store near UV
(fluorescent and
sunlight)
Avoid water or
moisture areas
(mold growth)
Storage at Salt Lake City
Recorder’s vault
Care & Handling
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Books
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3 inches from walls
Upright on shelves; no leaning
Keep paper and cloth away from
leather (acid and oils migrate)
Box those with fragile bindings
Don’t stack boxes too high or
protrude over shelf edges
Reboxing and new enclosures
Planning ahead
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Long-range preservation plan
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Preservation planning identifies general and specific
needs for the care of collections, establishes
priorities, and identifies resources.
Defines a course of action for the present and the
future, and
Allocates resources appropriately.
Should be part of an overall business continuity
plan.
Needs assessment – survey
Resources
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NEDCC – Northeast Document
Conservation Center
http://www.nedcc.org
Library of Congress
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http://www.loc.gov/preserv/pub/
http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/
Resources
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Image Permanence Institute
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http://www.imagepermanenceinstitute.org/
National Archives
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Holdings Maintenance
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http://www.archives.gov/preservation/h
oldings-maintenance/
Show and tell - questions
Thank You!!
Terry Blonquist Nelson, Director
Salt Lake County Records Management & Archives Division
4505 S. 5600 W.
West Valley City, UT 84120
Ph. 801-963-7343; fax: 801-963-7397; cell: 801-349-0393
tbnelson@slco.org
www.archives.slco.org