Notes
Outline
Area 64 Archives
Building Dedicated
September 1, 1998
Murfreesboro,Tennessee
801 B.North Maney Avenue
615-895-5225
http://area64tnarchives.org
"Think Preservation".
Not Just For Today
Lets say 100 Years
A Few Things To Remember
In Your Archives Work
Never do anything to any archives that cannot be undone.
Acid Free Paper only for making copies.
Unlike our Program we are trying to preserve and protect our Precious Memories for a hundred years or more.
Acid migrates from one piece of paper to another.
Glues and Tapes should be considered carefully.
Encapsulation not Lamination.
Removing Staples
In our repository we are taking steps to remove the staples from older documents. After many years the staples will begin to rust and start to destroy the paper it touches.
We can do damage here so be careful.
The process is simple to remove the staples. Use a lifting tool to raise each leg of the staple. Be careful not to tear the paper in the process. Sharp pointed lifting tools should be used with caution.
After Staple Removal
If there is no major tears or damage you can use a cleaning pad to remove some of the rust. A plastic paper clip or coated clip that will not rust can be used to hold papers together.
Plasti-clips
Although these will not rust they have a tendency to crimp and even tear the paper. So my personal preference is to use stainless steel or coated paper clips.
Different Types Of Damage
This legal size document was discovered folded to fit a standard size filing folder. The staple needs to be addressed as well as the creased paper.
Creased Paper
So we have a creased document. Depending on the document we should consider the texture of the paper. Is it so brittle that unfolding it will cause it to break?
Take Your Time Be Gentle
A good bone folder is good for many uses in working with paper documents. Take the very smooth bone folder and gently begin to unfold the crease if it isn’t to brittle. A good flat surface is important also.
Example of Some Bone Folders
Cotton Gloves
I know it isn’t easy to work with gloves. There are very important reasons that we need to use gloves. Take your index finger and thumb and squeeze down your nose. Now wipe them on some clean glass.
What Did You Find
The oils from our skin can be quite damaging to paper. For common every day materials we handle this is never a concern. However keep in mind that we are attempting to preserve these documents for many years.
Its hard to be to careful with these Precious Memories. At our very best we will make mistakes on the way. A slip of the scalpel or a break of the paper. Don’t worry you will learn as you go.
Accessing Folder’s
What You Might Find
As I began to dig thru the folders to get to what I was looking for I noticed several things.
1:Folded and creased papers.
2: Legal size papers folded in standard size files.
3: Staples beginning to rust.
4: Yellowed or smoke saturated papers.
5: Documents from wrong groups in wrong folders.
6: Numerous copies of the same document in many of the folders.
7: Paper Clips and the damage that they can do.
8: Folders and Filing Cabinets overstuffed.
9: Handwritten dates and other info added to documents possibly by whomever filed papers.
10:Laminated documents with no way for future preservation.

Folder Access Suggestions
When your Archivist/Historian access's a particular folder, they might take the time necessary to do just a few things that will help to insure the continued life of your repository. Remember when you access material, it is not foolish to think that this folder might not be accessed again for many years. So it might be wise to think about the following suggestions.
1: Remove staples and metal paper clips. (Replace with coated or plastic clips.)
2: Remove un-related material and place properly.
3: Remove anything more than duplicates and place or distribute properly.
4: Try to keep all pertinent documents together.
5: Ph test on backs of documents that are in question.
6: Straighten all crease's and folds.
7: Older or more fragile precious documents might be put in archival quality polyester sleeves.
Notes and examples:
1: The coated paper clips seem to work the best. Unlike the plasti clip the coated paper clips don't seem to crease and damage the papers as bad.
2: Un-related material might be District 10 material in District 32 folder. etc.
3: Many times there may be several of the same documents in a single folder. Two of the best copies might be preserved/archived and the others distributed to the Area or District or Group to which they pertain.
A folder for Duplicates might be compiled and occasionally distributed properly.
4: Say for instance a Old Member passes on and their family donates all their AA related material to an Area Archives. In this case if it is possible it would be nice to keep these items together.
5: Obviously this leaves a mark. So in the least conspicuous place would be the best place to test.
6: Use a bone folder or something similar to un-fold and straighten out best you can. Re-stack papers neatly.
7: Of course more precious documents that are fragile or maybe acidic would need a little closer examination. It might be wise to add the more fragile documents into a archival quality sleeve for a little added protection.
8: It is also wise to copy fragile or acidic documents and label as (COPY) for future Archivists/Historians.
Keep Standard Format
Sometime in the past the date of this document was penciled in the top center of the document. Keep a standard for any penciling or acid test. We try to use the lower right hand corner @
Area 64Archives
Lamination is Permanent.
Don't Do It.
Remember what the first thing we learn in Archival work.
Never do anything that cannot be un-done.
http://area64tnarchives.org/tidbits.html
You can find a lot of this information
We have covered @ the url above.
Temperature & Humidity
. For long term archival storage
 70* + or minus 2 * temperature.
 50% + or minus 5% humidity
http://www.area64tnarchives.org/how_not_to_conserve_grapevines.htm
How Not To Store Grapevines
Rubber-bands Are A NoNo
Slide 22
These Grapevines were bent double from the force of the Rubberbands.
Obvious Damage and even Tear from Bands
Notice these Grapevines even after the Rubberbands were removed. This kind of damage, tears, can be prevented.

Temporary Action Taken:
1:Rubberbands were removed.
2: Grapevines were kept in order the Rubber bands kept them in, this hopefully will save on Archivists work separating by month and year again.
3:Grapevine were put back in Filing Case laying Flat and the curled Grapevines were put towards bottom with weight of others to hopefully reshape to original form.
Acidic Documents
Dated 1990 Lifespan Of This Document Is Very Short
Slide 28