PRESERVATION TIPS

Do you have a favorite photo that hung in your grandmother’s house and now resides with you?  Or maybe you have an old piece of furniture you found at an estate sale that needs a little TLC?  Please find information to help you care for your personal papers, photos, and treasured belongings below.

Quick Preservation Tips

Taking the first step is the most important part of preserving your personal records.  It’s more important to start the process than it is to do the process perfectly.  Remember these factors when preserving your documents and photos – temperature, relative humidity, light, pests, mold, risk of water leaks and floods, and handling.

• Remove your keepsakes from the attic or basement to avoid extremes in temperature and relative humidity
• Minimize handling. If you must, handle with care, fully supporting items with clean hands
• Protect items from dust, light, and handling with acid-free boxes, folders, or polyester sleeves (no PVC plastic)
• Lack of labels is the greatest risk to our treasures.  Identify people, places, and dates in detail with pencil.  Don’t just say “Mom at the beach” but write Mom’s full name and the date she was at the specific beach.
• Ask for help.  There are resources in the library.

Helpful Resources for use in the library* or for check out

*Titles designated with REF prior to the call number.  Those titles can be found in the Reference Section on the second floor of CPCL; all other titles are available for checkout from the Adult Nonfiction Section also located on the second floor.

025.7 LAV  Book Repair: A How-To-Do-It Manual Kenneth Lavender

REF 025.7 SHE  Cleaning, Repairing, and Caring for Books: A Practical Manual Robert L. Shep

025.8 ROS  The Care and Feeding of Books Old and New: A Simple Repair Manual for Book Lovers Margot Rosenberg and Bern Marcowitz

REF 025.8 TUT  An Ounce of Preservation: A Guide to the Care of Papers and Photographs Craig A. Tuttle

REF 025.84 PRE  Preservation of Library and Archival Materials

684.1 MAR  Furniture Restoration: Step-by-Step Tips and Techniques for Professional Results Ina Brosseau Marx & Allen Marx

745.1 ANT  The Antiques Clinic: A Guide to Damage, Care, and Restoration James Fielden, et al.

745.1 MIL  Care & Repair of Antiques & Collectibles: A Step-by-Step Guide Judith Miller

745.1 MIL  Care & Repair of Everyday Treasures: A Step-by-Step Guide to Cleaning and Restoring your Antiques and Collectibles Judith Miller

REF 745.1 SAV  The Art and Antique Restorers’ Handbook: A Dictionary of Materials and Processes Used in the Restoration & Preservation of All Kinds of Works of Art George Savage

REF 745.1028 JAC  The Antiques Care & Repair Handbook Albert Jackson and David Day

745.593 FAM  Family Tree Page Ideas for Scrapbookers: 125 Ways to create a Scrapbook Legacy

747 NYL  Fabrics and Wallpapers for Historic Buildings Janes C. Nylander and Richard C. Nylander

749.1 BUC  The Illustrated Handbook of Furniture Restoration George Buchanan

771 CTE  Digital Restoration from Start to Finish: How to Repair Old and Damaged Photographs Ctein

Helpful Preservation Websites

Northeast Document Conservation Center – Preservation leaflets

Indiana Archives and Records Administration – Preservation

National Archives – Caring for your Family Archives

Library of Congress: Preserving your Family Treasures

American Library Association – Preservation Week – Saving Your Stuff