What to do with the fishtank? Practical storage solutions for archives and special libraries

By David Wylie, Archives Technician, John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library

11th ALIA National Library Technicians Conference, An Information Odyssey, Hobart 21-24 August 2001

INTRODUCTION

As Australia celebrates the Centenary of Federation, we are constantly reminded of our history and how historical events have shaped our nation and our sense of belonging to the nation. Many books, articles, CD-ROMs and television programmes, etcetera, have been published documenting this history. The evidence for the facts presented in these histories comes from original source material held in archival institutions large and small, government and privately run. The evidential importance of these records far outweighs their intrinsic value as "collectibles".

The John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library once received a donation that, according to the accompanying documentation, contained an aquarium. This gave some cause for concern. Was it full of water? Where there still some fish in it? Had they been fed recently? Our fears were allayed on opening the box and finding a glass display case containing a porcelain doll. It came with certification to say that it had been presented to the donor, a cabinet minister, while on an official overseas trip. This provenance, evidence of ownership and confirmation of the object as a record of an event, gave weight to the decision to retain it as an archive. The questions now were how to store and preserve the glass case, the porcelain doll, the human hair wig, the gold decorated silk clothing and rice paper certificate, and how to give researchers access to this cumbersome and fragile archival record?

The growing public interest in family and local history has led to an increase in the number of small archives and museums, and as the general public becomes aware of the informational value of old family correspondence, diaries and photographs etc., more and more records are finding their way to these organizations rather than being discarded or sold to second-hand and antique shops.

The collection and acceptance of donations of archival records places a number of obligations on you, the collecting institution. You must undertake to store the records in suitable conditions, make them available to your clients, and, most importantly, preserve them for future use. These records will not be weeded or discarded and, as your collection increases, the space required to house the collection and the conservation/preservation needs of the records will also increase. These obligations are costly, and budgetary constraints cannot release you from them.

There are national and international standards for the storage and preservation of archival records, and ideally we should always meet or exceed the standards. However, in practice, this is generally not feasible, even for large government funded institutions. An inability to provide the ideal does not mean that we can let the records go to the tip or the second-hand and antique dealers. Best practice may be pragmatically interpreted as best possible practice.

STORAGE SPACE

The area designated for storing the collection should be as large as practical, with enough space for the present collection and projected growth of the collection for at least 10 years. This allowance for expansion will give some breathing space for future planning well before the space is full. Be aware, however, that the space may disappear quite rapidly as unexpected donations may be offered.

This storage space may be hundreds of square metres in a government repository, a 16 square metre room in a local history museum, or even just one or two bays of shelving in a public library workroom.

A government repository would have highly sophisticated climate and environment controls for temperature and humidity, and storage conditions would be closely monitored. The usual recommended ranges for temperature and humidity are 21° Celsius (+/- 1°) and 55% RH (+/- 5%). There would be no windows and all lighting would have UV light filters and would be turned off whenever possible. All entrance doors would be close fitting to keep insects at bay and the area and the collection would be monitored for signs of infestation.

The one room in a local history museum can be made very close to the environmental ideals by the use of insulation, re-circulating refrigerated air-conditioning (left running at all times), vinyl floor covering, low UV fluorescent tubes and diffusers, and boarding up and sealing of windows. Draught exclusion strips around all doors would provide a good level of protection against insect infestation, especially where combined with the use of surface sprays on the outer side of the doorways. Cockroach traps, available from the supermarket, can be placed inside the room and regular inspection would alert you to any insect invasion before harm could be done.

For a small local history collection in a public library it would be better to keep the original items in a back room as above, and provide good quality copies in the reading room. The copies may be digital if the technology is available, or photocopies and/or photographic copies that can be kept in vertical filing cabinets.

Workspace will be needed for processing the records and there should be sufficient room for a large worktable and for temporary storage of the records you are working on. This area should conform as near to the above standards as possible.

Donations must be inspected for insect infestation and fumigated if necessary before being taken into the storage environment.

STORAGE MEDIA

Paper is by far the most common medium found in archives and archival quality containers are readily obtainable to fit the most commonly used sizes: A3, A4, foolscap, and so on. Manufacturers of preservation supplies also cater for the various sizes of photographic negatives, prints and transparencies. They can't cater for all shapes and sizes of every type of material an archive may expect, or not expect, to collect.

Archival material should be stored in acid free containers on adjustable powder coated steel shelving. If the building design allows for high loading capacity then compactus shelving may be used, otherwise fixed, open shelving should be employed. Suitable shelving is available that will accommodate the various standard sizes and shapes of acid free archive boxes that can be purchased. Different sizes of drawers to house photographs, videos and audiocassettes that fit standard shelving are also available.

If there is a limited budget, then it may be possible to adapt other types of shelving to the purpose. Non-standard boxes that are not acid free but fit the available shelves can be lined using buffer paper available from conservation materials suppliers. Acid free card can be purchased and made up into appropriately sized boxes in-house.

Paper documents can be stored within the boxes in acid free wallets or wrapped in buffer paper and tied with cotton or linen tape.

Custom-made boxes are used to store objects, with inserts that fit around the object and hold it firmly. The materials used for inserts vary according to the object, e.g. metal objects have different requirements to wooden ones. A professional conservator should be consulted for advice on this. An acceptable alternative is to wrap the object with inert material such as Tyvek and surround it with bubble wrap to fill up any unused space in the box.

Photographs should be copied and two sets of negatives made. The originals and one set of negatives are placed in inert plastic sleeves (Mylar is recommended) and stored in a designated drawer or box. A second set of prints and negatives are similarly stored and used as duplicating copies, while a third set of prints are used for reference. The duplicating copy is only used to replace the reference copy if lost, damaged or worn out through use. Similarly, the duplicating copy can be re-created from the original if needed.

This three-copy system should also be used for audio and video recordings.

PRESERVATION & CONSERVATION

Storing archival records in the conditions outlined above will preserve them to some extent, slowing down the inevitable deterioration. The length of time records will last depends on the media. For example, newspaper is made from wood pulp, which has very short fibres, is high in acid, and turns brown and brittle very quickly. Paper made from rag has long fibres and low acid content and will remain pliant and useable for a great number of years when stored properly. Advice on different materials and their preservation needs should be obtained from professional materials conservators.

The more handling and exposure to non-archival conditions a record receives the quicker it will deteriorate. Access to the items for research must be provided and this needs to be balanced against their preservation needs. This balance can be best achieved by making copies (reprographic, photographic, micrographic, digital or facsimile) for reference use. The originals can then be kept in storage, and need only be brought out to verify the copies if needed.

If it is not possible to provide suitable storage then you may consider suggesting to the donor that they should donate the records to a suitable state or federal archive that can provide these conditions and allow you to make copies for use locally.

Untrained staff should not attempt repairs and restoration; professional conservators should be employed or contracted to carry out this type of work. A condition report should be requested along with recommendations for action. Full restoration will be much more expensive than procedures to prevent further damage. State archives and public museums often provide free or inexpensive advice and can provide contact details for professional services.

Any reports received and any conservation work undertaken should be recorded and filed. A full history of what has been done to the record is then available should further conservation treatment be needed in the future

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND RECOVERY

Disasters that may affect your collection include fires, floods, earthquakes and power outages. You may not able to prevent these from occurring but you must be prepared in case they do. Regular checks and maintenance of water and electrical services and equipment, including drains and guttering etcetera, will help lessen some of the risks. Regular backing-up of databases and filing systems will help your organization to recreate them quickly should your computer system sustain damage.

Disaster preparedness involves drawing up plans and procedures. In the event of such a disaster happening, you would need to follow emergency procedures for your building - evacuation, contacting emergency services etcetera. You should not attempt to rescue the records until the authorities have deemed it safe to re-enter the area. In the aftermath of a disaster you must have ready access to lists of your holdings, supplies of recovery materials, somewhere to take the records for restoration and professional help to advise on and help carry out the restoration process. Outlines of disaster plans are available for adaptation to your needs, and it is useful to obtain copies of other organizations' plans and integrate relevant procedures from them into your own plan.

"Disaster bins" containing suitable recovery supplies can be purchased or assembled and should be kept at hand but in a separate area from the collection. A "wheelie" bin is ideal for the purpose but should be prominently labelled as a disaster bin to deter others from using it for garbage. Supplies should include torches, plastic bags, marker pens, scissors, protective clothing and surgical gloves, rolls of tape, squeegees, mops and buckets.

There are private companies in Australia that can respond to a disaster and carry out the recovery process very promptly and professionally for a fee. This would be a practical solution for smaller organizations with staffing limitations.

Planning ahead and having procedures in place will ensure the least possible damage to the records, a quicker recovery time, less disruption to your clients and that the cost to your organization is kept to a minimum.

ACCESS

Providing access to archival records for researchers is essential. Meaningful access requires the compilation and provision of detailed finding aids and guides; supervised reading room space for use of originals if permitted; reference staff with a sound knowledge of the collection; and provision of the equipment needed to access microforms and digitised records, etc. Staff resources are also needed for retrieval of records from storage and returning them after use.

Researchers should be registered and the use of archival records should be tracked and recorded for security and statistical purposes. Hand washing facilities should be provided for the use of staff and researchers before they handle originals. The use of clean, dry cotton gloves will allow for safer handling of unprotected items but impede the safe handling of paper items. Fragile objects may be photographed and the prints made available unless there is a good reason to see the actual item.

Digitisation allows access to the information without the need for retrieval and handling of the originals. Text, image, sound and vision files can be created and stored in databases and accessed through computers in the reading room. Virtual, on-line access via the web allows world-wide '24/7' research, freeing the user from the need to visit the archive and reducing the resources needed for the provision of in-house access. In the long run, these benefits can far outweigh the initial costs of setting up such a system.

CO-OPERATION

The successful management of large and small archival collections can be costly and stressful. The costs and stresses can be markedly reduced by the creation and maintenance of co-operative networks that share knowledge and resources. For example, preservation supplies are expensive when bought in small lots - bulk buying by a co-operative will reduce the expense to an affordable level. The storage and preservation problems you are likely to encounter have almost certainly been encountered elsewhere and solutions already found. Scanners and other digitising hardware could be purchased on a shared basis with other like-minded organizations. Staff to carry out the digitisation process can likewise be employed on a time-shared basis.

Creating such co-operative networks can be achieved by joining peer group societies, subscribing to journals and email lists, attending functions held by other institutions and inviting attendance to your functions.

CONCLUSION

The collection and preservation of historical records, allowing access to them and sharing the knowledge gained, enriches our culture and expands our knowledge of our place in history. With focussed pre-planning they are activities that need not be limited to organizations with large budgets. Archival services can be provided by the smallest of groups and with limited funds, as long as there is dedication, enthusiasm and a willingness to ask for, share and heed advice. The wheel may have already been invented, but if you design a better one let your colleagues know so their journey along the information odyssey may run smoother. As Winston Churchill wrote:

"Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb."

REFERENCES

Pederson, A. 2001, Understanding society through its records, http://john.curtin.edu.au/society/index.html (June 2001).

Ellis, J. (ed.) 1993, Keeping archives, 2nd ed., Australian Society of Archivists, Sydney.

International Organization for Standardization 1998, Information and documentation - document storage requirements for archive and library materials, ISO/DIS 11799, ISO, Geneva.

Heritage Collections Council 1998, reCollections: caring for collections across Australia, HCC, Canberra.

Heritage Collections Council 2000, Be prepared: guidelines for small museums for writing a disaster preparedness plan, HCC, Canberra.

National Library of Australia 1999 Conservation materials suppliers in Australia, http://www-prod.nla.gov.au/chg/supplies.html (May 2001)

Conservation online 2001, Conservation DistList Archives, http://palimpsest.Stanford.edu/byform/mailing-lists/cdl/ (May 2001)

Australian museums & galleries online 199?, Conservation resources, http://www.amol.org.au/craft/conservation/conservation_index.asp (May 2001)

Northern Territory Archives Service 2000, Preservation, http://www.nt.gov.au/nta/9_preservation/preservation.htm (May 2001)

State Library of New South Wales 2000, Conservation access: profit from our know-how, http://awairs.slnsw.gov.au/conserv/conserv.htm (May 2001)

Lyall, J 1993, Disaster planning for libraries and archives: understanding the essential issues, http://www.nla.gov.au/nla/staffpaper/lyall1.html (May 2001)

Sierra Madre Public Library 2000, Archival preservation, access and co-ownership project, http://www.sierramadre.lib.ca.us/archives/archives.html (May 2001)

University of North Carolina, School of Information and Library Science 2001, Archival and conservation resources, http://ils.unc.edu/archives/ (May 2001)

State Library of Victoria 1998, Heritage conservation, historic preservation, http://home.vicnet.net.au/~conserv/hp-hc.htm (May 2001)

John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library 1998, Electronic Research Archive, http://espace.library.curtin.edu.au/R?func=search&local_base=ERA01JCPML (June 2001)