At PRONI we have a large staff and a purpose-built premises to ensure the long-term preservation of the Public Record. There are, however, simple steps you can take at home to improve the storage and condition of your family documents.
Using your records
- When you are looking at your records, make sure that you have a flat, clear area large enough to set the records in.
- Hands should be clean and dry; gloves are not necessary for paper records but if you have nitrile gloves then these are beneficial for photographs. Take care with nail varnish as it can mark paper and parchment.
- Be careful opening folded letters/maps etc. forcing anything which does not open readily can cause significant damage.
Organising your records
- It is helpful to have a record of what you have and where it is. This will reduce handling and not disturb the records unnecessarily.
- Discuss the history of the records with family/friends to find out who wrote the letters/diaries and who are in the photographs. This is valuable information which can easily be forgotten or lost, so document it and keep it on a separate piece of paper next to the documents.
Housing
- Try and lower acidity in the environment surround your documents. Brown envelopes, newspaper clippings and telegrams are frequently acidic but anything which is causing the paper next to it discolour should be rehoused.
- Put a sheet of acid-free (or lignin-free) paper which can be found at most stationery or art shops between these items and the rest of the documents as a buffer.
- Simple enclosures can be made at home with acid-free or lignin-free paper
- Other types of enclosures include acid-free envelopes, four-flap enclosures and folders. They can also be purchased from conservation suppliers such as; Klug Conservation, Conservation Resources, Preservation Equipment ltd. and Conservation by Design among others.
- Photographs are particularly sensitive and would benefit from enclosures which have undergone the Photographic Activity Test (PAT) such as silversafe.
Repairing documents
- Please do not use a pressure sensitive tape (i.e. sellotape or magic tape) to repair your documents. They will not last as long as you want your records to and will cause damage in the process.
- If the document is in several pieces then keep them together in an envelope so parts of it are not lost.
- Contact a conservator for advice and a quote if you would like work carried out to stabilize the record. Conservators can be found on the websites of Institute of Conservators, UK and Institute of Conservator-Restorers, Ireland.
Practice improvements to storage conditions
- Find a sturdy box, preferably not acidic (or lined with acid-free paper), which is large enough to store your collections comfortably. Make sure it has a lid to stop dust from getting in.
- Store it somewhere in the house where the temperature is fairly constant and temperate. Avoid storing them next to radiators, anywhere that gets direct sunlight or a place where the temperature changes significantly between summer and winter.
- Make sure they are not stored on the floor.
- Check for leaks, damp, mould and insect infestation before storing your documents.