amyco Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 I have a box of really old (some over 100 years) family documents that I need to transcribe, scan, and get into some kind of protective sleeves or something. (And then find a good German translator, but that's another story!) The ink is fading quickly on these, and being folded up in a box in a drawer is not helping them. Can I just go to a scrapbooking store? Will they have archival quality sleeves? I probably need 8.5x11 in. Can I put the documents back to back in the same sleeve or does each paper need its own sleeve? Any other recommendations for preserving this stuff? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garddwr Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 No advice, just posting to give you a bump. It's neat that you have the documents in the first place and I hope you find a good way to preserve them and make them available for future generations. --Sarah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Geek Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 I think you would have better luck at a camera shop like Ritz or Wolf. Short of that look for that online for pictures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 (edited) Archivist here. The historical library at which I worked used mostly Gaylord products (that should link you right to the document storage page). Most of our document collections were housed in acid-free file folders, ten sheets to a folder, sometimes interleaved with acid-free paper, though you can buy inserts as well (the point here being that ideally you do not want the pages interacting with each other, so no housing them in a single sleeve). The folders were then stored in an archival document case, using an appropriately sized spacer so that they didn't bend. Envelopes or sleeves were often used when we didn't want patrons handling paper, especially a half-folded sheet that some would be tempted to refold if it weren't sleeved. There really isn't a reason to sleeve if they'll be scanned and then stored unless you're planning to pull them out and show people frequently. If you just like the look of it, it's fine to do IF you are using guaranteed archival quality sleeves. I've seen some really awful things happen to documents in the wrong kind of plastic, so do be careful if you go to a scrapbook store (and no, I personally would not ever go to a scrapbook store for archival quality materials; scrapbooks make me uneasy in general since part of my internship in a conservation lab involved disassembling and archivally restoring old scrapbooks). At any rate, if you can't buy housing materials or scan right away, you should at the very least get them unfolded and lying flat. You also ideally want them stored in a temperature controlled environment, not the attic or garage. ETA you also want to make sure to remove any fasteners that may have been added like staples, paper clips or rubber bands. If you must fasten together papers, we used these. Hope that helps! Edited July 8, 2012 by kebg11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyontheFarm Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 No matter how you store them - using archival methods. Take the time to scan them now. Some old photos will continue to fade but with them scanned you will be able to see the difference 10 years from now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyco Posted July 8, 2012 Author Share Posted July 8, 2012 Thanks Sarah! Somehow I have become the family archivist...people keep giving me papers and photos! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyco Posted July 8, 2012 Author Share Posted July 8, 2012 Archivist here. The historical library at which I worked used mostly Gaylord products (that should link you right to the document storage page). At any rate, if you can't buy housing materials or scan right away, you should at the very least get them unfolded and lying flat. You also ideally want them stored in a temperature controlled environment, not the attic or garage. ETA you also want to make sure to remove any fasteners that may have been added like staples, paper clips or rubber bands. If you must fasten together papers, we used these. Hope that helps! Thanks Kathryn! Definitely helpful! I think your suggestion of folders with acid-free paper in between the pages will be a more affordable option in the long run. That website looks great. I won't be using these documents frequently at all, especially once they are scanned, so I guess there is no need to get them into sleeves; folders will suffice. And can I say I am jealous of your training? I think being a real archivist would be my dream job...now I am off to scan and unfold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted July 8, 2012 Share Posted July 8, 2012 I recently scanned in about 20 of my grandmother's letters dating from 1944-1955. She wrote in pencil! I was impressed how great they turned out! I was able to play with the color, etc. and we are able to read them all. I digiscrap and used Photoshop to turn them into a beautiful album for my dad. The originals we're keeping flat in a box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyco Posted July 8, 2012 Author Share Posted July 8, 2012 I definitely agree it all needs to be scanned soon. It's kind of daunting though--when I wrote the post I was just thinking of one specific set of papers, then I realized I do have several rather large boxes of old photos that belonged to my grandparents. And a few scrapbooks and other miscellany. It's going to be a test of my organizational skills, for sure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyco Posted July 8, 2012 Author Share Posted July 8, 2012 Did you scan the letters into Photoshop, then? I admit, I am not sure where to save our documents to on the computer. And also...what a beautiful gift!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 You're welcome! Yes, it was my dream job and one I'll be happy to return to after a couple of decades off. I was a processing archivist, so my job was to go through collections (ranging in size from one document to hundreds of linear feet), arrange in meaningful, hierarchical order, preserve/conserve, and describe both narratively and for the catalog and finding aids. I absolutely loved my job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 Did you scan the letters into Photoshop, then? I admit, I am not sure where to save our documents to on the computer. And also...what a beautiful gift!! Thank you! It did turn out amazing! I did the same backgrounds for the pages of the same letter, with similar elements so it was easy to differentiate. My grandmother died when my dad was 9, so it's bittersweet for him. I scanned the letters into my PC then uploaded to Photoshop. I do believe there is a way to scan directly to PS, but I'm not certain how to do that. I tend to go with what's easiest for me, rather than spending the time to learn something different. I do have the scans backed up on disc. HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2abcd Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 Here's another source: http://www.universityproducts.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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