Archivist at CLPL gives tips on how to preserve artifacts
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Most libraries house more than just books. Tucked away in special areas are photos and other artifacts.
Mona Vance-Ali is in charge of taking care of those artifacts and other special materials at the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library.
She shared information about the collections and what goes into preserving them.
She also gave some tips about what you can do to preserve your own artifacts at home.
She advised making digital copies of photos keeping the originals stored away from light and limiting how much you handle them.
Making copies is also a good idea for papers, which sometimes tend to deteriorate quickly.
And there are some things you shouldn’t do.
“So, there’s some big no-no’s. No paper clips, no glue, no rubber bands, no staples. These are things that can actually harm the documents that you’re putting them on over time. So, we really try to keep those to a minimum or take them completely out,” said Vance-Ali.
Vance-Ali also advised against folding or rolling paper products. Folding causes a weak point at the fold.
She also suggested using gloves when working with older photos, because oils from your skin can harm the pictures.
