Cassie,
 
I would second Stephen's advice - that is, don't do it.  Or at least
don't bury it!  I advise people wanting to do a time capsule to gather
the items, store them in good quality enclosures, then place them in
some sort of locked enclosure inside the building, in an area with
decent environmental conditions.  To make it more special, perhaps the
key to the enclosure could be passed from Dean to Dean over the next
century, until it's time to open it.  I know it's cool to find buried
treasure, but I've been involved in several time capsule openings where
the contents were little more than dust or mush.  And the people
involved are always so heartbroken, it's really sad to see.  It's
especially sad because the items would probably have been just fine if
they had placed the box somewhere inside the building.      
 
But most people still want to bury it, or something like. If so, here
are some websites with good information on time capsules:
Time Capsules from the Canadian Conservation Institute,
http://www.cci-icc.gc.ca/about-cci/cci-in-action/view-document_e.aspx?Do
cument_ID=141&ref=c
<http://www.cci-icc.gc.ca/about-cci/cci-in-action/view-document_e.aspx?D
ocument_ID=141&ref=c> 

Time Capsules Old and New from the South Carolina Department of Archives
and History, http://www.state.sc.us/scdah/tklflt28.pdf
<http://www.state.sc.us/scdah/tklflt28.pdf> 

Building a Time Capsule from the Minnesota Historical Society,
http://www.mnhs.org/preserve/conservation/reports/timecapsule.pdf
<http://www.mnhs.org/preserve/conservation/reports/timecapsule.pdf> 

Time Capsules from the Smithsonian Center for Materials Research and
Education, http://www.si.edu/scmre/takingcare/timecaps.htm
<http://www.si.edu/scmre/takingcare/timecaps.htm> 

So You Want to Do a Time Capsule from the Iowa Conservation and
Preservation Consortium,
http://web.grinnell.edu/individuals/stuhrr/icpc/timecapsules.html
<http://web.grinnell.edu/individuals/stuhrr/icpc/timecapsules.html> 

The International Time Capsule Society,
http://www.oglethorpe.edu/about_us/crypt_of_civilization/international_t
ime_capsule_society.asp
<http://www.oglethorpe.edu/about_us/crypt_of_civilization/international_
time_capsule_society.asp> 

Good luck!

Sandy Hempe 
Conservator 
Missouri State Archives/Local Records Program 
600 West Main St., Jefferson City, MO  65101 
(573) 526-3970 


________________________________

From: Archives & Archivists [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Robinson, Cassie
Sent: Tuesday, May 09, 2006 5:34 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Time Capsules


The small college at which I am employed is creating a time capsule to
be opened in 2106. A member of the time capsule committee asked if I had
any recommendations about an "archival standard" for the project. Does
anyone have any insight about this?
 
Thank you in advance,
 
Cassie Robinson
 

_________________________________________ 
Cassie M. Robinson 
Liston B. Ramsey Center for Regional Studies 
Mars Hill College 
Box 6706 
Mars Hill, NC 28754 
(828) 689-1262 voice 
(828) 689-1570 fax 
[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> 
<http://www.mhc.edu/regional> 

	 


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