I'm not too keen on the idea of just putting copies of things into time capsules. Often, the contents are boring enough. But, it's true that, if the group doesn't concern themselves with the longevity of the container they use, they should be discouraged from including irreplaceable objects and documents inside. Just my two cents. I'm not sure if there is a 'time capsule standard'. I've been in the 'time capsule business' for 20 years now (still not rich but it pays for itself). Just before the millennium craze, we had some stainless steel screw-on containers made (2 sizes - 6"d x 24" ht & 5.25"x22" ht) and currently (at least until Memorial Day) they are on sale and quite affordable for the smaller group. We also have over the years developed several styles of custom (hand) made stainless steel boxes that can be made to fit any cornerstone size or similar placement. Each seems to have its own purpose: the Bolted style we make has a special design (blind bolts), can be buried, and can be closed easily by the group; the simple Capped style closes by way of a silicone sealant, can be closed easily enough by the group, but makes for a better cornerstone or indoor placement than a buried one; then we have 2 Preservation style time capsules that we weld lids onto - one a 'full' preservation style that we actually go through the customers' contents and place sleeves and acid free buffered enclosures on & archival boxes, tissue, etc are used (any deacidifying is extra) -- the other is a minimum preservation in which the customer takes care of enclosures (or decides they don't need them!)-- for both of these, we use Agelss Z oxygen absorbers and some silica gel (RP3K, RP5K, and argon purge are available for add'l charge) before we weld it closed. The latter styles are the messiest (group needs to send us their items) but the best for burial. Please see details at our website, www.futurepkg.com. The Memorial Day sale is good through 31 May, at www.futurepkg.com/shop. Here also is a call for photos, if you have them, of your time capsule celebration & placement. This is for a future book I'm writing about larger group time capsules to share some of my own experiences. It'd be nice to have others' experiences, too, so that it's not just a 'sales' oriented book. So many people who call me have never done a time capsule before. Rather than a scholarly book (such as Jarvis' book), I plan it to be more of a Manual that gives people choices of what to do, at length. Currently I'm working on a book for Family Time Capsules. Thank you, Janet E. Reinhold Author, _Your Baby Treasures Time Capsule: How to Preserve Lasting Memories of Baby's First Year_ (ISBN 9781891406362, Future West Publishing, 2005) Future Packaging & Preservation 1580 W San Bernardino Rd, Ste C Covina CA 91722 www.futurepkg.com 1.626.966.1955 1.800.786.6627 (US) A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List sponsored by the Society of American Archivists, www.archivists.org. For the terms of participation, please refer to http://www.archivists.org/listservs/arch_listserv_terms.asp. To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to [log in to unmask] In body of message: SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname *or*: UNSUB ARCHIVES To post a message, send e-mail to [log in to unmask] Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html Problems? Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <[log in to unmask]>