Dear Penny Pinching Librarian: 

 

Plastics are pretty easy to check for stability.

1.	Thoroughly clean (dishwasher detergent and very hot water) a
glass (pickle or olive or ??) jar with a lid.  
2.	Rinse 3 times in very hot water. 
3.	Air dry.
4.	Put some of the suspect plastic in the jar, close lid and set
the jar where it will receive full sun. 
5.	After a few days (depends on weather, altitude, etc.), a film
may form on the inside of the jar. A film means that the plastic is
unstable and therefore unacceptable.

OR

Remove the cap and take a sniff. If it smells like the interior of a new
car, it is unstable and therefore unacceptable. 

 

Unless the photos will be stored in an area susceptible/prone to water
damage, I would not seal them in any plastic container. If deterioration
byproducts can't escape, they become more concentrated and actually
increase the rate of deterioration, so I hesitate to recommend plastic
containers even if the container itself is inert. 

 

I suggest leaving the photos in their current paper wrappers, maybe
increasing airflow with a fan and taking a good look at the storage area
every week. 

 

Michael McColgin

Conservation Officer

Arizona State Archives

 

 

 

 

 

________________________________

From: Archives & Archivists [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Bishop O'Rourke Library
Sent: Wednesday, May 31, 2006 10:40 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Storing old photos

 

We are in the process of digitizing some old photos so we can use the
digital versions and keep the originals stored away.  In the past, the
pictures suffered some water damage, so one of our staff members
proposed moving the originals to rubbermaid containers.  I recall
hearing that some forms of plastic will damage photographs over time, so
I wonder is rubbermaid safe?  The pictures will be in acid-free paper
sleeves and would otherwise be in archival boxes.  Cost is a concern,
and humidity control where the photos are housed for the next few years
may not be very good (we are in a very cramped space as a new facility
is being built).

Thanks for any advice you can give to this pinch-hitting librarian.

 

Melissa Martinez
Librarian, Bishop O'Rourke Library
St. John's Catholic Newman Center 
Phone: (217) 255-6610
Email: [log in to unmask]   

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