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