Although I dislike plastic clips, I do find that using acid-free paper as separators is a very expensive practice. I have a hard enough time keeping my copy machine supplied with acid-free paper let alone use these sheets as dividers. Personally speaking, I could go through loads of these sheets just as dividers alone. So, I do use plastic clips here and there to help keep costs down. I also have another question. Is it absolutely necessary to buy the most expensive line of acid-free paper (which can be found in our archival supply catalogs) instead of using the paper that our institution buys in bulk (which are labeled acid-free)??? I have been meaning to put this question out there for some time...I guess now is as good a time as any. Thanks for your thoughts in advance. Nancy Iannucci Emma Willard School Archives [log in to unmask] ________________________________ From: Archives & Archivists on behalf of Wood, Thomas J Sent: Wed 8/23/2006 5:52 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Archival fasteners Yes, plastic paper clips are terrible -- they damage the paper and fly off at the slightest touch. For (recent, not antiquarian) documents of only a few pages, stainless steel staples are fine. Sheets of acid free paper folded in half keeps more fragile or valuable documents stored in a folder together. Longer documents deserve their own folders. Thomas J. Wood Archivist Archives/Special Collections LIB 144 University of Illinois at Springfield One University Plaza, MS BRK 140 Springfield IL 62703-5407 217-206-6520 | [log in to unmask] | <http://www.uis.edu/archives/> 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]> 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]>