What do your family’s archives consist of?
A family’s archives can exist in various media:
Paper items such as letters & envelopes, diaries, plans, manuscripts
Photographs
Posters
Film and Slides
Glass plate negatives
Scrapbooks
Awards and certificates
Oral histories
What condition is your collection in?
After discovering what you have, consider:
Does it need cleaning?
Where do you store your collection?
How long do you intend the collection to last?
Access - who uses the collection now? Who will use it in the future?
Handling- how do you use your items?
Simple treatments such as hanging laser copies of photographs instead of originals, placing photographs and certificates into card albums with corners rather than using sticky albums, glue, tape or staples, will ensure that treasured photographs will last.
Dusting books and pages ensure that dust is not collecting and enabling mould growth.
The best storage for paper items is in a dark cupboard with adequate airflow on an inside wall (preferably not south facing).
Remember to check items and storage areas once or twice a year, noting any faults and cleaning as required.