Paper

Some miscellaneous information

Copying flat paper material

Material which is accessed regularly, required for long-term display or displayed inappropriately, for example, in areas with high light levels, should be copied.

The originals can then remain safely in storage and need be accessed only in special circumstances.

Photocopying stable material such as printed documents is an option. But only one copy of the original should be taken; and any further copies should be made from the photocopy.

Photocopies should preferably be made on archival, acid-free paper.

Thermal paper faxes which need to be kept should be photocopied and the photocopies filed.

Fragile material and items which are extremely light-sensitive, for example, early pieces of paper, should not be copied in this way.

Material which is damaged or deteriorated, for example, brittle wood-pulp paper items, material with faded inks and light-sensitive material, can be reproduced; but this should be done by professionals.

Even newspapers and maps can be copied onto better-quality paper on large-format photocopiers. State libraries, galleries and museums can suggest places which offer archival copying services.

Historic evidence accompanying paper items

Many paper items may come into your collection in their original folder, in a frame or mounted on a card with inscriptions.

Often these materials accompanying the items are dirty, deteriorating and not of particularly good quality. However, they often provide you with valuable information about the items and so should not be discarded.

If these accompanying materials are in very poor condition, they should be lightly brushed clean, wrapped and clearly labelled, then stored separately from the items.