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Flag clippings and other fragile/unstable items for preservation photocopying with white paper flags. Always feel free to consult the Conservator with questions about how to handle fragile paper.
Fragile/unstable materials that should be flagged include:
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- acidic documents and letters
- telegrams
- thermal fax paper
- newspapers
- clippings"sticky" notes (e.g., Post-Its)
Write instructions or notes onto the flag if desired. Use a plastic clip to clip the white flag to the pages that need photocopying: please fold the bottom of the flag around the paper so it protects the fragile paper from both sides of the clip.
Once flagged, unstable documents will be photocopied (preferably by students) onto acid-free paper to preserve the content. The photocopy may be reduced or enlarged in size if desirable. If the originals are retained (we generally don't retain clippings), they will be separated from the collection during end processing and the photocopy will remain in the original folder.
Please assess the overall fragility of the paper in your collection as part of your survey. Discuss options for dealing with large amounts of fragile paper with the Conservator and your team lead.
If an entire folder or bound item needs preservation photocopying, it may be a good candidate for digitization. Discuss this with your team lead. We currently (as of 2013) don't have the capacity to digitize material at an individual (below the folder) level.
Newspaper or magazine clippings
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In general, don't keep entire magazines, unless they are older or rare. After consulting with your team lead, remove the cover, table of contents, and the article about or by the person (or organization) and discard the rest.
Sticky notes
Pages containing sticky notes present special problems. The adhesives on sticky notes damage paper over the long term, and must be removed. Many notes can be discarded (e.g., internal notes giving filing instructions, or asking that document be read or circulated), thereby avoiding the need to make a preservation photocopy. Notes containing substantive information, however, must be photocopied in place if their placement was relevant, even though text may be obscured (e.g., editing specific lines or portions), or moved to a part of the document where no text is obscured (e.g., a general comment about the overall document) before copying.
Photographs
Flag all photographs encountered while processing with blue paper flags, but do not use clipsto flag photos. For photographs found in folders that include non-photographic material, and a complete discussion on appraising, processing, preserving, and numbering photographs, see photographs.
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