Housing Solutions

For more routine procedures, supplies, methods, consult the table of contents for Level II and III processing in this manual.

EXAMPLES

Coming up with storage solutions that align with basic preservation measures can be challenging. Having a compilation of samples can be a big help in assessing how to proceed. This manual uses specific items in Houghton's collections to illustrate solutions to difficult housing problems. Throughout the Manual, there are also slide presentations, videos, links, and verbal explanation that provide training on various routine procedures. Preservation and End-processing collaborate on many things. The End-processing manual serves as a repository for some overlapping activities, such as rolled storage. This can be helpful to anyone looking for an example of a particular type of material or housing for a lecture or seminar.

These are examples of custom solutions over the years.

AUDIOCASSETTE PRESENTATION (Vidal)
BOOK SHOE
BOXED VOLUMES
COPPER (or zinc) PLATES
CURLED PAPER STRIPS stored in MYLAR
FITTED OUT prefab
FLAG
GALLEY PROOFS
UPRIGHT SOLUTIONS
FLAT SOLUTIONS
PALM LEAVES : string
RE-HOUSING PROJECTS : labeling recommendations
SLIDES
WEIGHTS for BOXES (see PHONOGRAPH RECORD ALBUM too tall for box sent to HD - we don't do that anymore!)

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BOOK SHOE for single volume or large record album

MS Hyde 51 is shelved in a display case in the Hyde room. To allow it's attractive spine to be viewed, it was put into a book shoe rather than a box. These can be made simply in-house with 2 sheets of slightly thick folder stock folded around the volume in both directions, and then held together with double-sided tape. These can also be used for single items or volumes from a collection that need protection but have to be shelved quickly, such as during Container Management, when re-housing an oversized phonograph album from an older collection. Using the folder stock rather than archival corrugated board also allows it to fit back on its tightly filled shelve.

BOXED VOLUME COLLECTIONS

Wide (7") flip-top document box can sometimes accommodate both volumes and archival folders.  MS Thr 1816 (prompt books) or any small volume collections of fairly uniform size can fit nicely sideways in a regular or wide document box. This example has sturdy inner folders with tabs, made from thin archival corrugated board (the same as the spacers that are used with this type of box, because they crease easily). These were made in-house by the end processor. There was room in this box for a legal sized folder along the right wall of the box and a corrugated spacer on the left. The inner enclosure in the front (also custom made by end processor) houses more fragile booklets. MS Thr 473 (prompt books) was mostly very thin, fragile pamphlet-like items, many of which fit into custom cut (by end processor using guillotine) archival file folders rather than corrugated board folders. There is no picture. These are at HD.

UPRIGHT SOLUTIONS

Papers, pamphlets, book (or artifact in inner box or sling) all in a single carton.


Spacers made from rolled and tied scraps of corrugated board and polyurethane


A carton filled up tight enough that the large volumes in rear don't slide during transport. Ideally, the volumes at the back would be placed in sturdier folders for added protection during transport to and from HD. Stiff dividers made of archival corrugated board could be placed between the folders containing the volumes if desired or needed.


FLAT SOLUTIONS
Copper (or zinc) plates

A collection of heavy zinc plates, each in a single prefab to be labeled individually (see also copper on wood blocks in II. End Processor's Guidelines...)


MS Typ 1343, a different collection of copper plates and proofs associated with William Blake to facilitate teaching. The end processor divided them into sizes, to fit in 3 cmi boxes that each held only a few plates, so that weight wouldn't be an issue. As it would have if all the plates were housed in a single box. Each box was the same size (the size of the prefabs) so they could be stacked on top of each other so as not to take up space on the shelf.

SLIDES

There are several housing options for slides:

  1. One slide: Single slide sleeve for slides shelved upright with other slides in slide boxes
    1. can also choose to leave large collection of slides sleeveless
  2. One slide : Single pocket of a photosleeve made for slides, shelved upright with collection of papers.
    1. single slide can also be loose inside a folder, sleeved or unsleeved
  3. Several slides : in photosleeves made for slides, shelved upright or flat
  4. Large slide collection : can go into archival boxes made for slides
    1. one or more small/inner slide boxes inside an outer box