
PROTECTING YOUR TREASURES
In accordance with our sincere belief that protecting your personal treasures is a critically important project whether done by you, by us or by someone else, the following links and information are being provided to you from the most qualified and unbiased authority we know: The Library of Congress. They are without a doubt some of the best in the world at preserving an important history, and we encourage you to read the descriptions and follow the links that are most relevant to your personal situation. There are no "counters" on these links and no one is compensated in any way; it is simply our way of offering you the very best information on helping you to preserve your personal history items.
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Library of Congress - Preservation Directorate
Collections Care
Care, Handling and Storage of Photographs
Care, Handling, and Storage of Works on Paper
Care, Handling, and Storage of Books
Preservation Measures for Scrapbooks and Albums
Preservation Measures for Newspapers
Newspapers from the mid-19th century onwards are printed on inexpensive, machine-made, wood pulp paper that is not manufactured for longevity. Due to the inherent chemical instabilities of such low-quality wood pulp papers, these newspapers are inherently acidic. Good storage is especially critical to the preservation of acidic papers.
Care, Handling, and Storage of Comic Books
Comic books are modern publications, the earliest of which are from the 19th century industrial era when machine-made, wood pulp paper had already become the dominant paper product. Due to the inherent chemical instabilities of wood pulp papers and the late development of U.S. paper standards (in the 1980s), many comic book collections contain acidic books. Good storage is especially critical to the preservation of acidic paper materials.
Care, Handling, and Storage of Audio Visual Materials
Grooved discs and cylinders, optical discs, and magnetic tape are made of modern materials that may have inherent chemical instabilities. Good storage is especially critical to the preservation of these materials.
Care, Handling, and Storage of Motion Picture Film
Motion picture films and especially the silver particles or color dyes that constitute the image are highly sensitive to inappropriate environmental conditions; good storage is arguably the best preservation measure one can take.
Care, Handling and Storage of Asian Style Bindings
How to Preserve Your Own Digital Materials
Digital Preservation
The goal of the National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program was to implement a national strategy to collect, preserve and make available significant digital content, especially information that is created in digital form only, for current and future generations. Congress directed the Library to undertake NDIIPP in 2000.