Handling old letters and documents

Careful handling is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to make old letters, certificates and other family papers last. When a problem can't be solved safely with good handling and storage, that's the time for a conservator.

Before you start

• Clear a clean table firstHave a clean, clear space ready before you take the papers out.
• Keep food, drinks and smoke awayDon't eat, drink or smoke around originals.
• Wash your hands, and skip the lotionClean, dry hands won't stain paper, and lotion can. Gloves aren't needed for paper and make delicate sheets harder to handle.
• Wear gloves for photographsFingerprints can leave permanent marks on photographs and negatives.

What to keep off them

• Rubber bandsThey discolor and stick to what they hold.
• Tape, rubber cement and white glueThey stain, discolor and are hard to remove later.
• Paper clips and staples that aren't stainless steelLike other poor fasteners, they can damage and discolor the paper over time.
• Dog-eared cornersDon't fold corners down to mark a place.
• InkWrite any notes in pencil, on a clean, hard surface so the writing doesn't press through to the other side.

Keeping them together

• Use folders that fitBig enough for each paper to lie flat without folding, made of lignin-free and acid-free or buffered stock.
• Sleeve the fragile onesPut a brittle, torn or often-handled sheet in its own polyester sleeve, larger than the paper, with one item per sleeve so it can be read without coming out. Don't put sleeves inside books, where their edges can tear the pages.
• Keep acidic papers apartStore very acidic paper, such as old newsprint, on its own so the acid doesn't move into other papers.

When to call a conservator

• Papers stuck togetherDon't pull them apart.
• Rolled papers that won't unrollIf unrolling would tear it, stop.
• Mold, or papers in many piecesWet or insect-infested papers need quick action. For most other damage, there's time to decide whether to have it treated or to store it as it is.
• A book with a damaged bindingRebinding it is a job for a conservator.