Scrapbooks and photo albums that last

Scrapbooks and albums hold many materials at once, from photos and paper to plastic, glue and keepsakes, and some of them damage the rest over time. Albums also flex every time they're opened, which can loosen what's attached to the pages. The way an album is made, handled and stored decides how long it lasts.

Making a new one

• Use acid-free, lignin-free paperFor the pages, the photo corners and anything else in direct contact with the photos.
• Use stable plastics onlySleeves and pages of polyester, polypropylene or polyethylene. Avoid PVC and unknown plastics.
• Hold photos without gluePaper or plastic photo corners, or sleeves and pockets, keep photos in place without adhesive. If you need a paste, use wheat starch paste instead of any other glue.
• Use heavy pagesPages should be thick enough to carry the weight of what goes on them.
• Leave room to growAn expandable format, such as a 3-ring binder, keeps the album from being overstuffed.
• Keep it a modest sizeDon't pack too many items on a page or too many pages in one album.

What to keep out of an album

• Self-stick magnetic albumsThe adhesive pages with a clear cover sheet damage the photos held in them.
• White glue, hot glue and rubber cementThey stain, discolor, ooze from the edges and are hard to remove later.
• Tape, staples, paper clips and rubber bandsTape degrades and rubber bands stick to photos as they age.

Looking through one

• Start with clean hands and a clean tableKeep food and drinks away.
• Don't force it open flatLet the album open only as far as it goes easily.
• Support each page as you turn itLift the whole leaf, especially a heavy one, and hold the album so the pages on both sides lie without much of a curve.

Storing it

• Lay it flat in a boxA well-fitting, preservation-quality box keeps out light, dust and pests.
• Keep it cool and fairly dryRoom temperature or below, at about 35% humidity, in a steady spot.
• Keep it out of attics and basementsAnd away from radiators, vents and anywhere that could leak.

For an old scrapbook that's already falling apart, a book, paper or photograph conservator can treat it.