Presenting a Program about Preserving Family History Materials

Bonnie Parr, Historical Documents Conservator, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum

“How can I display my old photographs?”
“I have a newspaper with a headline from World War II. How do I preserve it?”
“I have a quilt my great-grandmother made – how do I care for it?”

These are frequent questions asked by library visitors keen to preserve their family history. The preservation of artifacts also is a topic of great interest to organizations that have local history collections.  Providing advice in response to preservation-related inquiries is part of my job as Historical Documents Conservator at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. On occasion, I have been asked to speak to local historical societies, libraries, and other interested groups about preserving old documents, books, and photographs.

In this article, I want to share my experience in developing an in-person program for preserving family history materials. My focus is on paper-based items – documents, books, and photographs.  

Should a request for a program include preservation of other types of materials, I have sought out colleagues in nearby institutions or online with specialized knowledge of those materials (e.g., textiles, furniture) to ask if they can help with the program (either by co-presenting or providing information that can be incorporated into the program’s script).  

My program covers basic preservation guidelines in three areas – proper environment, proper storage, and proper handling. Each area is a synthesis of information gleaned from preservation guidelines offered by reputable sources, such as the American Institute for Conservation, the Library of Congress Preservation Directorate, the National Archives, the National Park Service, and the Northeast Documents Conservation Center. One of my handouts for program attendees lists online preservation information sources. In preparation for public programs, it is necessary to check these online resources for the latest updates in preservation information, website addresses, and navigation to relevant information pages.

I consider providing a proper environment to be the most important aspect of preserving historical materials. I start with that topic in my talks – explaining how organic materials are affected by dirt and air pollutants, high temperature, high and low humidity, and light exposure. I then give tips on how to improve the environment and factors to consider in storage and display areas. These tips emphasize no- to low-cost actions – the idea being that these are positive, effective steps individuals and organizations can do for preserving their historical materials.

For proper storage, I define terms used in relation to archival storage materials – “archival quality”, “acid free”, “buffered”, “unbuffered”, “pH”, “P.A.T.”, and “PVC”. I then discuss advantages and disadvantages of paper and plastic storage products. As this section of my talk can be a bit dry, I hand out examples of enclosures while I talk about their uses. Participants really enjoy trying out the pH pen on samples of acidic and acid free folders!  

In the past, I have given participants a handout listing well-known suppliers of preservation storage products – with a disclaimer that the list does not constitute an endorsement by my institution of the businesses named or of the services and products they offer.  If there are restrictions on recommending specific vendors, a way for participants to find sources of supplies is to suggest looking for references in preservation literature and websites.     

For proper handling, I emphasize the importance of handling with deliberate care and providing appropriate support. This is a section where I have used demonstrations and visual examples to illustrate good and bad handling practices (using sacrificial documents and books, of course).  I talk about the latest thinking on use of gloves vs. freshly-washed hands, using support for items when moving or handling them, why tape is not recommended for repairs, and tips for the handling and storage of documents, books, and photographs.

I conclude my talk with how to find sources for further preservation advice. Then, I allow time for questions. This is my favorite part of the program as I get to break from the formality of the talk, interact with members of the audience about their specific preservation concerns, and receive feedback about my program. Also, I love the challenge of whether I can supply answers to the questions!  If I can’t answer in the moment, I give participants my contact information to talk to me later when I have time to do some research on the questions.

This is the handout I give to program attendees about the preservation information and tips covered in my program.

View additional articles in the Preservation Outreach and Engagement Series!