Question
Under what conditions should either buffered paper or unbuffered paper materials be utilized by archives in the storage of archival materials?
Answer
Both types of paper will become acidic over time; it is merely a matter of how soon this acquired acidity develops. Unbuffered paper does not contain any alkaline buffer and has a pH at the time of the paper’s creation of 7 to 7.5. Buffered paper (paper containing an alkaline buffering agent to protect against the spread of acidic compounds) was developed to prolong the chemical stability of paper materials used in the storing of archival materials, by causing any migrating acids to become inert. The alkaline substances most often contained within buffered paper are calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate, maintaining an approximate pH of 8.5. In order for buffered paper to stay “. . . acid-free for long periods of time (e.g., 500 years) should have approximately 3 percent precipitated carbonate by weight of paper.”
For many years, it was recommended for an archives to use unbuffered paper when there was uncertainty as to if buffered paper would have a damaging effect on archival materials. In recent years, this issue has come to be less as important as is the quality of the paper: if the paper becomes acidic quickly, it does not matter whether it is buffered or not. Buffered paper products are acceptable for use with most books, paper documents, cellulose nitrate and acetate negatives, artistic prints and drawings (except those with pastel and charcoal, or that have been tinted), black-and-white motion picture film, and plant-derived materials.
Personally, I rather the unbuffered, simply because it is better to have as few chemical additives as possible in contact with archival materials. Plus, we do not know yet if down the road buffering elements will be found to have an unaccounted-for effect on archival materials. Granted, the buffering agents are carbonates, but still, a number of archival preservation materials once believed safe have turned out over time to have actually caused damage to historic records. It is also important to note that as far as research into the chemical effects of materials on historic materials within an archival setting, little sustained scholarship or research has been conducted. Archivists need to build strong relationships with chemists in university settings, because there is more to archival preservation than Mylar sheets, Filmoplast mending tape, and book-spine repair.
I once-upon-a-time asked in college for a course on Chemical Interactions of Historical Materials for Archivists, but was thought this was too broad and unnecessary. One of an archivist's most basic responsibilities is to understand how a large variety of materials upon which historical information and records are recorded breaks down with time, in different storage conditions, and with contact to common household chemicals. I was fortunate to have had a total of two years between high school and college in chemistry, and had a major interest in minerals and magnetism growing up (all good things for understanding film and photo preservation). Yet, many of the average library science, public history, and archival studies programs fall short of offering this very important training. If you talk with many students about the differences between buffered and unbuffered papers, or the difference between silver halide cellulose nitrate film, few will be able to offer a coherent explanation of the differences. Even so, a number of fellow young archivists I've spoken with over the past three years have expressed enormous interest in taking a class as I suggested, or even taking conservation courses (though these are often emphasized for museum studies students and professionals). I find it ironic that as more records are being born digitially, archival educators advise students to take technology and computer courses.
Yet, when a 1785 map is disintegrating because of moisture damage, archivists pick up the phone most often to call first for finances to get the item "preserved and stabilized," then to have a conservator come in and charge a large fee to advise you on the best steps for the maps stabilization. After consulting with several conservators over the past few years, I've learned that many of the tasks conducted within archives by conservators could indeed be done by archivists (as I did with a set of historic railroad blueprints that I was told were "impossible to flatten and scan"), if a little effort, creativity, and research were conducted. Yes, archivists need to be tech smart, but science smart is equally--if not more so--a vital element of archival preservation. There's more to historic records than information: there's science.
If any of you have been following the news, you may have heard of the final rediscovery/acquisition of a famous, mostly unheard for decades collection of homemade jazz recordings by the pioneer of the 33 1/3 rpm record, William Savory (http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/a_trove_of_historic_jazz_recordings_has_found_a_home_in_harlem_but_you_cant/). The enormity of the records collection that has been stored for years is truly astounding. However, the records--some of which are recorded on various types of metal disks--are becoming unplayable. Obviously, the answer is digitization before the music is lost, but first of all, the records have to be cleaned and repaired where possible. In order to do this, the National Jazz Museum in Harlem has hired an old record industry pro who has extensive knowledge about the various materials used in the creation of various types of record discs/platters. He is slowly cleaning with specific materials each record, then seeing if it can be heard still or the music saved at all, and then it is digitized. I wonder how many young archivists today would have the chemical understanding to know the differences between all the different materials used in the creation of records. My grandfather records his own bluegrass albums in his basement, and I own some of them--I still can't tell you many of the chemical processes used in or the chemical deterioration of various types of records over time. Archivists, let us take steps to gain a base of knowledge on which to build, rather than trying to build the tower with plastic foundation bricks.
Resource for Further Study
“Storage Enclosures for Books and Artifacts on Paper.” Storage and Handling 4.4 leaflet. Northeast Document Conservation Center Preservation Leaflet series. Viewed on February 11, 2009, at http://www.nedcc.org/resources/leaflets/4Storage_and_Handling/
04StorageEnclosures.php.
The Northeast Document Conservation Center’s Preservation Leaflet series provides practical, professional information for the preservation of historic paper and photograph materials. Leaflet 4.4 deals with the chemical stability of and durability of paper and plastic storage materials used for preservation storage of historic materials. It is a very good, brief resource to explain the complicated issue of the acidity of paper materials.
Albright, Gary, and Monique Fischer. “Care of Photographs.” Photographs 5.3 leaflet. Northeast Document Conservation Center Preservation Leaflet series. Viewed on February 11, 2009, at http://www.nedcc.org/resources/leaflets/5Photographs/03CareOfPhotos.php.
The Northeast Document Conservation Center’s Preservation Leaflet series provides practical, professional information for the preservation of historic paper and photograph materials. Leaflet 5.3 addresses controlling of the storage conditions for historic photographs, which also includes the enclosures (either paper or plastic) used for their storage. The portion of this leaflet relevant to unbuffered and buffered paper materials comes in the description of the types of paper enclosures available for photographs.
“Buffered And Unbuffered Storage Materials.” Conserve O Gram (National Park Service) 4.9(July 1995). Viewed on February 11, 2009, at http://www.nps.gov/history/museum/publications/conserveogram/04-09.pdf.
This NPS newsletter article provides a brief but detailed summation of the unbuffered and buffered paper situation. The best part of this article is that it comes with a chart of archival materials (and columns for both unbuffered and buffered paper materials) for which of the two paper materials is best for storing archival items. However, this article is from 1995 and not as up-to-date as the information provided by Northeast Document Conservation Center.
I agree that some additional training in archives-related chemistry would be helpful. But on the other hand, not every archivist needs to be (or is suited to be) essentially a conservator.
ReplyDeleteI like your sort of tongue-in-cheek comment about the "first thing" an archivist does when an item needs conservation attention is call the Finance Department to see if there are any funds. It's sad but true.