At its most basic, looking after archives is about ensuring they are safe and protected from extreme temperatures and humidity, wherever and whatever they are. Expected levels of care for different types of material are set out in the guidance for Archive Service Accreditation.
Find out more about caring for archives in the following documents:
Archive Principles and Practice (PDF, 0.51 MB)
Protecting archives and manuscripts against disasters (PDF, 0.05 MB)
Guidance for managing mixed collections
Many archivists have responsibility for managing other collections alongside archives and current records. These might include costumes, awards, objects, artworks and non-traditional media. Each of these items needs different management strategies, potentially different storage requirements and access needs.
To support archivists in caring for these collections, we have commissioned guidance that brings together sector standards and advice for archives and museums.
Download the guidance: Managing mixed collections guidance (PDF, 3 MB)
Other sources of advice
- If you have valuable items in need of care and repair, our Collection Care department has produced guidance: Where should I go for advice on conservation? (PDF, 0.04 MB)
- Collections Trust provides practical advice on everything to do with collections in museums, archives, libraries and galleries
- Read our frequently asked questions about digital preservation
- The Library of Congress provides information on collections care and personal archiving
- The British Library Preservation Advisory Centre supports the preservation of library and archive collections of all types
- The National Security Service gives free advice to cultural venues about standards of security for loans and exhibitions. The priority is to establish that venues which wish to make use of the Government’s Indemnity Scheme are able to meet appropriate security standards