For all archives (digital or non-digital) the risks are dependant on the format of the archive. Each format (e.g. paper, digital, parchment, film) is subject to different risks, but there are several risks that apply to all archives.
Definition of Preservation
Preservation is the process of protecting materials by minimizing chemical and physical deterioration and damage to minimize the loss of information and to extend the life of the material
(Society of American Archivists)
Fire
The risk posed by fire is probably the most obvious threat to archives. Choosing the right place to store archives is vital in minimising this risk.
In assessing the level of risk ask:
- Are there any potential sources of fire in or near your storage?
- How old is your electrical wiring?
- Do you have fire detection (smoke alarms) in place?
- Do you have automatic fire suppression methods in place for highly significant collections?
Alongside the risk of irreversible damage, fire also brings with it the risk of damage by water that will be used to extinguish the flames.
Removing the risk
- Never use open flames near the archives or archive storage
- Choose the right place to store your archives
- Don’t locate archive storage with or near potential sources of fire, including hazardous materials and chemicals
- Check the quality of wiring and fit master switches for electrical circuits away from storage areas
- Fit smoke detectors, ideally connected to an alarm receiving centre
- Produce and emergency plan to deal with potential water damage following a fire. Explore a partnership with a salvage company to deal with water and fire damaged archives.
- Keep your storage area clean and free from dust
- Keep archives boxed in quality boxes
Water
Water, even at the smallest amounts is hazardous to most archives. The threat of water can come from several sources:
- Floods
- Leaks at roofs, windows and so on
- Water pipes passing through storage areas
- Use of liquids near archives
Paper can quickly absorb water and suffer damage itself and any inks. For photographic, sound, digital and film materials, water can also cause damage, leading to materials sticking together. Damp materials often result in the growth of mould, which is not only hazardous to archives, but also to human health.
Removing the risk
- Do not store archives in areas of flood risk or in basement areas. This includes storm drains or sewage pipes.
- Do not have water pipes running through storage area
- Do not store archives directly below tanks, boilers or other sources of water
- Maintain your building, including gutters and roofs
- Do not have liquids, particularly drinks, near archives
- Keep archives boxed in quality boxes
- Have the bottom shelves at least two inches from the floor to allow for flooding
Environment
Having the correct environment for each format of archives is vital to their preservation. Incorrect temperature and relative humidity of storage areas can cause damage to collections. High relative humidity can cause mould and result in archives absorbing water, swelling paper and parchment in particular. Low relative humidity can make some materials brittle and unable to be handled.
A stable environment is vital. BS4971:2017, the standard for care of archive collections, recommends that traditional archives should be stored in a storage environment not be above 23°C as a maximum and 13°C as a minimum. The average storage temperature should be less than 18°C.
Some materials, such as digital, film and photographic archives benefit from specific environmental conditions that it is difficult to create without specialist storage.
The most dangerous situation is to have large and rapid variations in the environment. You should monitor the levels and aim to secure a steady temperature and relative humidity.
Removing the risk
- Monitor temperature and humidity regularly
- Ensure good ventilation within the building and don’t block air vents
- Don’t store archives in locations where there can be large variations in the environment, such as attics
- Air-tightness of storage areas is recommended
- Use humidifiers and dehumidifiers where needed, but ensure that you can manage them, for example emptying them regularly
- Survey collections regularly to be able to tackle mould quickly
- Consider specialist storage for specific media
Security
Poor security can result in vandalism, theft and accidental damage, causing harm and loss to the archives.
The key principle that should be applied is that there should only be authorised access to archives. When physical access is provided, this should be supervised at all times, with steps taken to prevent theft and damage. You should also be aware of the threat to security from both your volunteers and staff.
When considering where to store archives you should consider the overall security of the building and the risks that its location might present. Storage areas should be lockable and kept locked when not in use.
A major cause of loss of archives is the poor management of the movement of archives. Each time an item is moved this should be clearly recorded, with a note of the details of the move, left with in place of the item. The person removing an item from storage should take responsibility for its security.
Finally, good security is perhaps most important for digital materials as they can be lost or damaged so quickly. We will look at digital preservation in detail below, but its worth considering security here. Digital archives are at risk of cyber attack and theft and your storage systems should tackle these. There is no way to ensure that all your efforts are successful and so this is a reason that you should keep several copies of digital materials, on several storage solutions, in different geographical locations.
Removing the risk
- Store archives in a high quality, secure building
- Use security alarms and lights wherever possible. Consider enhanced alarm coverage for significant collections.
- Storage areas should be lockable
- Ideally do not share storage with multiple users. If you do have to share, then ensure that archives are only handled by the responsible people within your organisation.
- Record when items are moved in and out of the collection storage, every time
- Supervise all on site users of archives. Prevent users from having bags and folders alongside them when examining archives.
- Review and ensure security of digital materials
- For digital material keep copies on several storage methods in more than one location
Light
The impact of light on archives depends very much on the format of the materials. However, in general, light can speed the deterioration of materials, causing ink to fade and materials to discolour. Remember that scanning and photocopying involves light. You should seek to reduce all exposure to light to a minimum.
Removing the risk
- Box all materials in storage
- Limit the length of time items are on display and never display original items permanently
- Use filters or blinds designed to tackle UV lights
Pests
A poor storage environment, older buildings and bad practices can attract pests into archive storage areas. A variety of insects including booklice, silverfish and cockroaches are attracted to paper materials. Rodents can see archives as ideal locations to nest. All of these pests can cause damage, particularly to paper materials. It’s also important to recognise that rodents can also chew wiring and cause fires.
If you do have an infestation you should seek professional advice from an archive conservator and/or pest management specialist.
Removing the risk
- Isolate new additions to your collection until you are sure they contain no pests
- Box all materials in storage
- Use pest traps and inspect these regularly
- Fill any holes in the building which might enable access for rodents
- Never eat in the storage areas and manage food waste properly