On display in the BDC Research Room: Highlighting Preservation Materials by Olivia Santos

Happy (almost) Preservation Week everyone!

Here at the BDC, our public-facing activities and responsibilities can look a little different from those we take care of behind the scenes. The most a person typically sees of our collection is the front room, where we store our most used reference materials, as well as some of our newer acquisitions and whatever materials get pulled for a person’s visit. This ranges from books, maps, charts, and microfilm to archival collections, photos, vertical files, and more.

Going with the theme of preservation, all of the books housed in the display this month relate to collections care and preservation management in some way, all of which were part of the Connecting to Collections Core Collections Bookshelf  that we were awarded in 2007. We were awarded the Bookshelf on behalf of the Beaufort County Historical Resources Consortium, an informal association of cultural heritage organizations here that grew defunct during COVID. (Though Grace says that in all honesty, the BCHRC was barely limping along for several years before 2020).  

Shelf 1 houses Preservation Management for Libraries, Archives and Museums, edited by G. E. Gorman and Sydney J. Shep (2006), and A Legal Primer on Managing Museum Collections by Marie C. Malaro (1998).

While both books mention ‘museums’ in their titles, we are obviously not a museum. However, we do house archival collections (that you may or may not end up seeing, depending on your research interests), and we take the same precautions many museums do to keep our materials safe and increase their longevity and use.  Both books touch on preservation and collections development policies, digitization, and the logistics of caring for and maintaining various types of materials. They serve as a general overview of the types of protocols and procedures we have to follow on a daily basis when handling, moving, and storing collections.

Shelf 2 houses Photographs: Archival Care and Management by Mary Lynn Ritzenthaler (2006) and The Care of Prints and Drawings by Margaret Holben Ellis (1995). Both books go in depth about the different techniques used to protect photographs, prints, and drawings, which can often be some of the more difficult items to preserve, especially photographs. Ultra-violet (UV) damage is very real, and irreversible, which is why we keep lights low or off if a room isn’t being used and store photographs in containers that do not let light in.

Shelf 3 holds The Nature of Conservation: A Race Against Time by Philip Ward and The Getty Conservation Institute (1986) and Caring for Your Family Treasures: Heritage Preservation by Jane S. Long (2000). 

The latter book is targeting the average person instead of a professional or institution in that they give advice for storing and caring for those precious family heirlooms. They touch on caring for jewelry, musical instruments, and a wider variety of objects and materials than we typically store here at the BDC. The Nature of Conservation talks about the role of the conservator, their primary activities, how they are trained, and how science plays a role in conservation, which is a lot more than you might think! I don’t think I’ve heard to word ‘buffer’ used in casual conversation this much since I was in chemistry class in high school. For those curious, “storage materials described as ‘buffered’ have an alkaline substance, usually calcium carbonate, added as an alkaline reserve or buffer to counteract acids that may form in the material in the future,” according to Gaylord Archival. Acids can deteriorate materials over time, which is why we use storage vessels that are buffered.

Shelf 4 houses Handbook for Digital Projects: A Management Tool for Preservation and Access by the Northeast Document Conservation Center (2000) and The International Review of African American Art: Connecting the Three C’s: Collecting, Conservation & Collaboration by The Institute of Museum and Library Services (2007). The latter book touches more on topics already discussed, although specifically in relation to African American art. 

Handbook for Digital Projects, however, is unique in that it solely focuses on digitization. (Grace says that she used it as a guide when creating the first BCL digital collection, Phosphate, Farms, and Family: The Donner Collection, in 2007.)  With the modern age and how much we rely on computers and our smart phones these days, digital archives are becoming more and more popular both because they are more accessible, and they do not require prolonged handling of delicate materials. Not many of our materials are digitized, but we do have photos and postcards available for viewing on the Lowcountry Digital Library’s website, as well as a medical record book from the 19th century.

Besides books, the display case holds various flyers and posters about preservation, and more specifically about preservation week, which is celebrated annually in the last week of April. 

Shelf 1 holds a flyer warning against different types of molds in collections, how they occur, and the dangers associated with it.

Shelf 2 displays a flyer about the procedures we use to keep collections safe, like the types of materials we use to house collections, the importance of UV protection, and the like. There is also a sign celebrating National Historic Preservation Month, which isn’t actually until May, so we’re starting a little early. There is a sign discussing the importance of hand washing, not only because of general germs and the COVID-19 pandemic, but also as a precursor for handling collections, as the dirt and oils on our hands can transfer to other materials and damage them.

Shelf 3 has another tip for you: start identifying people in family photos NOW. The number one thing I hear from folks doing genealogical research is that they wish they had asked their relatives more questions about certain events or photographs in their family history sooner. Getting ahead of the game now will help make preserving your family history much easier down the line when the next generation takes over.

Shelf 4’s flyer answers some of the more common questions people have when it comes to preservation and collections care: What affects the collection environment? How do I know what my environment is doing? It also discusses the importance of monitoring temperature and humidity.

Besides all these books and flyers, there are a few tools strewn about the case. Brushes are often used to clean dirt and debris out of materials, while spatulas are used for removing staples and turning pages of delicate paper materials.

Naturally, since we host a wide variety of materials, we have to be conscientious of its upkeep so that everything in our collection will last for generations to come. Which is why when you come in to visit us, me and Grace are going to (politely) nag you a bit about being careful with the materials.

Here are some of the common things you’ll hear us ask you to be aware of during your visit:

• -        Please no pens in the research room. I vastly prefer writing with pens over pencils, but it’s just not safe to use around our materials. Pencils erase, pens don’t. Nothing personal, we promise!
• -          No food or drinks is probably a more obvious one. Partly because it could get on the materials, and liquids in particular could do some real damage, but also because we don’t want to attract pests like bugs or rats. And I really don’t like bugs!
• -          Photocopying and taking photos are fine as long as using the printer isn’t going to damage the book’s spine and the copyright allows for it. Preserving the book takes priority so if something isn’t able to be photocopied, that’s unfortunately just the way it is.
• -          Please don’t stack books more than three high, and please don’t lean on any of the maps or prints we bring out for you! Or anything else for that matter. This is a rule that I still forget about from time to time, but it is very important in ensuring the extended use of our materials.
• -          If using our microfilm machine, scrolling at a steady pace helps make the film last longer.

This may seem like a lot of rules, and it is. But these rules are in place for a reason, and they only scratch the surface of preservation procedures we use every day, especially with our archival collections.

Also, unlike the typical display case that features books available for viewing in the research room, all of our preservation books on display are part of our ‘Professional Collection.’ This means they do not circulate publicly and are instead for staff use only. But you can make an appointment and we will be happy to share the materials featured above inside our Research Room. 

Want to Learn More? 

Hilton Head Branch Reference Librarian Warren Cobb is leading "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up Your Archives" on Thursday, April 13, 2023 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM.  Registration encouraged. Please contact the Hilton Head Branch reference desk at 843-255-6525 for more information or to register.

We invite you to "What's In Your Attic?" with South Carolina Historical Society’s Virginia Ellison and our own, Grace Cordial on Monday, April 17, 2023.  Come to learn more about collections care inside cultural heritage institutions and what you can do at home to increase the longevity of your family treasures. No registration required! 

Free!  "What's in Your Attic?" with Virginia Ellison, SCHS & Grace Cordial, BDC  Free!

First come - First seated. No registration. 

Monday, April 17, 2023 at 2:00 PM

BDC@ Beaufort Branch | 1st floor Meeting Room | 311 Scott Street, Beaufort SC 29902

And if you can’t make it to these programs, we are always happy to answer your questions online or over the phone. Just give us a call at 843-255-6468 or by email bdc@bcgov.net to speak with Grace or Olivia. To contact Warren at Hilton Head Branch Library, call 843-255-6531 or email warren.cobb@bcgov.net.