1. Community Heritage Grants
Workshop
National Archives of Australia

2. Topics
 Storage, including location,
environment, packaging
 Monitoring
 Handling and use
 Disasters
 Security

3. Preservation of Collections

4. Knowing your collection
• What type of material do you
have?
• How much do you have?
• Is it in good or bad condition?
• Are some items more
important or valuable than
others?
• Does the material need to be
better organised?
• What resources do you have?

5. Physical protection – Levels
1. Location
2. Building
3. Room
4. Furniture 5. Housing

6. Level 1: Storage Location
Where is your collection stored? What are the risks?

7. Level 2: Storage Building
Buildings chosen for records storage should:
• Be well constructed and secure
• Be fully weatherproof
• Have good drainage
• Be well maintained

8. Level 3: Storage Room
Rooms chosen for records storage should:
• Have no external walls.
• Have cool, dry, stable conditions
• Be away from known risks
• Have reduced light levels
• Be secure
• Have functional fire and smoke detection systems
• Be subject to good housekeeping practices.

9. Level 4: Storage Furniture
Do:
• Give easy access
• Have clear labelling
• Use shelves made of coated metal
• Start shelves 150 mm off the floor
• Have tables nearby
Don’t:
• Store items on outer walls
• Use the top of shelving units
• Store items on the floor

10. Level 5: Housing
• Use only archival materials – see our website for
information
• Think about your storage location and environment and
how this will impact on your requirements for packaging
• Package appropriately for the format, and for easy
access
• Poor packaging can be worse for a collection than no
packaging
• Repackage anything that is currently poorly housed
• Extra paper and card packaging can be used as insulation
inside boxes containing collection items

11. Level 5: Housing
Oversized items
• Large items should be stored flat in folders,
Solander boxes or portfolios
• Plan cabinets are preferable to open
shelving
• Interleaving or encapsulating items is
recommended
• Very large items can be rolled individually
around cores

13. Using storage levels
Levels 3 and 4
the storage
environment or
room, and
shelving
Level 5
holds several objects together as a group, e.g.
a box, and wraps around or encloses an
individual object, e.g. a folder around a file.
If Level 5b is
Archival
Archival
Not archival
Not archival
And Level 5a is
Archival
Not archival
Archival
Not archival
Then Levels 4
and 3 are
Less important Important
Important
Extremely
important
Ideal storage: Level 3 fully controlled stable conditions, Level 4 inert materials and Level
5 archival

14. Storage – Environment
• Most materials in archival collections like
cool, dry, stable conditions.
– Stability is important
– Ideal conditions:
• 20°C ± 2°
• 50% relative humidity ± 5%
• Make sure there are no humid spots where
mould can grow.
• Reduce dust and pollution
Paper cockled (wobbly) from
too many changes in humidity

15. Storage – Light
• Light = heat + UV; causes extreme and irreversible damage.
• Most changes are slow and not obvious, so it is difficult to know they are
occurring.
• Paper will go yellow or brown and turn brittle.
• Dyes will fade.
• Block sunlight in storage areas, using curtains or blinds
• Turn off lights when storage area is not in use
• Store vulnerable items in opaque containers

16. Storage – Pests and Mould
• Insects eat organic materials.
• Mice, rats and birds can also damage collections.
• Moulds digest and break down the materials they
feed on.
• Mould can be hazardous to your health.
• Learn about and practise Integrated Pest
Management
• Monitor your storerooms
• Store items in closed containers
• Practise good housekeeping in storage and
work areas
• Keep humidity below 65%

17. Handling and Use
Do:
Don’t:
• Insist on clean hands
or gloves
• Keep work areas
clean and free from
clutter
• Store vulnerable
items so they can be
protected while
viewed
• Make working copies
of very fragile items
• Use supports to carry
items
• Make items easy to
locate and retrieve
• Eat or drink in storage
areas or work areas
• Use document
feeders to photocopy
fragile material
• Pack items too tightly
into boxes or shelves
• Use pen on or near
original material –
always use pencil
• Use post-it notes,
plastic flags or PVC
paperclips on original
material

18. Security
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Supervise the reference area
Ensure twenty-four hour protection
Separate the reference and storage areas
Do not leave materials unattended or exposed
Require researchers to register
Institute a borrowing system to track materials
Restrict the amount of material a researcher
can use at one time
Don't let researchers bring large bags
Explain your research rules, restrictions, and
facilities on a sign or handout
Don't allow archival material to leave the
premises
Examine records after use

19. Disasters
 Some obvious disaster scenarios are
flood, fire and earthquake.
 Large outbreaks of insect, pest or mould
activity also count as disasters.
 Create a Disaster Preparedness Plan
 Store your collection safely
 Monitor your collection
 Monitor the storage areas
 Regularly clean storage areas
 Keep disaster response materials handy
Flood at Uni of WA, 2010
Example of disaster bin

20. Monitoring your collection
• Check storage area regularly
for insects and environment
– Insects: sticky traps
– Environment: data loggers or
non-recording monitors for
temperature and relative
humidity
• Check items regularly for
mould, insect and other
damage.

21. If you discover a problem
•
•
•
•
•
Pests: sudden increase in numbers or types
Mould: new growth
Environment: unusual fluctuations or high/low humidity
Disaster: leaking roof, fire damage
Security: lost or stolen materials
• Determine what has changed since last normal
results/readings
• Rectify if possible, or call for help
• Consult your Disaster Preparedness Plan

22. Help and information
• Follow your organisation’s disaster plan
• Check information sheets at national and state
institutions
• See useful web links on your handout
• Contact a conservator – find them via the
AICCM website (www.aiccm.org.au)