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  • 1.  Storing letters and newspapers

    Posted 07-05-2024 18:56
    Hi, we are processing a large collection we received from the family of a soldier in WW2, including 187 letters home and 45 issues of army newspapers published for the soldiers. (They are of interest because the soldier was an artist and published many cartoons in these papers.) Here are my questions about proper storage for these items:

    1. Many of the letters are written on multiple sheets of paper. Normally I enclose each sheet in an archival polyester sleeve, but some letters are stapled together at one corner. Should we remove the staples? If so, any advice how to do it without risking damage to the paper?
    2. I know that newspapers should be stored flat. Should we also unfold the paper at the crease in each issue?

    Thank you,

    Margo Gutstein
    Archivist
    Simon Wiesenthal Center



  • 2.  RE: Storing letters and newspapers

    Posted 07-08-2024 08:39

    Hello,

    This sounds like a wonderful collection.

    Yes, you should remove all staples or other metal fasteners as they will rust and damage the paper. Do not use a staple remover because it can rip the paper. I pry open staples with my fingernail and carefully pull them out of the paper. Although, if you have a lot of staples that can difficult. I have also used a letter opener to pry back each side of the staple on the back and then pull it through. 
    After that, you can keep each letter in its own glassine envelope. It should be okay to have the pieces of paper touching. If there are any newspaper clippings with the letters, you definitely need to separate them from the letter paper with acid free tissue. The newspaper with stain the letter paper. 

    I would unfold the newspapers if you have a box large enough. Newspapers are tough to keep because they deteriorate quickly. That is something I would look at getting digitized if possible. 

    I hope this helps!

    Anastasia Rousseau



    ------------------------------
    Anastasia Rousseau
    Project Archivist
    Arcadia University
    Glenside PA
    ------------------------------



  • 3.  RE: Storing letters and newspapers

    Posted 07-09-2024 10:26
    We at the Rutland Historical Society use brass paper clips to keep items together.

    Ron Hemenway

    Rutland Historical Society
    Rutland, Vt



    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Storing letters and newspapers

    Posted 07-10-2024 17:26
    I forgot to add in my earlier note that once you've removed staples, you can paperclip them -- here at NARA we use stainless steel paperclips over barrier strips of acid-free paper (Beth Doyle describes the method here). My preferred route, though, if your institution can afford it, is to group items that were clipped together in buffered bond paper folders. It works for a wider variety of paper (for instance, I wouldn't recommend clipping brittle paper together) and is also easier to work with if the item has to be reproduced or digitize.

    Best,
    Saira

    --
    Saira Haqqi (she/they)
    Conservator
    National Archives and Records Administration 
    Archives II - Room 1600
    8601 Adelphi Rd
    College Park, MD 20740
    301-837-3725 (office)
    202-317-2251 (NARA cell)

    If we are setting up a meeting, please let me know if you need any accommodations!



    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Storing letters and newspapers

    Posted 07-08-2024 11:14
    Hi Margo,

    It's your call whether to take the staples out. Some places prefer removing staples since they can risk over time and if the paper is brittle, the flexing of pages up and down to facilitate reading can cause damage. This is a good tutorial on how to safely remove staples (although I prefer to use the Mylar on both sides to protect the paper, not just the side where the staple is bent over): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HF0pZ3HupI0. A more detailed video is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLjxNJlKoG0. They both use basically the same methodology but the second video has more tips and tricks.

    In terms of saving newspapers: I would first make sure that you need to keep the newspapers. Newsprint is notoriously prone to deterioration, and if they have already been digitized, they may be available elsewhere. But if you feel the original newspapers are critical to keep, I would definitely store them flat and yes, unfold the crease if you have the space to store them that way. (I might also make preservation photocopies of the area of greatest value -- in this case, the cartoons -- in each newspaper, for when the paper deteriorates to a point that they are less accessible. The Library of Congress has guidelines for preservation photocopying here: https://www.loc.gov/preservation/care/photocpy.html).

    Hope this helps,
    Saira




    --
    Saira Haqqi (she/they)
    Conservator
    National Archives and Records Administration 
    Archives II - Room 1600
    8601 Adelphi Rd
    College Park, MD 20740
    301-837-3725 (office)
    202-317-2251 (NARA cell)

    If we are setting up a meeting, please let me know if you need any accommodations!





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