Blog from January, 2014

Paper enclosure process:

1. Label enclosure – (ex. Project name or unidentified, location, date)
2. Open flaps
3. Place negative emulsion side down
   1. For ease in viewing on light table
   2. Decreases handling
4. Fold enclosure in – Right > Left > Bottom > Top

Photographic material: discuss with processing committee/supervisor.

• Mixed in files:  Re-house to Mylar sleeves.  Try to separate photographic material to a separate folder.  Use the same folder title followed by “(photographic material)”.  If it is only one photograph in a folder of papers, just add “(includes photograph)” to the folder title.
• In albums:  Consult with supervisor.
• Loose:  Re-house to Mylar sleeves.
• Photos on board: house in buffered paper folders or with buffered interleaving sheets.

Primary photographic materials

• Negatives
• Photographic prints

Secondary photographic materials

• Line negatives
• Photostats

General considerations:

• if only one copy, treat at highest level
• anticipate level of use
• house in box as close to the size of the print as possible

Sizes

•  8x10 and under – folder together, can store mixed sizes in manuscript box, sleeve and folder when possible
•  Oversized: larger than 8x10 – folder with interleaving sheets, house in flat files or flat boxes (includes photos on board)  

Housing materials:

• Paper Enclosures - Negatives
• Mylar Sleeves - Prints

Special cases

Polaroids:

• Above all else – Separate from other photos by placing in separate folder
• Can be housed in same box if isolated in own folder
• Do not sleeve

Rolled Photographs:

• Do not attempt to unroll
• Photo must be humidified before unrolled to prevent cracking

Photostats: Counts as photographic material and should be housed in pH neutral unbuffered paper folders or polyester sleeves. (5/22/06)

Photostats: if only instance of work, then sleeve in mylar. If have original and/or line negative, do not sleeve in mylar.

• file with photographic material
• if there is a line negative, file with line negative
• treat as project (if identifiable) 

Post-it notes:  Post-it note’s adhesive power is very acidic.  Photocopy the Post-it note in situ and then remove it.  Discard Post-it note if it contains only informational data.  If it contains a signature, a drawing, or anything of questionable value, contact the processing review committee for further instructions.  Generally, these Post-it notes will be adhered to a sheet of acid free paper and annotated with a cross reference to its original application.

Published material: to be kept as follows- (Libraries included in Professional Papers series)

                                    1. with marginalia by the creator

                                    2. authored by the creator

                                    3. about the creator

                                    4. signed/autographed/inscribed by the author (if significant)

                       * All other material transferred to the architecture and planning library.

Security:  If you find anything that poses as a security risk, notify the processing review committee.  Do not open anything that seems suspicious.  This includes old food containers.

Personal material:  If you feel you have discovered material of a personal nature, please bring it to the attention of the processing review committee.

Those items of a personal  and sensitive nature, that do not relate to rest of material, should be removed from the collection and returned to the creator’s family.

Negatives:  house in paper sleeves. Despite a variety of film sizes, all negatives should be housed in the same size sleeve for consistency. To identify the negative the sleeve should contain the following information:

1. project name or unidentified
2. color or b/w
3. number of slides in sleeve film type, if identifiable

Mounted Material: Unless the mount compromises the original work, do not remove from mount.

Measurements reflect that of the mount and not necessarily what has been mounted (ex. Photograph on board). Justification: Measurements were taken to determine housing needs. 

Mold:  segregate material by wrapping in paper.  Mark bundle as “[collection code]: moldy material to be reviewed, [date and name]”.  Take care not to touch your face and wash your hands immediately.  Notify the processing review committee.  

Models:  Be very selective.  May be included in Project Records series after drawings.  Also includes landscape models.

Medical records:  If you find medical records, notify the processing review committee.

Fragile material:  Any time you feel uncomfortable in handling material, please notify the processing review committee.

Food: If you find food while processing a collection, notify the processing review committee.

Contracts (legal):  Bring any legal contracts found to the attention of the processing review committee.