We Are History Keepers!

A Workshop on Preserving the Cultural and Historical Record of Your Ethnic
Community, Organizations, and Families

PARTICIPANT INSTRUCTION PACKET

Kent, Washington
November 17 2018

Welcome to History Keepers!

The University of Washington Libraries and the Ethnic Heritage Council teamed up in 2016 to create We Are History Keepers! We designed History Keepers to be an ongoing series of workshops on archiving the cultural and historical records of ethnic communities and families in the Pacific Northwest. The free, day-long workshops are hosted in communities around the Puget Sound in collaboration with local ethnic and historical associations. Workshop sessions are led by archivists and information specialists from the University of Washington Libraries and other organizations who teach best practices and help build skills related to preserving historical records.

Today we are excited to hold the 2^nd Annual Kent History Keepers workshop. Our Kent partner, The Kent Historical Society, has helped us connect with groups and individuals to plan and carry out this workshop, including members of the community who are leading sessions on documentary film making!

We are grateful for the financial support of the Kent Historical Society and 4 Culture. And we are so pleased to have Project Feast members prepare ethnic dishes for our lunch.

The workshop is intended to support your continued work as history keepers. Even after today, we are available to support your work, answer questions, help you find resources, champion your events, celebrations and fund raising efforts, and even help find repositories for your collections.

Please visit our website wearehistorykeepers.wordpress.com/ to learn more about the program and find more resources. Sign up for updates on the website, so you will get an email when we announce new workshops or post news stories.

Thanks for your support and enjoy your day!

With best wishes,

Anne and Rosanne

Anne Jenner, Pacific Northwest Curator, University of Washington Libraries Special Collections

Rosanne Gostovich Royer, President, Ethnic Heritage Council of the Pacific Northwest

CONTENTS

Welcome 1

Contents 2

Presenters Names and Contact Information 3

Your Organization’s Records:

What to Save and How to Organize Print and Digital Files 4

Family and Personal Papers and Artifact Collections 8

Book Collections 11

Conducting and Preserving your Oral History Projects 14

Collecting and Preserving Photo Collections 21

How to Care for Audio/Visual Collections 26

Resources for Researching Family and Community History 29

Library of Congress Organizing and Preserving Digital Files Series

Keeping Personal Digital Photographs 32

Keeping Personal Digital Audio 33

Keeping Personal Digital Video 34

Keeping Personal Electronic Mail 35
Keeping Personal Digital Records 36

Keeping Personal Websites, Blogs and Social Media 37 How Long will Digital Storage Media Last? 38

My Archiving Plan 40

The University of Washington is fortunate to have one of North America’s premier research libraries. The UW Libraries advances intellectual discovery and enriches the quality of life by connecting people with knowledge. The Libraries serves not only students, faculty, and visiting scholars, but it is open to the public as a resource for information on your local community history and as a repository for regional collections. You are welcome to visit and use collections in the Libraries. www.lib.washington.edu/

Special Collections is the Libraries' major resource for rare and archival materials covering a broad range of topics, formats, and periods. It is located in the lower level of Allen Library South. Visit the website www.lib.washington.edu/specialcollections/ to search for collections, view our hours and location, and learn about our current exhibits.

Today’s Presenters from the University of Washington Libraries

Nicolette Bromberg, Visual Materials Curator, UW Special Collections
nxb@uw.edu (206) 685-2968

Emily Dominick, Head of Technical Services, UW Special Collections
ehd5@uw.edu (206) 543-7890

Anne Jenner, Pacific Northwest Curator, UW Special Collections
ajenner@uw.edu (206) 685-2856

Ann Lally, Digital Curator, UW Special Collections
alally@uw.edu (206) 685-1473

Deb Raftus, Romance Languages and Literatures Librarian / Latin American and Caribbean Studies Librarian, UW Libraries
draftus@uw.edu (206) 685-1640

Crystal Rodgers, Assistant Labor Archivist, UW Special Collections
rodgercr@uw.edu (206) 655-6903

Your Organization’s Records:
What to Save and How to Organize Print and Digital Files

I. Records and the Records Lifecycle

• What is a record?

  • Records are materials created or used by your organization that document the daily operations, policies and procedures, major decisions made, and events your organization coordinated or was involved in.

  • Records can be both paper-based and electronic.

  • A record is not limited to textual materials. They can also include photographs, audio and video recordings, drawings, memorabilia, and other items created by your organization.

• The records lifecycle

  • Active: Records currently in use for daily operations at your organization that need to be easily accessible.

  • Inactive: Records not used as frequently but are important to keep for future operations, legal, or administrative reasons.

  • Disposition: The disposal of records that are no longer needed by your organization and are of little historical value.

    • Why dispose of records?

      • Storage limitations (both electronically and physically): Storage costs money, and the more you have, the more you have to manage.

      • Audiovisual material and electronic records require periodic maintenance over time.

  • Long-term preservation: These are records that are no longer needed by the organization but are historically significant because they document important people, goals, decisions, policies, and major activities of your organization.

    • Preserved in-house by your organization

OR

• Donated to an archives or cultural heritage organization

II. Records Management:

• This is how you make sure important records are kept and easily accessible, and are safely transferred to permanent, archival storage.

• Inventory: First things first! It’s important to figure out what records you have, where they are located, and create an inventory.

• Records Retention Schedule: A system for documenting the types of records your organization creates and uses and how long they need to be kept.

  • Guided by your organization’s daily needs for access to this information, legal requirements, and historical value.

  • Needs to be created into a formal, written policy that is circulated to and followed by all members of your organization who create records.

    Example:

• Filing System: A way of consistently naming, arranging, and storing your physical and electronic files.

  • Ensures consistent recordkeeping, making it easier to know what each box and folder or electronic file contains and how to retrieve them when needed.

• Document Management System: A system that maintains an inventory of your organization’s records, how long they will be retained, and where these records are stored.

  • Can be logged using a simple Excel spreadsheet or using content management software, depending on your needs.

III. Archival Preservation

• Storing Your Records

  • Box and Folder supplies:

    • Acid free folders and boxes ensures longevity of physical materials. ¹

    • Archival supply companies:

      • Hollinger: http://www.hollingermetaledge.com/

      • Gaylord: http://www.gaylord.com/c/Preservation

  • Environmental Controls: Materials should be kept in a cool, dry, and dark location. Warm, damp conditions can result in mold growth. Sunlight leads to embrittlement and fading of materials.

    • Humidity: Minimum of 30% and maximum of 50%

    • Temperature: No higher than 70 degrees

    • Keep it stable: Temperature and humidity fluctuations are enemies to preservation! Temperature and humidity readers are affordable and can help you monitor your spaces: https://www.amazon.com/AcuRite-00613-Indoor-Humidity-Monitor/dp/B0013BKDO8

  • Security and Access: Be sure your materials are stored in a secure location or a secure network drive, if electronic. It’s also important to determine who will have access to these storage spaces and how you will provide access to others.

IV. Questions? Discussion!

Some potential questions to get us started:

• What are your current recordkeeping practices at your organization?

• Do you intend on preserving for the long term your organization’s historical records or are you interested in donating these records to an archives or cultural heritage institution? 

• What concerns or specific questions do you have about your organization's records?

V. Additional Resources

• Records Management http://www.lib.washington.edu/specialcollections/laws/preserving-and-donating-records

• Environmental Controls and Preservation:

  https://www.nedcc.org/free-resources/preservation-leaflets/2.-the-environment/2.1-temperature,-relative-humidity,-light,-and-air-quality-basic-guidelines-for-preservation

• Digital Preservation:

  http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives-sector/advice-and-guidance/managing-your-collection/preserving-digital-collections/

• Contact Labor Archivist Conor Casey at cmcasey@uw.edu or Assistant Labor Archivist Crystal Rodgers at rodgercr@uw.edu with questions or if you’re interested in having us provide further, more in-depth training on this topic.

Family and Personal Papers and Artifact Collections

Selecting Items to Preserve

• Keep only what’s important

  • Items that give genealogical information or other key information about a person, place or event in your family; or it confirms or refutes family tradition.

  • Photos

  • Letters, correspondence

  • Vital records (birth, marriage, death certificates)

  • Diplomas

  • Military discharge papers

  • Genealogical charts

• Keep some (a few) items that capture the era

  • These materials add color and interesting information about a person, place or event in your family.

  • A bulletin from your ancestors’ place of worship

  • Brochure about their favorite vacation spot

• Keep personal writings

  • Preserve original writings

  • Diaries or journals

  • Professional papers of significance

What NOT to Preserve

• Mundane receipts

• Bill stubs

• Unintelligible notes

• Items that don’t add personal information

• Most newsprint or cheap-grade, acidic paper

• Anything that is moldy or mildewed.

Archival Preservation

• Arranging Materials

  • Provenance: Keeping track of the “who, what, where, and why of a record’s creation”

  • Original Order: Storing documents based on how they were originally arranged. Records created and/or kept by different people should not be intermixed with records created by other people.

  • Keeping materials in series: Collections that are no longer in original order can be organized into series (correspondence, diaries, personal writings, biographical, certificates, genealogical, photos, etc.)

• Storing Your Records

  • Box and Folder supplies:

    • Acid free folders and boxes ensures longevity of physical materials. ²

    • Archival supply companies:
      Hollinger: http://www.hollingermetaledge.com/

Gaylord: http://www.gaylord.com/c/Preservation

• Environmental Controls: Materials should be kept in a cool, dry, and dark location. Warm, damp conditions can result in mold growth. Sunlight leads to embrittlement and fading of materials.

  • Humidity: Minimum of 30% and maximum of 50%

  • Temperature: No higher than 70 degrees

  • Keep it stable: temperature and humidity fluctuations are enemies to preservation!

• Security: Be sure your materials are stored in a secure location or a secure network drive, if electronic.

• Electronic Records and Digital Preservation

  • Storage and Maintenance

    • To ensure materials are not lost to technological obsolescence need to periodically convert and migrate files to new formats.

    • Conversion: Updating materials from an older format to a current format (i.e. updating older word document files)

    • Migration: Moving data from one storage system to another (i.e. moving records stored on a floppy disk to cloud-based storage)

    • Storage Systems:

      • Secure server with regular systems backups

      • Cloud-based storage systems

CONSERVATION SUPPLY SOURCES

All of these companies will send you a catalog and will answer basic questions about their products.

Conservation Resources www.conservationresources.com
5532 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22151
1-800-634-6832
Conservation supplies and equipment, textile storage supplies, Orvus paste.

Gaylord Company www.gaylord.com
P.O. Box 4901
Syracuse, NY 13221-4901
1-800-448-6160
Carry a wide range of conservation supplies as well as display cases

Hollinger/Metal Edge www.hollingermetaledge.com
6340 Bandini Blvd.
Commerce, CA 90040
1-800-862-2228
Wide range of conservation supplies. Acid- free boxes and tissue available in small quantities, polyethylene bags, Orvus paste, padded hangers, vacuum screens, and garment bags.

University Products www.universityproducts.com
517 Main Street
P.O. Box 101
Holyoke, MA 01041-0101
1-800-628-1912

Wide range of conservation supplies, acid free boxes, tubes and tissue, polyethylene bags.

Note: Acid-free tissue may be ordered buffered or unbuffered. Buffered tissue is used for cotton, linen and jute. Unbuffered tissue should be used with silk, wool, and unidentified fibers.

If you have questions or problems you’d like to discuss, you may contact me at the number below.

Lynette Miller, Head of Collections 253-798-5925
Washington State Historical Society lynette.miller@wshs.wa.gov

Book Collections

Repurposing an Ethnic Community Library Collection

Establish a community book club…

Reinvigorate demand for older classics as well as new books of interest, at the same time as you build community.

Hold your own community book sale or give-away…

A great community event, encourages reading and can raise a modest amount of money for other activities.

Donate them…

Seattle Public Library (SPL) or King County Library System (KCLS)

For KCLS, see http://kcls.org/friends-of-the-library/

For SPL, see http://www.friendsofspl.org/

American Library Association (ALA): options for donating books overseas

http://www.ala.org/offices/iro/iroactivities/intlbookdonations

Individual non-profit organizations may be selective

Some prefer only new books, used books in very good condition, in certain languages or on certain topics

Sell or give them to local used book stores…

Magus Books: http://www.magusbooksseattle.com/

Half-Price Books: https://www.hpb.com/stores

Contact UW Libraries…

• Gifts Program: http://www.lib.washington.edu/gifts

Head, Carolyn Aamot (caamot@uw.edu)

• UW international studies librarians (see address list at the end of the packet)

Donated Books, Periodicals and Other Materials

• Be sure to store book and journal collections in a cool, dry place. This provides the best environment for their longevity.

• Cellar/basement storage is conducive to mold. Moldy books are environmental hazards and in all but the rarest of cases must be refused by libraries. Costly procedures to remove or neutralize mold can be used in rare cases when a highly valuable, rare item is infected with mold.

• Some stored books can also be infested by pests – most notably silverfish, which multiply and infest nearby materials – and if books are exposed to the elements, also rodents, which are attracted to the glue used in some bindings. Infested or gnawed-on books are generally beyond salvaging and must be refused.

• Books printed on low-quality paper: paper made with a high proportion of wood pulp was an innovation of the late 19^th century that enabled a boom in the newspaper industry, as well as the mass production of pulp fiction and other genres. After a certain age, this paper begins to crumble and is not repairable. However, we continue to discover unique, valuable, even irreplaceable content printed on this medium, and in that case it merits preserving (e.g., microfilming, digitizing, or restoration)

• Translations of world literature into the ethnic community’s heritage language: most of the time this kind of material is “out of scope” (i.e., poses no interest) for university libraries, though some public libraries may have a use for some of them.

• Author/title lists are invaluable: when contacting the UW Libraries or any other library with an offer to donate a large collection of books and journals, the library staff will be grateful if you can also provide them with a complete or near-complete inventory of the collection. A list in spreadsheet format providing the author’s name (surname, first name), the title and subtitle of the book, and the publishing information (city, publisher’s name, and year of publication) for each book usually provides us with enough information to tell at a glance how good a fit the material might for the UW Libraries. Even if the fit isn’t ideal for UW, we may be able to refer you to another library that could be interested.

• Site visits: In some cases, if there is strong evidence that a significant proportion of a library collection merits adding to the library, and if an author/title list is not available and cannot be produced, UW Libraries staff may arrange to make a site to have a look at the collection in order to make a decision.

• Conservation: thanks to generous support from the Andrew Mellon Foundation and many private donors, the UW Libraries now has the most advanced book conservation program in the Pacific Northwest. In the years ahead and as it grows over time, UW’s Conservation Program will begin to offer workshops on preserving rare and antiquarian library materials. If your community has rare and antiquarian books and journals, keep an eye on the schedule of educational outreach events that our Conservation Program will be offering.
  Visit http://www.lib.washington.edu/preservation/conservation-1

Conducting and Preserving Oral History Projects

These materials support the oral history workshop given by Zhijia Shen zhijia@uw.edu and Justin Wadland jwadland@uw.edu in Tacoma, September 2018. Information originally compiled by Deepa Banerjee dbaner@uw.edu and Juan Luo for We Are History Keepers, November 2016. Revised by Conor Casey, Labor Archivist cmcasey@uw.edu March 2017.

Oral History: Important Considerations

• Research goals

• Selection of community members to interview

• Types of questions

• Involvement of other parties in the planning process

• Equipment

• Audio/video recording

• File formats

• Access to the interviews

• Permissions

• Project Tracking/Management Tools

• Transcriptions

• Online Project Collaboration Space

Oral History Research: Important Steps

• Formulate a central question or theme

• Major decisions about the final product, budget, publicity, evaluation, personnel, equipment and time frames.

• Conduct Background search

• Paperwork ( release forms, life history forms)

• Evaluate and Process Interviews

• Storage and access

Oral History Research: Issues and Concerns

• Accuracy

• Sound/audio/video quality

• Language /dialect issues

• Overwhelming amount of information

• Tracking progress

• Storage and access

Permissions

If you want to donate these interviews or an external academic archives or historical society at a future point, you will want to be sure that the interviewees and interviewers have granted permission of use. Obtaining permissions are also important if future users want to quote from the interviews for publication in an academic press—which requires proof of permissions—or if portions might be used in the future in a website or a documentary.

Sample Narrator Agreement Forms

University of Washington Libraries Special Collections, Labor Archives of Washington

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LAK36gO-XWDb-IV0VVYda_iU3Jd56yEgcElTdPkPu8s/edit?usp=sharing

Fort Lewis College, Center of Southwest Studies

http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/Tools/sw-6.htm

University of North Carolina, Southern Oral History Program

http://www.sohp.org/howto/forms/SOHPForms_interview_agreement.pdf

CSUF, Center for Oral and Public History

http://coph.fullerton.edu/_resources/pdf/4.%20Narrator-Interviewer%20Agreement%20Form.pdf

Deed of Gift Form

You may want to donate the records of your oral history project as well as the interviews to an external museum, archives, or library at some future date. That institution will most likely have you complete a Deed of Gift from to transfer physical and legal custody of the collection to them. Doing this allows researchers to quote from the interviews without having to ask permission of each person or interviewer in the project. This combined with the completed interview permission/release forms allow for easy access for researchers in the future.

Sample Deed of Gift Form: Dartmouth College

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~library/rauner/docs/pdf/Deed.pdf?mswitch-redir=classic

Cataloging/Access

Sample Project Oral Interview Protocols, File naming Conventions, Uploading and Cataloging Instructions

University of Washington Libraries Special Collections, Labor Archives of Washington

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1C2Xkzx2XzslPjjeyqOxUW4p65C8EzLjhIwviEzC0KwI/edit?usp=sharing

Developing file naming conventions and common practices between interviewers, transcribers, catalogers, and other members of a project is important. Even if there is only one or two people working on a project over time, agreeing upon and documenting these decisions is a good idea so that they are recorded for people who have to administer or access the collection in the future.

Sample Cataloging Form

University of Washington Libraries Special Collections, Labor Archives of Washington

https://docs.google.com/a/uw.edu/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScg2jNA66KL7Tf4EaQDGykoy2WnXrEeYbX106uYNq-jH3-QrQ/viewform

This form was developed to capture the information about the interview directly from the interviewer and feeds into a spreadsheet hosted on the SeaTac Seattle Minimum Wage Project Google Drive space. In this way, we were able to capture important information about the interviews and link that information to specific audio or video files before we completed editing, transcribing, and processing the interviews.

File Formats

There are many audio and video formats available. The best rule it to choose uncompressed and nonproprietary formats whenever possible.

For example, using .WAV for audio is better than .mp3, m4a formats. There is not one preservation video format, so trying to record the highest resolution, uncompressed formats for video as you can afford in terms of quality and data storage is a good idea, as it helps with preservation and can enable reuse in the future by documentary makers or other creative reuses of the interviews. There are also free tools that enable you to “wrap” files with preservation metadata that will help track and enable reuse of the files in the future.

Project Management

Sample Oral History Workflow

There are many project management tools, both free and for purchase or subscription. Basecamp and Asana are two prominent project management tools. Asana offers free access up to a certain number of users.

A template was developed by the SeaTac Seattle Minimum Wage History Project that could be of use as a project management tool for other community-based oral history projects. Please contact cmcasey@uw.edu if you want access or help copying this template.

Setting up a Google Drive Shared Folder

Using Google Drive to share files, interview transcriptions, project handbooks, style guides, questions, and research resources, and to upload recorded interviews can be incredibly useful. Drive allows for so much storage space that it’s possible it would satisfy your project’s storage needs for audio or video interviews and you might even be able to share interviews with researchers and on your website or social media via Google Drive links (just “Share” and set the permission to “Everyone who has this link has access” or “Public on the Web” or other appropriate permission levels.) Though Google Drive is a reliable tool, it’s important to note that they make no guarantee that your files will not be deleted, so having a more fixed, local, or secure means of storing your files permanently is probably the best course of action for complete projects or inactive files.

Project Examples

SeaTac Seattle Minimum Wage History Project

http://content.lib.washington.edu/projects/sea15/

In November, 2013, the small suburban city of SeaTac passed Proposition 1, authorizing a $15 minimum wage policy phased in over several years; after surviving a lawsuit filed by business groups, the policy went into effect in January, 2014. Six months later, the Seattle City Council, led by socialist council member Kshama Sawant and Mayor Ed Murray, expanded a similar $15 minimum wage policy to nearly 20,000 workers. These policy innovations arose from struggles by a broad coalition of labor unions and community partners around a host of issues concerning low wage workers’ rights in the years following the Occupy movement. Building on similar struggles for and by low wage workers around the nation, the victories in the Puget Sound catalyzed a proliferating array of campaigns to raise the minimum wage in many cities and states.

This digital web archives documents the stories of those involved, as supporters and opponents, in or affected by the struggles over a $15 minimum wage at SeaTac and in Seattle as well as the broader, ongoing effects and efforts at a national level. Including 56 audio and video interviews with supporters and opponents who were in or affected by the struggles over a $15 minimum wage at SeaTac and in Seattle as well as the broader, ongoing effects and efforts at a national level.

If you know someone who was part of the SeaTac or Seattle organizing for 15 Now who would like to be interviewed or has materials they would like to donate to the Labor Archives, please contact us! Conor Casey cmcasey@uw.edu

South Asian Oral history Project

http://content.lib.washington.edu/saohcweb/index.html

Chinese /Taiwanese Oral History Project

http://depts.washington.edu/oralhist/wordpress/

Oral History: Helpful Tips and Links

Southern Oral History Program: Resource Page

http://sohp.org/resources-2/ This site has a collection of excellent resources on how to do oral histories, tools, samples, and related resources, including many of the links below.

Oral Histories in the Digital Age

http://ohda.matrix.msu.edu/ This site contains dozens of excellent resources from top professionals nationwide. There are essays, case studies, and tutorials on a wide range of topics, from picking out which equipment to use and planning your first oral history project to creating accession workflows and making your interviews publicly accessible.

Step by Step Guide to Oral Histories

http://dohistory.org/on_your_own/toolkit/oralHistory.html

Oral History Interviews
http://www.loc.gov/folklife/familyfolklife/oralhistory.html

Interview Tips and Resources
http://www.loc.gov/vets/moreresources.html

Smithsonian Folklife and Oral History Interviewing Guide

http://www.folklife.si.edu/the-smithsonian-folklife-and-oral-history-interviewing-guide/presenting-your-findings/smithsonian

A Brief Guide to Basic Technology Planning for Oral History Projects
http://at.blogs.wm.edu/a-brief-guide-to-basic-technology-planning-for-oral-history-projects/

Community Oral History Toolkit 

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/794361894 (This link will take you to Worldcat, a worldwide library catalog. If you enter your zipcode into the search form, you can find the closest available copy at a library near you.) A handy guidebook by Nancy MacKay, Mary Kay Quinlan, and Barbara W. Sommer is the “definitive guide to all aspects of conducting successful community oral history projects that conform to best practices in the field.”

Curating Oral Histories, Second Edition

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/919067976 (WorldCat link)

For the past ten years, Nancy MacKay's Curating Oral Histories (2006) has been the one-stop shop for librarians, curators, program administrators, and project managers who are involved in turning an oral history interview into a primary research document, available for use in a repository. In this new and greatly expanded edition, MacKay uses the life cycle model to map out an expanded concept of curation, beginning with planning an oral history project and ending with access and use. The book guides readers, step by step, on how to make the oral history "archive ready"; offers strategies for archiving, preserving, and presenting interviews in a digital environment; and includes comprehensive updates on technology, legal and ethical issues, oral history on the Internet, cataloging, copyright, and backlog

Collecting and Preserving Photograph Collections

Typical materials that cause deterioration in photographs:

Sulfur-based chemicals and materials including

Rubber cement
Rubber bands
Sulfite and kraft papers
Industrial pollutants

Chlorine-based chemicals and materials including

Polyvinyl chloride plastics
Cleaners and commercial cleaning solutions
Sweat and perspiration salts transferred through finger oils

Oxidizing gases and chemicals including

Ozone from xerox machines
Industrial pollutants
Ammonia (from household cleaners, etc.)
Cellulose nitrate photographs
Oil based paints
Floor varnishes
Wood and other materials with lignin

Organic acids and basic chemicals and materials including

Wood and other materials with lignin
Sulfite and kraft papers
Glassine
Cardboard and unprocessed paper products
Pressure—sensitive tapes

Iron based metal products including

Paper clips

RESOURCES: Information on care of photograph and film collections

Books

An Ounce of Preservation: A Guide to the Care of Papers and Photographs, Craig Tuttle, 1994

Storage Guide for Color Photographic Materials, James Reilly, 1998

Preserving Your Family Photographs: How to care for your family photographs, Maureen A. Taylor, 2010

Uncovering Your Ancestry through Family Photographs, Maureen A. Taylor, 2000

Disaster Recovery: Salvaging Photograph Collections, Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (booklet) https://ccaha.org/sites/default/files/attachments/2018-07/technical-bulletin-salvaging-photographs.original.pdf

Websites

How to Preserve Family Papers & Photographs, National Archives, https://www.archives.gov/preservation/family-archives or https://www.archives.gov/preservation/formats#photos

Personal Archiving: Preserving Your Digital Memories, Library of Congress, http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/personalarchiving/photos.html

Preservation publications, Library of Congress, http://www.loc.gov/preserv/

Preservation leaflets, Northeast Document Conservation Center, http://www.nedcc.org/resources/leaflets.list.php

Washington State Film Preservation Manual: Low-Cost and No-Cost Suggestions To Care For Your Film (movies) http://content.lib.washington.edu/filmarchweb/index.html

Archival Storage Supplies

(paper, envelopes, negative sleeves, boxes, etc.)

Metal Edge‐Hollinger, 800‐862‐2228 or 800‐634‐0491, www.hollingermetaledge.com

Gaylord Brothers Archival Solutions, 800.962.9580, gaylordbros@email.gaylord.com

www.gaylord.com

University Products, 800.628.1912, https://www.universityproducts.com/

Custom Labwork

Moonphoto, digital and darkroom, 206‐783‐3377, www.moonphotolab.com

Panda Lab, digital and darkroom, 206‐285‐7091, www.pandalab.com

Art & Soul, high resolution scanning and color carbon printing, 206‐297‐1223, www.colorcarbonprint.com

Production Quality Scanning and/or Labwork

ScanCafe, online vendor of production digital services, 1‐866‐234‐3909, www.scancafe.com

iMemories, film and video tape to DVD, www.imemories.com

Professional Conservators

Lisa Duncan, Art Conservator LLC, Seattle, lisaduncan.artconservator@gmail.com, www.lisaduncanllc.com

Chicago Albumen Works, 174 Front St, Housatonic, MA, 01236, 413‐274‐690, www.albumenworks.com

PAPERS AND PHOTOGRAPHS TIPS FOR LONG - TERM CARE

• Keep in a Safe

Place

• Maintain a Stable

Environment

• Limit Exposure to

Light

• Keep Storage Places

Clean

• Use Appropriate

Storage Materials

• Handle Materials

Safely

Causes of Deterioration

Family papers and photographs are fragile treasures and precautions must be taken to prolong their lives. Understanding the causes of deterioration will help families avoid placing them in jeopardy.

• Keep in a Safe Place

Give careful consideration to where you store your family letters, Bibles, licenses, newspaper clippings, albums, photographic prints, negatives, and slides.

Papers and photographs should not be stored in potentially hazardous areas, such as near sources of water (under water pipes or in bathrooms), heat (near vents, on outside walls, over radiators or fireplaces), or light (near windows, under light fixtures). Keep papers and photographs off the floor to avoid damage from minor leaks, bumping, and easy access by pests.

If your papers and photographs are locked or tucked away where you do not see them, remember to check them periodically. This inspection will detect possible problems before damage occurs.

• Seek Advice Maintain a Stable Environment

“Depending on the care taken by their guardians, things of beauty as well as cultural or historical value may last for one or two more generations at most ─ or may be joys nearly forever.”

─ Joyce Hill Stoner in Caring for Your Collections (Harry Abrams, 1992)

Keep papers and photographs in an area where temperature and relative humidity fluctuations are minimal and air circulation is good. Select a place that is dry and cool throughout out the year. Attics, basements, and outbuildings are often the most hazardous places to choose. Areas that are prone to be moist and damp may be conducive to mold growth, and insect and pest infestation, and may cause fasteners to rust and stain papers and photographs.

• Limit Exposure to Light

All paper and photographic materials should be stored in darkness. When viewing them, limit the amount of time the materials are uncovered. Avoid looking at papers and photographs in direct sunlight. If an item needs to be displayed, consider using a photocopy or facsimile instead. If the original item must be displayed, position it in a dark area away from direct sunlight, such as an interior hallway, and keep lights turned off as much as possible.

Keep Storage Places Clean

Store and handle your papers and photographs in clean areas that are not prone to dust, grime, or soot. Avoid use of food and drink when handling materials to prevent damage from spills or soiling from hands. If they must be left out when not in use, cover them to prevent accumulation of dust and dirt. Place a sign near the covered materials to alert others that care needs to be taken.

• Use Appropriate Storage Materials

Ideally, papers and photographs should be stored in an acid-free box for protection, but at a minimum the box should be sturdy enough to support the weight of the materials inside. Papers and photographs stored loose in drawers, piled on top of furniture or left on the floor can easily be damaged. Wooden boxes are not suitable for long-term storage of valuable items. The storage box should be clearly labeled to alert others that it is for safekeeping. In addition, loose papers and photographs should be placed inside acid-free folders. Label folders with a pencil. Avoid overfilling the folders. Items should not extend beyond the folder to prevent crumbling and bending of pages. Fragile and torn materials should be in their own individual folder or enclosure to provide needed support. Ideally, separate photographic materials from paper items, either in different folders or locations. Segregate highly acidic materials, such as newspaper clippings, from other paper materials. Consider photocopying newspaper clippings onto acid-free paper. Supplies for storing family papers can be purchased from archival suppliers and some local stationery stores.

Avoid attempting to repair historic records. Even minimal repairs with pressure sensitive tapes will cause unnecessary damage in the years to come. All tapes should be avoided. Seek advice from a paper, photograph, or book conservator when repairs are needed.

• Handle Materials Safely

Special care should always be taken when handling family papers and photographs. Prepare a place to view records so materials can be used safely. Avoid folding and unfolding items to prevent weakening on the fold lines. Oversize items should always be supported on a piece of mat board larger than the item. Self-stick notes, fasteners, rubber bands, glues, and tapes should not be used.

• Seek Advice

When in doubt about how to store, handle, or treat your family papers or photographs, seek advice. If you are not interested in your family papers and photographs, consider locating an interested family member or local historical society or library that may be able to care for them. Your local library or historical society may also be a resource for tips on caring for family papers and photographs.

Seek advice from a paper, photograph, or book conservator when you consider repairing, cleaning, flattening, dealing with mold and pest infested materials, or conservation treatment. If your papers or photographs are valuable or severely damaged, they should be examined by a conservator for conservation treatment and storage options. It may be difficult to locate a conservator through the Yellow Pages of your telephone book. The American Institute for Conservation (AIC) can provide a referral to a conservator or Regional Conservation Laboratory. AIC's website is www.conservation-us.org, and its telephone number is 202.452.9545.

Conservation treatment should be considered for items that have been damaged in handling or storage or that show signs of deterioration (staining, discoloration). The Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA) will provide a condition assessment and a treatment plan for a small fee (typically $125.00). Shipment of materials in safe containers can be arranged by calling CCAHA in advance. If you are interested in bringing or sending an item to CCAHA, call us at 215.545.0613 or email ccaha@ccaha.org.

CCAHA is a nonprofit regional conservation laboratory serving other nonprofit cultural, educational, and research institutions, as well as private individuals and organizations throughout the United States. The Center specializes in the treatment of art and historic artifacts on paper, rare books, photographs, and library and archival materials. It also offers on-site consultation services; educational programs and seminars; internships, fellowships and apprenticeships; and emergency conservation assistance. Visit www.ccaha.org for more information.

How to Care for
Audio/Visual Collections

Audio-Visual collections include a wide range of formats and materials. The most effective and economical preservation measures for saving the physical objects are preventive: good care, storage, and handling.

Tips for handling and storing film:

• Always handle film by the edges to avoid leaving fingerprints on picture or sound areas.

• Store films in plastic film cans or acid free boxes to enable air exchange. Do not tape shut.

• Store films on a shelf flat like a pancake rather than upright like a book. Film should be stacked no more than twelve inches high in similar-sized boxes or cans.

• Do not throw away your film; get it transferred to DVD or a file for access and preserve the original film.

• Look for danger signs like a vinegar smell or white powdery mold. If you find either or both of these, check the websites below for tips on what to do.

Tips for handling and storing video and audiotape:

• Handle tapes gently and avoid dropping or jarring them.

• Never touch a tape (except at the end/beginning of an open reel).

• Break off the Record Tab to protect the original recording.

• Learn and use correct procedures for operating equipment

• Protect the tape machine and tapes from dust.

• Always eject tape at the beginning or the end—not in the middle.

• Keep tapes in protective cases when not in use and store them vertically (like a book)

General Storage Guidelines

• Wash and thoroughly dry hands before handling A/V materials

• Handle materials in a clean environment and do not allow food, drinks, or smoking in either the storage or use areas.

• Store materials in a cool, clean, stable, and dry environment with a consistent temperature and minimal exposure to light. Avoid attics, basements, and other locations with high risk of leaks and temperature and humidity extremes. Storage location should have minimal exposure to strong magnetic fields (such as those created by motors, transformers, loudspeakers, vacuum cleaners, and television sets).

• If it is not possible for the collection to be kept in a safe place, consider donating it to a local archival repository after a copy of the original has been made.

• Allow materials from cool storage to acclimate to room temperature before playing back.

• Ensure shelving is sturdy enough to support the heft and weight concentration of these materials (e.g., grooved discs average 35+ pounds per shelf-foot; all formats concentrate weight on the centerline of a shelf, which can cause some shelving to collapse).

• Store grooved discs on shelves with sturdy, immovable dividers every 4-6 inches that support the entire face of the disc in its sleeve.

• Do not store grooved discs of different diameters together.

• Store 10" reels in boxes with supports for the hub so that the entire weight of the reel is not on the reel edge.

• Seek experienced help as soon as possible in the case of disaster.

Helpful Resources

Audio preservation

http://guides.lib.uw.edu/research/audiopreservation/home

Library of Congress Keeping Personal Digital Audio: http://digitalpreservation.gov/personalarchiving/audio.html

Washington State Film Preservation Manual:

http://www.lib.washington.edu/specialcollections/collections/film-preservation-manual/

National Film Preservation Foundation’s Film Preservation Guide: http://www.filmpreservation.org/preservation-basics/the-film-preservation-guide

Center for Home Movies

http://www.centerforhomemovies.org/

The Home Film Preservation Guide

http://www.filmforever.org/

Video preservation at Moving Image Preservation of Puget Sound:

https://www.mipops.org/

Library of Congress Keeping Personal Digital Video: http://digitalpreservation.gov/personalarchiving/video.html

RESOURCES FOR RESEARCHING
FAMILY & COMMUNITY HISTORY

Take advantage of what local libraries, archives, museums, and organizations provide when researching your family or community history. Here are just some of the collections and resources available to you.

Top 5 Free Online Resources

1. HistoryLink historylink.org
   The online encyclopedia of Washington State. Great place to start your research on local subjects, places, and events.

2. UW Digital Collections content.lib.washington.edu
   Digitized historic photographs, documents, oral history interviews and more with a focus on Seattle and the Pacific Northwest.

3. Digital Public Library of America dp.la
   A portal to digitized collections from libraries and museums around the country, currently more than 17 million!

4. Chronicling America chroniclingamerica.loc.gov
   Library of Congress project to digitize historic newspapers dating from the late 18^th century to 1924 from across the country.

5. Your Local Public Library
   King County Library System kcls.org Seattle Public Library spl.org, and Pierce County piercecountylibrary.org have an array of resources that you can use just by having a public library card.

Libraries

University of Washington Libraries (UW) – lib.washington.edu

The UW Libraries is one of the largest in the nation. All community members are welcome to visit and use our materials.

Top 3 Reasons to Use the UW Libraries:

1. Special Collections lib.washington.edu/specialcollections
   The major collection on Pacific Northwest history in the country. Materials include historic photographs, records and papers of local organizations, businesses and individuals, oral histories, and other historical material. In addition the Labor Archives of Washington holds union related material.

2. Newspapers guides.lib.uw.edu/research/news
   The largest collection of current and historic newspapers in the state. Collection includes local ethnic newspapers such as the Japanese American Courier, Người Việt Tây Bá̆c, and Filipino Forum; local community newspapers such as the Kent Advertiser, Auburn Globe-Republican, and Burien City News; national newspapers such as the Chicago Tribune and San Francisco Chronicle; and international newspapers such as Pravda.

3. Research Databases
   The UW Libraries has hundreds of specialized databases that you can use within any of our Libraries (including UW Bothell & UW Tacoma). These include digitized magazine collections, ancient Chinese texts, immigration records and more. To find databases and collections, start with the History Research Guide [guides.lib.uw.edu/research/history] and the Seattle Research Guide [guides.lib.uw.edu/research/seattle].

King County Library System (KCLS) – kcls.org

KCLS card holders have access to one of the largest public library systems in the nation. Many of their databases can be helpful when researching community and family history.

Top 3 Databases:

1. Ancestry Library Edition
   Major genealogical database with census, military, immigration records & more; available in KCLS branch libraries only.

2. HeritageQuest
   Genealogical database with census records, local histories & more; available online with a KCLS card.

3. Newspaper Archive
   Collection of small town American newspapers with some international coverage; available online with a KCLS card.

Genealogical Services:

The Auburn and Bellevue branches have genealogy collections and offer regularly scheduled genealogy help. KCLS also offers a service to locate obituaries of those who have died in King County.

Seattle Public Library (SPL) – spl.org

SPL card holders have access to one of the largest public library systems in the nation. Many of their databases can be helpful when researching community and family history. The Douglass-Truth branch holds more than 10,000 items related to African American history and culture.

Top 3 Databases:

1. America’s GenealogyBank
   historical newspapers, obituaries & more; available online with a SPL card

2. Ancestry Library Edition
   major genealogical database with census, military, immigration records & more; available in SPL branch libraries only

3. Seattle Times 1895 to current
   digitized Seattle newspaper; available online with a KCLS card

Genealogical Services:

The Genealogy Collection is located in the Central Library. Genealogy Librarians are available for 30 minute appointments. Call (206) 386-4636 to make an appointment.

Other Resources:

My Archiving Plan

Next Steps in Collecting and Preserving Our Historic Record

1. What ethnic community group(s) am I closely associated with?

2. Are there individuals within the group, besides me, who have a strong interest in and knowledge of the group’s history and origins? List names and contact info.

3. Are there any written or recorded histories or descriptions of our group’s first settlement in the Pacific Northwest?

4. What materials or documents do I (we) have that could be preserved in order to tell our community history? (For example: newsletters, newspapers, organizational records, oral histories, collections of photographs, sound recordings, films, video recordings, scrap and photo albums, diaries, collections of letters/postcards/correspondence, exhibits and displays, other.)

5. What resources do I (we) need to secure and preserve our historic material materials and stories for future generations? (For example: supplies, secure space for collections, more interested community members, training, funding, other)

6. What are my next steps?

Notes