Putting It Into Practice

Evaluating Your Collections

Documents/Manuscripts/Ephemera

Foxing (small brown spots probably caused by mold or by the presence of tiny metal particles) often occurs when an item is stored in a poor climate.

Documents and manuscripts found in cultural institutions can range from medieval manuscripts to 18th century letters to modern office files. They may be copies or originals, and they may have been produced using a variety of inks, papers, and copying processes. Ephemeral materials may include cards, postcards, brochures, patterns, papers dolls, etc., some of which may have raised surfaces or three-dimensional decoration, and may include adhesives.

Common physical damage to flat paper items includes tears, folds, and creases; dog-eared corners; abrasions; staining from rusted paper clips, deteriorated rubber bands, or pressure-sensitive tape; loss of parts of the paper (usually around the edges); and distortion and staining from previous water damage.

Common chemical and biological damage to paper documents includes brittleness and fragility due to acidic deterioration and light exposure; discoloration or darkening due to acidity and light exposure; staining and weakening from mold growth; holes from insect infestation; foxing (small brown spots that appear on paper, probably caused by mold or by the presence of tiny metal particles in the paper, in combination with high humidity and temperature); and acid migration, where better quality papers are stained by poor quality papers stored with them.