📦 Caring for Collections
How do historians and archivists protect the documents, objects, and photographs that carry historical meaning? This page summarizes essential practices adapted from professional collections care training, relevant to anyone interested in caring for records, artifacts, or keepsakes.
Based on the Collections Care Basics webinar series by Connecting to Collections Care, the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation (FAIC), and other institutional partners.
What Is a Collection?
A collection is a group of items being preserved with intent and care, whether formally or informally. Collections are not limited to museums; they exist in homes, churches, community organizations, and small local groups. Even small accumulations of photos, scrapbooks, awards, and documents can benefit from thoughtful stewardship.
Thinking of these items as a collection helps guide decisions about handling, storage, and long-term access. The same basic principles used in professional institutions can support emerging family and community archives.
Safe Handling
Safe handling reduces wear, tear, and accidental damage. Only clean, dry hands or nitrile gloves should be used, depending on the type of material. Handle one item at a time, and support fragile items fully from underneath; never pick up from edges or corners.
Keep food, drinks, pens, and markers away from collection items. Clear, uncluttered workspaces and slow, deliberate movements help prevent drops or tears. These practices apply equally in professional archives and in homes organizing family records.
Storage Environment
Long-term preservation depends on a stable environment. Use acid-free folders, buffered archival boxes, and uncoated polyester sleeves where appropriate. Avoid attics, basements, garages, or other locations with fluctuating temperature and humidity.
Folders and boxes should be clearly labeled, upright, and not overfilled. Shelving that keeps boxes off the floor reduces risk from leaks or pests. These same principles can be adapted for home and community archives, even when working with limited resources.
Housekeeping & Pests
Routine housekeeping supports preservation. Avoid storing collections under plumbing, near vents, or directly on the floor. Vacuum around shelving, reduce clutter, and watch for signs of pests such as silverfish, cockroaches, or rodents.
If pests or mold are discovered, isolate affected materials and seek guidance before cleaning. Avoid scented cleaners, oils, or sprays around collections. Simple, regular housekeeping is a key part of both professional and home-based collections care.
Getting Started with Tools
Many collections care tasks can begin with a small set of basic tools: nitrile gloves, acid-free folders, archival-quality boxes, a soft-bristled brush for gentle surface cleaning, and a pencil for labeling (rather than pen or marker).
Polyester film or acid-free paper can be used for interleaving or encapsulating fragile items. Avoid using tape, sticky notes, rubber bands, or self-adhesive albums on historical materials. These guidelines reflect standard professional practice and can be scaled to home and community projects.
Applying These Principles
These practices are not only for large institutions. Families, churches, neighborhood groups, and local organizations can all benefit from basic collections care when they begin to sort through photographs, records, or heirlooms.
Starting with gentle handling, stable storage, and simple housekeeping can make it easier to share materials in the future, whether through community displays, teaching, or eventual collaboration with archives and museums.
When materials are better organized and documented, it may be appropriate to reach out to local historical societies, libraries, or museums. Many institutions appreciate well-prepared local donations and partnerships.
As part of its mission to facilitate access to knowledge, NoCo123 seeks to share digital resources that support the preservation of local history and empower new caretakers of memory. In the future, the project’s webmaster and historian, Oscar, hopes to contribute further to both professional and community-based collections work across Northern Colorado.