Hostname: page-component-7dd5485656-wjfd9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-10-30T13:31:28.906Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

What should I do with paper ephemera? Looking after ephemera in a library

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 June 2016

Liz Yamada
Liz Yamada*
Affiliation:
London Metropolitan Archives, 40 Northampton Road, London EC1R 0HB, UK
*
Email: liz.yamada@cityoflondon.gov.uk
Get access

Abstract

Looking after ephemera collections can seem quite daunting; their contents come in all shapes and sizes and they are designed to be ‘here today, gone tomorrow’. The definition of ephemera in the Oxford pocket dictionary is ‘things of only short-lived use’, which is disheartening when we are trying to preserve these fascinating items for posterity. However, there is a lot of information available about preservation and much of this is applicable to ephemera collections.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Art Libraries Journal , Volume 31 , Special Issue 4: Ephemera as a research resource: special issue , 2006 , pp. 14 - 20
Copyright
Copyright © The Art Libraries Society 2006

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

References

1. National Archives, Framework for standards (National Archives), http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archives/framework/pdf/frameworkofstandards.pdf.Google Scholar
2. Edward P. Adcock, ed. and comp., with the assistance of Marie-Thérèse Varlamoff and Virginie Kremp, IFLA principles for the care and handling of library material, International preservation issues 1 (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions Core Programme on Preservation and Conservation and Council on Library and Information Resources, 1998). http://www.ifla.0rg/VI/4/news/pchlm.pdf.Google Scholar
3. Resource: the Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries, Benchmark in collection care for museums, archives and libraries: a self assessment checklist (London: Resource, 2002), http://www.mla.gov.Uk/resources/assets//B/benchmarks_pdf_6849.pdf.Google Scholar
4. British Library, National Preservation Office, ‘Preservation assessment survey’, http://www.bl.uk/services/npo/paslib.html.Google Scholar
5. ‘ Conservation register ‘ (http://www.conservationregister.com/index.asp) lists conservators in all fields and is searchable by topic and location. All the conservators listed are accredited or working towards accreditation. Some grant-funding bodies will fund, or part fund, collections care surveys.Google Scholar
6. BS 5454:2000, ‘Recommendations for the storage and exhibition of archival documents’ (British Standards Institute, 2000).Google Scholar
7. Lindsay, Helen, ‘Protective packaging: an introduction to the materials used to produce archival quality boxes, folders, sleeves and envelopes’, Journal of the Society of Archivists 21 (April 2000): 87–104.Google Scholar
8. National Archives, ‘Evaluating archival boxboard’, http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/preservation/research/evaluation.htm.Google Scholar
9. Rayner, Judith, Kosek, Joanna M. and Christensen, Birthe, eds., Art on paper: mounting and housing (London: Archetype Publications Ltd in association with the British Museum, 2005).Google Scholar
10. Christine Woods and Nicola Walker, ‘Off the wall: removing barriers to access in a designated collection of wallpapers’, NPO [National Preservation Office] e-journal, no. 2 (November 2004), http://www.bl.uk/services/npo/journal/2/wallpaper.html. Gives a full explanation of wallpaper storage at the University of Manchester’s Whitworth Art Gallery, including photographs and prices.Google Scholar
11. Facini, Michelle, ‘Storage solutions for large format works on paper’, in Kosek, Rayner and Christensen, , Art on paper. Google Scholar
12. BS 5454:2000.Google Scholar
13. Lindsay, ‘Protective packaging’.Google Scholar
14. Battisson, Clair, Gingrell, Chris and Fleury, Simon, ‘Conservation mounting at the V&A: an overview of techniques’, in Rayner, Kosek and Christensen, Art on paper. Google Scholar
15. British Library, National Preservation Office and Collection Care and Handling Team, Good handling principles and practice for library and archive materials, NPO preservation guidance preservation management series (London: British Library, 2000), http://www.bl.uk/services/npo/pdf/handling.pdf.Google Scholar
16. National Archives, ‘How to handle documents‘, http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/document_handling/.Google Scholar
17. Smithsonian Centre for Materials Research and Education, ‘Handling paper artefacts: preservation do’s and don’ts’, 2002, http://www.si.edu/scmre/relact/paper_handling.htm.Google Scholar
18. Library of Congress, ‘Preservation photocopying’. http://www.loc.gov/preserv/care/photocpy.html.Google Scholar
19. Library of Congress, ‘Preservation of scrapbooks and albums’, http://lcweb.loc.gov/preserv/care/scrapbk.html.Google Scholar
20. Rhys-Lewis, Jonathan and Walker, Alison, INFOSAVE project report: saving our national written heritage from the threat of acid deterioration (London: Resource, 2003), http://www.mla.gov.Uk/resources/assets//I/infosave_rep_pdf_6799.pdf.Google Scholar
21. The Wilhelm Imaging Research website (http://www.wilhelm-research.com/) contains many articles on cold storage.Google Scholar
22. Lockert, Katherine and McKenzie, Brian, ‘Anoxie framing investigations at Tate to date’, in Kosek, Rayner and Christensen, , Art on paper. Google Scholar

Further Reading

Ephemera: the stuff of history: report of the Working Party on Ephemera set up by CILIP (the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals) (CILIP, January 2003), http://www.cilip.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/0CE6922C-0DF2-4A70-ACED-B40005A115A4/0/ephemera.pdf.Google Scholar
Northeast Document Conservation Centre, ‘Preservation 101: an internet course on paper preservation’, 2002, http://www.nedcc.org/p101cs/p101wel.htm.Google Scholar