Arts, Heritage & Archives

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Importance of Preservation

Information on the importance of preserving, maintaining and listing fragile archival material.

Preservation

Archival material is fragile and may deteriorate easily. It has specific requirements and needs to be securely stored and maintained under proper conditions and listed for easy retrieval.

Every format has its own environmental requirements:

  • Parchment
  • Photographs
  • Slides
  • Maps, plans and drawings
  • Audio and visual material
  • Electronic formats
  • Microfilms

Archives should be preserved against:

  • Light (UV radiation, heat gain)
  • Fire, or even smoke
  • High humidity (higher than 55%)
  • Pollution
  • High temperature (higher than 20°)
  • Dust
  • Handling