Heritage Hub Collections Care training
Online Collections Care training
How to preserve your community or family archive
Advice on how to protect and look after your physical archive
- Collections Care 1: first principles
- Collections Care 2: writing a mission statement
- Collections Care 3: protective enclosures: introduction
- Collections Care 4: the ten agents of deterioration
- Collections Care 5: protective enclosures and suppliers
- Collections Care 6: action checklist and how to prioritise
- Collections Care 7: funding options
- Collections Care 8: protective enclosures: which and how to choose
- Collections Care 9: protective enclosures: case studies
- Collections Care 10: caring for large and "outsize" items
- Collections Care 11: caring for books
- Collections Care 12: managing the environment
- Collections Care 13: emergency planning
- Collections Care 14: safe handling and use
- Collections Care 15: working with a conservator
- Collections Care 16: preparing for digitisation
- Collections Care 17: storage and security
Collections Care 3: protective enclosures: introduction
How do I care for my collection? Want to know where to start?
In Collections Care 1, we addressed the question: why care for the collection? Now it’s time to consider "how".
Think of your document, object or collection as sitting inside several outer layers: the "six levels of enclosure". These can provide protection, or they could be sources of harm. We need to think about each of these layers when preserving our collections. Each collection is unique and is kept in a particular location and environment. It will be different for everyone.
In Collections Care 4, we will introduce you to the 10 agents of deterioration. For now, it’s enough for you to know that there are multiple threats to your collection!
You will need to make a plan that meets your specific needs. You can download an Action Checklist from our website which will give you some things to consider. It covers Aims (2), Buildings, Storage, Housekeeping, Handling & Use, Environment, Conservation, Copies and Emergencies, and can be used as a framework to ensure your collection is well protected and cared for.
More information about protective enclosures can be found in Collections Care 8 and Collections Care 9.