Preserving your family
papers
Barbara Austen
Florence S. Marcy Crofut Archivist
Connecticut Historical Society
Overwhelmed?
Priority #1, the environment
Environmental threats to your
family papers
• Temperature and humidity
• Sunlight
• Bugs
• Heat and humidity = Mold
• Heat that comes in many
forms
More environmental threats
• Dirt
• Food and drink
• The atmosphere
Common items to avoid
• Cellophane tape
• Paper clips
• Rubber bands
What you can do to preserve your
family history:
Step 1
• Remove letters and
documents from
envelopes and flatten
Step 2
• Remove surface dirt
– Document cleaning
pads
– Polymer erasers
– Vulcanized rubber
sponge
Step 3
• Place documents in
appropriately sized
acid free folders
Step 4
• Place folders in appropriately
sized boxes
Step 5
• Keep everything in
one central location
Step 6
Make an inventory
•
•
•
•
What items are in which folders
What are the dates of the documents
Which family members are represented
How did you acquire the documents
Step 7
Enjoy!