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• Do not unframe any work of art before consulting with your supervisor or the relevant staff specialist specialist

Unopened items 

 Unopened envelopes should be opened carefully during processing to facilitate access. Enclose the envelope and its contents in a piece of acid-free paper annotated with the following text: “This envelope was unopened at the time of acquisition. It was opened by the library, [date].”  

 When a significant quantity of unopened envelopes is present, add a processing note at the collection level. 

Attached items 

Items attached to documents—including items attached with adhesives, staples, and paper clips—are generally left as encountered when collections are processed to a series, box, or file level of control. This is particularly true in collections boasting a large volume of stapled or paper-clipped items in good condition. 

 Exceptions to this guideline include: 

• Material with high artifactual value 

• Anticipated use is expected to be high and paper is brittle 

• Extremely corroded hardware poses a risk to researchers 

• Notes or other items attached by a donor or vendor may be discarded if no information is lost. Otherwise, add these materials to a collection’s processing file. 

 Item-level processing of attached items 

When processing at the item level, notes and other items attached with adhesive, staples, paper clips or other hardware may be removed to facilitate use or due to preservation concerns. 

An attachment should be kept with the item from which it was removed, enclosed in an acid-free file folder. 

If the placement of the attached item is significant, consider making a photocopy or photograph of the complete item with the attachment(s) in place and storing the copy or photograph with the original as a record of its original appearance. 

Other options: 

• attachments may be removed and rehinged by a conservator 

• entire item may be imaged before attachments are removed 

 Framed items 

 Framed items—including framed photographs—are usually removed from frames and provided with appropriate alternative housing and storage; rehousing provides efficient storage, handling, and retrieval and is recommended in most situations. Before removing items from frames, you may need to consult with your supervisor, the curator, or the Conservation Lab. In certain cases the frame contributes to the aesthetic and monetary value of a work of art, and the curator must be consulted when this could be a factor. In other circumstances, removal from a frame may damage the material, in which case the item is best removed by conservation staff. 

 If the item remains in its frame and is located without an enclosure, it is labeled as “Frame [#]” as the top container in ASpace, and the frame is barcoded. 

 Restricted materials 

TO DO: Revise this section for more detail.

 Although archival material has always been subject to various classifications and restrictions on access, archivists serve their users by making as much information available as possible. Although the wishes of the donor and the interests of third-party privacy may be addressed in the MOU or transfer documentation, it is preferable to acquire archival and manuscript collections with few or no restrictions. 

 If restricted items are found in a collection and they are to be maintained as part of the collection, they should be separated from the unrestricted material. The boxes should be clearly marked “RESTRICTED” so that the Collections Manager can add a label and put the information into the item Voyager record. 

 A note should be made in the catalog record explaining the scope of the restrictions, and the information in the finding aid should be adjusted accordingly. 

 If items that violate third party privacy concerns (e.g., forms with Social Security Numbers) are found in a collection, these may be shredded with the agreement of your supervisor and the curator.