Scope: Guidelines for routine preservation measures such as rehousing into standard-size, acid-free boxes and folders, sleeving, storage and housing of special formats or fragile items, and weeding of duplicates and some printed material.  

Contact:  Freddy Loew  

Unit: ATS/RMC

Date last updated: March 2025

Date of next review:  March 2026

Roles: all processing staff

Contents:

Foldering 

 Whether or not a collection is refoldered is based on the physical condition, value, and age of the collection. 

 Remember that the folder titles will appear in the guide, so they should be concise, clear, and accurate. Print neatly and legibly so that researchers and staff can easily read file titles. 

 *Each box should start with folder 1. If there are no folders in a box, you can leave the folder field blank. 

 Refoldering guidelines: 

Open and/or flatten items when refoldering. 

Hanging folders must be replaced, since they are acidic and will also damage the box. Some exceptions apply. 

Replace ring binders but maintain contents in their original order. If the binder has artifactual value, remove the contents and keep the binder behind it in the box. 

Make sure that each item fits completely inside the folder (i.e. do not house 8 x 14” documents in an 8 x 11” folder). Documents should not stick out of folders. 

Security concerns and physical condition will drive the quantity of items in a folder.  Many literary manuscripts, for example, should be individually foldered. The curator or archivist should be consulted. 

Do not overpack folders. Crease the folders at an appropriate place (one of the pre-scored marked creases), and do not put in any more material than can lie flat. 

Make sure all folders in an upright box are upright and not bowed. If needed, use a box spacer. 

Boxing and re-boxing

When selecting appropriate containers to rebox a collection, always remember that the box size helps mandate the storage location in the vault, mezzanine or Annex, but has nothing to do with the intellectual arrangement of the collection. Efficiency in space management require that items of similar size or format be stored together to maximize storage facility, so different boxes in the same collection will not necessarily be housed together. 

  • Pack 16" boxes [the white record cartons marked "Hollinger”] with the logo on the LEFT. 
  • Choose an appropriate size box. A box that is too big will allow materials to slide around, causing undue wear and tear. Forcing material into a box that is too small may damage the materials and/or the box. 
  • Boxes should be full to prevent folders from folding over or spilling their contents. If a collection or series ends mid-box, add spacers. 
  • Do not make boxes too heavy, which makes them difficult to lift. If the contents are very dense, use smaller containers. 
  • Box sizes – records are housed in a variety of boxes based upon the size, age, and significance of the collection. These decisions will be made on a collection-by-collection basis according to physical condition, security concerns, and significance. If you are unsure of proper storage for the collection, please consult your supervisor or the staff of the Technical Services unit. 
  • Box size does not affect the intellectual arrangement and description of the collection.  Rather, it is a factor in the safe storage and efficient housing of records. 
  • When filling out the projected cubic footage of a collection, please see the master list of Box Sizes. This also can be used to complete the extent field in the resource record.  

Handling and arranging different archival formats

All records should be treated with the same arrangement and descriptive principles and incorporated into the processing plan, regardless of their media. However, the physical housing and handling of media materials may require some specialized supplies or handling. 

In general, different formats are NOT separated into different series. Most frequent exceptions are Photographs, Audiovisual material, and Museum Objects. Whenever possible, these materials should remain in their appropriate intellectual arrangement/original intellectual order, even if they are physically separated for preservation purposes.  

Examples: Dr. Joyce Brothers papers, #4254. 

Series: Tell Me, Dr. Brothers 

Subseries a. Scripts 

Subseries b. Publicity 

Subseries c. Films 

Note here that the series contains paper material and film recordings, which do not appear in their own series at the bottom of the guide (former common practice). 

Non-textual records vary widely by media and storage conditions. Many decisions whether material is stored off site at the annex or in the vault depends on the type of material in the boxes. 

Paper

Enclosures

Many collections come either in acidic folders or envelopes, plastic binders, or with no enclosures at all. Most original folders (manila folders for example) can be kept unless there is a clear need or funding to refolder. Older acidic or unstable folders should be replaced with acid-free folders, taking care to transfer significant information from the old enclosure to the new, such as folder title, dates, etc. Where there handwritten notes or other extensive information on the original enclosure, either the enclosure itself may be preserved and housed in or near the new folder, separated by sheets of acid-free paper. 

Other non-archival enclosures may deteriorate over time and should be removed from the collection. Papers should be removed from binders, folders, plastic sleeves (which may be made of PVC or vinyl).  Also carefully remove any adhesive items such as Post It Notes.

Acidic/Degrading Documents

Newsprint is an example of a highly acidic paper as are many of the early forms of fax and photocopies (e.g., thermo fax and wet copy photocopies). Consult your supervisor to identify these types of papers. 

The retention of news clippings and faxes is made on a collection-by-collection basis depending upon the relevance and context of the material. ALWAYS confer with your supervisor before discarding any material. 

Fasteners 

see section “Attached items” 

Photographic records

In an ideal world all photographic records would be housed and described individually in acid-free envelopes, however, our resources do not allow us to treat most items at such a detailed level nor does much of the material in our collections merit such treatment. 

As with paper records all decisions about housing need to be made on a case-by-case collection basis according to the significance, research potential, and value of the collection. ALWAYS consult your supervisor. Since removing single photographs from archival textual records also removes them from their context and may diminish their research value, unless an item is a valuable photographic work of art, snapshots and prints should stay with files according to their original order. 

If there are a number of photographs, they may be housed in acid free envelopes in place of folders. Envelopes should not be over packed solid and items should be able to be easily removed without damage to themselves or others. 

Descriptive information should be written on the envelope with the following provisos: 

  • Always use a 2B pencil around archival material (due to the relative softness of the lead) 
  • Never write on an envelope that contains photographs as items can unintentionally be embossed by writing. Create the caption first, then insert the photo. 
  • Always use white cotton gloves when handling photographic records regardless of whether they are prints, lantern slides, platinum prints, slides, or contact sheets. 
  • Special care should always be taken when processing especially vulnerable items such as glass negatives. They should never directly come into contact with a bare work surface. Use an oversized acid free folder as a processing surface. Once glass negatives are processed, the Collections Manager responsible for permanent location records should be advised that they are fragile and heavy, so she can prepare appropriate labels. 
  • There are four-flap negative envelopes for use with glass and some special photographic containers available. Others may be purchased as required.  Please seek the advice of the Head of Technical Services for photo storage issues. 
  • Photographic material is generally most stable when like items are stored together, so glass should be stored with glass. Care should also be taken not to overfill the containers so that they are too heavy for paging staff to retrieve. 

Nitrate and diacetate plastic film based negatives may show signs of deterioration. Nitrate is by far the more unstable of the two and great care should be taken handling this material including avoiding inhaling the fumes that deterioration causes. All nitrate negatives should be segregated from collections as they will continue to off-gas and can cause irreparable damage to other items in the container. If you are in any doubt about identifying the composition of film in a collection, consult the Assistant Director for Technical Services for advice.  Diacetate film bases tend to shrink over time and are the culprits to blame for “vinegar syndrome.” Deteriorated items should always be segregated and stored separately. Preservation copying of either base is very costly, so resources would have to be specially allocated to facilitate this process. 

  • All clips and fasteners on photographic records should be removed with great care. Photographs that were grouped together can be housed together in envelopes. 
  • Do not unframe photographs without assistance from the Assistant Director for Technical Services or the Technical Services Archivist. Vintage encased ambrotypes and daguerreotypes should NEVER be removed from their cases. 
  • NEVER try to unroll panoramic negatives, since they are usually extremely fragile. 
  • Be very cautious when unrolling panoramic prints. If long-term preservation is required, consult with Conservation about relaxing the paper. 
  • Do not photocopy photographs, although they may be digitally reproduced. 
  • If there are a limited number of 35mm slides in a collection they may be organized in Print Files and descriptive information recorded with a Sharpie pen. If there are many slides in a collection slide boxes may be used. (see Assistant Director for Technical Services or the Technical Services Archivist for details) 

Moving image materials (VHS, films, etc)

RMC has a large holding of films, VHS, and other moving image materials. 16mm and 8mm moving image records still often appear in collections, as do videos and DVDs. (Digital film will be included in Electronic Records.) Each format has a specific housing need, which will be described below. 

Here are some helpful identification resources:  

Formats for video tapes: http://tech-notes.tv/Standards-Practices/TVTapeformats.htm 

Films: Motion picture film has the same plastic film base as still photographic film; therefore many of the same handling and storage requirements apply. If you cannot identify the film base, please consult with the DCAPS. 

Helpful resource for identifying motion pictures:  

https://www.archives.gov/preservation/formats/motion-picture-film-identify-formats.html 


  • Label the item and its housing with the collection number and an assigned “F-” number from the accession book. 
  • Record any relevant information (title, date, etc.) in the finding aid 
  • Record the format in the finding aid 
  • Store reels flat in film canisters. If needed, apply a “hold down tab” to keep the tape tightly held to the reel. 
  • If possible, send to the annex 

Magnetic media:  

Magnetic media includes VHS, Betacam, U-matic, and more. Here is a helpful resource for identifying format: 

https://www.archives.gov/preservation/formats/video-identify-formats.html 


  • Label the item and its housing with the collection number and an assigned “V-” number from the accession book. 
  • Record any relevant information (title, date, etc.) in the finding aid 
  • Record the format in the finding aid 
  • Store tapes upright and packed 
  • If possible, send to the annex 

When in doubt, ask DCAPS for help with identification or storage. Note that no media is playable in RMC, either to staff or researchers; to listen or watch media, it must go through digitization and DCAPS. 

Audio recordings 

There are many different formats of sound records, ranging from wire to magnetic tape to digital (see electronic records). Most common in RMC’s holdings are magnetic reel-to-reel tape recordings.  

Here are some helpful identification resources:  

https://www.archives.gov/preservation/formats/audio-identify-formats.html 

When in doubt, ask DCAPS for help with identification or storage. Note that no media is playable in RMC, either to staff or researchers; to listen or watch media, it must go through digitization and DCAPS. 

  • Label the item and its housing with the collection number and an assigned “TR-” number from the accession book. If the recording is wire, it is assigned a “WR-” number  
  • Record any relevant information (title, date, etc.) in the finding aid 
  • Record the format in the finding aid 
  • Store reels upright; do not lay flat 
  • If possible, send to the annex 

Digital media 

All CDs, DVDs, hard drives, etc. must be assigned an appropriate number in the Accession Book. 

 See page on digital media stabilization workflow. 

Discs (vinyl, Shellac, optical) 

Frequently we acquire collections containing Disc sound recordings, such as vinyl LPs.  

  • Handle discs by the label or edge, not by the grooves 
  • Label the item and its housing with the collection number and an assigned “SR-” number from the accession book.  
  • Record any relevant information (title, date, etc.) in the finding aid 
  • Record the format in the finding aid 
  • Store discs upright in a “packed” fashion, like books 
  • If possible, send to the annex in an LP box 

Architectural and Cartographic records 

Generally architectural plans and drawings and cartographic material are oversized. It is best practice to store these items in map cases in acid-free folders, however given space and resource limitations and depending on their significance, monetary worth and research value, oversized items may be kept in the condition in which they arrived i.e. folded or rolled in boxes. 

Great care must be taken with items that have arrived rolled and will be stored flat. They should be sent to conservation for flattening and then stored in file folders that completely fit around the item and placed in mapcases. 

Materials that are to remain rolled should be stored in archival tube boxes. 

Museum objects  (UNDER REVIEW, Freddy, 2024) 

Over the decades, RMC has had different ways of separating, storing, and describing objects. Legacy collections, such as the Museum Items collection, contains objects that were separated from their original collection and stored together. Many references to this amalgamation of objects exists throughout our records. 

Our current practice is to NOT remove items from their collections. They may be housed separately for preservation purposes, but not removed from the collection* 

What is a museum object? 

This is RMC’s term for anything that does not fit into the definition of paper, photographic, printed, or audiovisual categories. Frequently this includes: awards, memorabilia, figurines, buttons, coins, publicity “swag”, clothing, ribbons, stickers, cups and mugs, and any other object. 

How to process objects: 

The current standard for RMC is to:  

  • Assess the item and work with Conservation to house it appropriately 
  • Assign the item an “MU-” number in the Accession Book 
  • Label the item in one of two ways: 
  • Write the collection number and MU number on a sticker and stick to an inconspicuous part of the item 
  • Write the collection number and MU number on a tag with string and tie or pin to the item 
  • If the item will be stored as-is on a shelf, i.e. without an enclosure, barcode the bottom or side of the item. 
  • Describe in the finding aid in the appropriate series. If the items relate to or were removed from paper files, retain the intellectual arrangement. Also include a physical description note describing the item, if the title alone is inadequate, making sure to mention the material (such as stone, glass, fabric, etc.)  

*exceptions to this rule are: Cornell textiles, mascots, and clothing; Cornelliana not related to the collection with which it arrived; other items as the curator sees fit. All items must be traced in the accession record to its original shipment if added to another collection. 

Common terminology to use:  

Pinback button–these are the (usually) circular pins, also referred to as badges, buttons, etc. Please use “pinback button” for these. 

Works of Art 

  • Art may come in a variety of formats (including digital) and like formats should be stored together. 
  • Items may be interleaved with archival quality bond paper, which is especially recommended for works in crayon, pastel, pen and ink, and paint 
  • Oversize items may be stored in acid free folders in map cases. 
  • Do not unframe any work of art before consulting with your supervisor or the relevant staff 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.