Proper Care and Handling of Scrapbooks and Albums
Taking care when handling any collection item, especially functional and composite items like scrapbooks and albums with flexing parts and various media, is one of the more effective, cost-efficient, and easily achieved preservation measures.
Take proper care when handling scrapbooks and albums by:
- Handling the item with clean hands
- Looking at the item in a clean area
- Keeping food and drink away
- Not forcing the scrapbook/album to lie open completely flat
- Supporting the entire leaf when turning pages, especially if the page is heavy from the added material
- Holding the open scrapbook/album in such a way so that the leaves on both sides of the book lie without much of a curve or wave, which can cause the added material to detach from the album pages
Making a Long-Lasting Scrapbook or Album
It can take a lot of time, effort, love, and materials to make a scrapbook or album. Make one that will last a long time by using good quality materials, carefully considering the various things that will be included in the book before choosing the album structure, and keeping the overall size and weight of the scrapbook modest:
- Use acid-free and lignin-free paper materials
- Use polyethylene, polypropylene, or polyester film plastics
- Use wheat-starch paste instead of any other kind of glue, or use non-adhesive attachment methods like acid- and lignin-free paper photo corners or polyethylene photo corners
- Avoid rubber bands, self-adhesive tape, paper clips, staples
- Choose heavy/thick stock for album leaves, adequate to support the weight of the added material
- Choose an album format that is expandable, like a 3-ring binder
Proper Storage of Scrapbooks and Albums
The composite nature of and usual inclusion of modern materials in scrapbooks and albums make good storage especially critical for preservation:
- Store the album flat, preferably in a preservation-quality, well-fitting box* that keeps out light, dust, and pests
- Storage environment should be cool (room temperature or below), relatively dry (about 35% relative humidity), clean, and stable (avoid attics, basements, and other locations with high risk of leaks and environmental extremes)
- Away from radiators and vents
- Away from areas prone to leaks
*The Northeast Document Conservation Center has put together very useful technical leaflets on storage enclosures for books and papers as well as a list for Conservation/Preservation Supplies and Equipment — Archival Supplies. See additional lists of preservation suppliers.
Dealing with Condition Problems
For historical scrapbooks and albums with condition problems that are insufficiently addressed by the preventive measures outlined above, conservation treatment by a book, paper, or photograph conservator may be necessary.
Additional Resources:
Lectures at the Library of Congress about scrapbooks, including digital and traditional scrapbooks, preservation considerations when making scrapbooks, and the conservation of scrapbooks in the Library's collections.
Preservation Basics: Preservation of Scrapbooks and Albums. Originally printed as: Preservation Basics, A National Cooperative Information Project, Leaflet Number 1, November 1991.
National Postal Museum. Scrapbooks .
Melissa Tedone, Preserving Historic Scrapbooks & Making New Ones that Last , ALCTS Webinar for National Preservation Week 2014.
The preservation procedures described here have been used by the Library of Congress in the care of its collections and are considered suitable by the Library as described; however, the Library will not be responsible for damage to your collection should damage result from the use of these procedures.
