Enemies of Paper - Items to Avoid
Many office stationery items which appear to be helpful may actually harm your records, so in the interests of paper preservation for your permanent documents, they are items to avoid (e.g. lamination, PVC, contact).
- Self adhesive photo album pages are highly acidic and should never be used for valuable items
- Coloured ribbon and folders will cause serious staining if wet
- Metal fasteners will rust and cause tearing
- Rubber bands cut into paper and will perish and become stick over time
- Sticky notes leave a sticky residue which attracts dirt, mould spores, insect eggs, etc
- Sticky tape will cause irreversible staining, and is often impossible to remove
- Cheap PVC plastics give off harmful vapours which soften inks and accelerate the ageing rate of the paper.
There are archival substitutes available (polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene), so please call for advice and remember, always handle your valuable records with care.
