Scott, Hi.
My answers to Kathie are in bold…
I’ve another question. I’m still trying to get a handle on the most effective (but also economical) way to store paper items archivally. 
1. Is it OK, for instance, to put paper items in archival manila folders and/or archival poly pages (all acid and lignin-free), but then put those folders and pages in nonarchival hanging files from a regular office supply store? (I’m hoping so because the archival hanging files are expensive!) Yes, once an item is enclosed, or isolated, away from “regular” or acidic materials in an impermeable material (for instance, acids from paper don’t migrate through the plastic page protectors like they do through a regular paper envelope) then they can be stored in regular office files.
2. I could really use a short primer on acid and lignin and how they travel. Acids in paper cause yellowing and embrittlement. The acids are a byproduct of the breakdown of impurities and unstable products in the paper. One of those unstable products is lignin, which is added for the mass production process. I have a 300 year old piece of paper from Italy that is as clean and strong as the day it was made… its in much different condition than the 75 year old paper from the 1930’s I have which is brittle, loosing pieces around the edge, yellowed badly etc.
Once acids are present in paper, then they can contaminate any cellulose material (paper or cloth) and cause it to deteriorate, discolor etc… unless the item has an alkaline reserve! An alkaline reserve in paper is called a “buffer” and it is there to neutralize the acids should the paper be exposed.
Now, here is where maybe I’m getting into the “more than you want to know” category but I think its interesting: some materials can’t, by their nature, be acidic. So, technically, its impossible for plastic and glass to contain acids. If you see plastic advertized as acid free either they are just using buzz words that they don’t understand or they are idiots.
3. Also, for instance, if I move a paper item from a non-archival environment into an archival enclosure, will it stop further acidification? No, cause the acids are created from within the paper, not from without. Once the paper is contaminated, then putting it into an archival folder may isolate it from further contact with other acidic materials but it will still be falling apart from the acids within.
4. And if I move several items (say, 3 ads from the same old brochure) into one archival enclosure, do they all still degrade each other, in which case they should each be in a separate envelope/folder or bag? Yes, see answer to 2 and 3
Questions submitted by:
Kathie
Hatfield Historical Museum
http://hatfieldhistory.weebly.com
Wow… this is interesting. Thanks Kathie for these questions, and Scott for the answers. This will help me at home with sorting out the boxes of my mother’s stuff and other family history. Keep posting stuff like this. I really like it.
Scott, that’s a big help, thanks! But I’d like more about using the “buffered” materials you mention at the end of my question No. 2. In the catalog I’m ordering my archival supplies from, they have papers, envelopes and boxes buffered with 3% calcium carbonate to help absorb (?) migrant acidity. So if I have a yellowing or browning old photo or certificate, would it help to place a sheet of buffered paper behind the photo in the polyester or polyethylene envelope? I wouldn’t want to put paper on both sides because the point of using the clear envelope or bag is to allow easy viewing without direct contact.
OR, if I use an acid-free, lignin-free buffered folder, then I don’t need to use an envelope or bag at all? But since acids can travel from one piece to another, I guess I’d still want to use separate enclosures, in which case I don’t need to spend the money on archival (acid-free) folders.
Kathie,
Buffered paper doesn’t counter act acids in other materials. The alkaline reserve (3% calcium carb) benefits only the paper that contains the buffer so that it will not become acidic in the future. Buffered papers do prohibit acids from migrating from one acidic paper to another. So, if you had, for instance, newsprint in a file with other papers, you could interleaf the papers in the file with a sheet of buffered paper to keep the newsprint from contaminating other papers. Once again, as I wrote before, the acid deterioration occurs from within, so if you put a single piece of paper in a page protector, you have isolated it from other papers… and a sheet of buffered paper, placed in the page protector with it, will do nothing to further preserve it.
Regarding the acid free, lignin free buzz words you are reading: if a paper item is buffered, then the lignin is kind of a mute point since its been neutralized. As I wrote before, just placing an item in an acid free buffered folder does not preserve it or stop acid deterioration. You will need interleaves to stop acid migration. On the other hand, if you choose to use acidic (normal) folders, then any historic paper items the acidic folder comes in contact with could become more acidic.
Thanks, Scott, that clarifies a lot for me! Maybe sometime you could talk about getting an item de-acidified. I am guessing that the cost of sending an item out for this rescue would discourage all but particularly old or valuable items. Since our historical museum (and my home) are full of acidic ephemera, is this a process one could safely learn to do oneself?
Kathie,
There is a product called Bookkeepers. It is a deacidification spray. There are some precautions to consider when applying it so read the directions and talk to the supplier (probably available through the catalogs you have been looking through already). Once you buy it, write me and I’ll give you a few precautions too.
Scott
This is a great resource. On the Weather Channel, there’s a lot happening in our area of the country. This info is so important! I’m enjoying it.. good article
It’s posts like this that keep me coming back and checking this site regularly, thanks for the info!
Thanks Pau. Its always good to have you back and visit. Thanks for referring us to your club members.
You’re right! I agree with you.. I had lots of papers stored in our storage room since I was in my college years and I still had it nowadays..I just don’t know how to make use of it! Thanks for the info! You’ve made me eager to do something good out of paper. keep it up!
Thanks for the comment Mary. I like scanning photos and documents for back up storage. It’s a trip down memory lane. But don’t make the mistake of thinking that scanning an important photo or document is the same as preserving it. The original may be important and needs to be taken care of. See my 4 min video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8A_7h4yTskE. Another suggestion: keep a copy of your photos or docs on an online service or at someone else’s house in another region of the country. If fire, earthquakes, hurricanes strike, you’ll have a back up. For a good example see the 2 min. video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lCx-xg4BMY
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I ran across your article when looking for tips on preserving some old family documents from World War I and these questions really helped me. Also I went out and got that product Bookkeepers to hopefully reverse some of the acid on the paper. Thanks Scott and thanks to Kathie for asking the questions.
Sorry for this lame question that seems so normal that everyone should know the answer but what does ‘archival’ mean?
Actually, Peter, that is a great question! The reason it SEEMS that everyone should know the answer is because its a ‘buzz’ word that companies use to label their supposedly archival products. Archival is a word that was defined by standards established by the Library of Congress. An archival product should not deteriorate or change chemically or cause anything else to deteriorate or change. So, when someone labels glass as archival, is that accurate?! Well, yes because it matches that description BUT… glass is NOT MADE ‘archival’… it is archival by its nature. S, one glass is not more archival than another and you shouldn’t pay extra for archival glass. Nowadays, all the plastics used in photo albums are stable also. Don’t pay extra for ‘archival.’ Its all archival (new photo albums). Beware also that paper products use the label archival all the time but they are not. It is common that a paper that is MADE acid free, does not STAY acid free an, in fact, can absorb acids from other items and therefore become acidic. For the best archival paper products, ask or make sure they are also “BUFFERED” besides being acid free… that was they will stay archival.
Thanks for taking the time to discuss this about archival materials. I feel strongly about it and love learning more on this topic.
Hello, an amazing article dude about preserving stuff. Thanks for sharing this information with us. Interesting.
Thanks for this collection care info. Great blog.
This is great! I’ve been looking for this and just stumbled in your article. You have explained in details on how acids on paper interact. Nice share and idea.
So if I have a yellowing or browning old photo or certificate, would it help to place a sheet of buffered paper behind the photo in the polyester or polyethylene envelope?
Regarding the acid free, lignin free buzz words you are reading: if a paper item is buffered, then the lignin is kind of a mute point since its been neutralized. As I wrote before, just placing an item in an acid free buffered folder does not preserve it or stop acid deterioration. Thanks for the info! You’ve made me eager to do something good out of paper. keep it up!
Ravi, no, it doesn’t do anything to help preserve an acidic photo or certificate if you place a buffered paper behind it in the polyester envelope. The acids are INSIDE the paper like a cancer. If someone has cancer, just dressing nice won’t help with the disease. The acids need to be neutralized. You are correct about the deacidification and lignin. Thanks for leaving a comment!
Acids in paper is a hidden condition problem that seems hard to figure out. I mean, how do you know when it impacts value?
Good question Adam. Obviously, when acids have caused a paper item to look brown and to be brittle, its easy to see that it is not in the same condition as, and therefore not the same value as an identical item in pristine condition. But some collectibles on paper are extremely sensitive (in value) to collector appeal and even the slightest blemish will impact the value. So, on these types of items, in order to protect the value, the collector has to be hyper vigilant in handling and protecting the item from acid deterioration, if possible. On a coated baseball card its harder to protect against acids than on a signed letter, for example. The coated paper makes it difficult to deacidify the paper.
This is great! I’ve been looking for this and just stumbled in your article. You have explained in details on how acids on paper interact. Nice share and idea. Keep posting related articles.
This is a really great bit of information for keeping documents in storage! Not that I have very many pieces that are old enough to warrant such great care, but perhaps some of the really nice sentimental documents – birth and marriage certificates of my grandparents and the like….