H. Fastened Documents
- No attempt should be made to separate documents that
are held together by paper or wax seals or wafers, or that are adhesively
attached with lines or dots of paste or glue. If such items must be separated
to allow for the safe handling, use, or filming of the records, they should be
sent to a conservation laboratory where the removal can be accomplished safely
without damaging the surface of the paper or losing written information. In
some instances, a seal or wafer is integral to the integrity of a document and
may contain important information and, therefore, should not be removed.
- Ribbon lacings or ties, which historically were used
to unite sheets of paper and are sometimes associated with paper or wax seals,
should not be removed.
- Metal slide fasteners (with a prong base, compressor,
and two slide locks-such as Acco fasteners), office-quality paper clips and
staples, rubber bands, spring or binder clips, straight pins, colored cloth
tape, and similar devices used to unite permanently valuable archival records
should be evaluated from a preservation perspective. Such fasteners often
cause physical or chemical damage to records and should be removed when
appropriate. Fasteners should be removed when records have high intrinsic
value or are brittle, or when the fasteners have deteriorated and are causing
obvious damage to records. Many metal fasteners rust, causing permanent
staining and weakening of paper. Bulky fasteners, such as spring clips, can
distort paper records and keep them from lying flat. Weak paper can break when
it is flexed against the sharp, rigid edges of slide fasteners, paper clips,
and similar devices, which function as cutting edges. Rubber bands lose their
elasticity over time, become hard, and adhere to the surface of paper. Red
cloth tape, often used to tie or wrap bundles of documents, can cause edges of
brittle or weak paper to break; the red dye in the tape is also very
water-soluble and can cause permanent staining of records in the event of a
water-related disaster.
- Stainless steel paper clips are the preferred fastener for holding
archival records together, if the paper is strong and will not suffer from the
pressure of the clip. If stainless steel paper clips are used, small strips of
archival bond paper (ca. 1" wide and 3" long) should be folded in half and
placed over the top edges of the documents to serve as a support for the paper
clip. (
See Supply List.) Paper clips may be positioned at various points along the
upper edge of documents, to avoid excess bulk at corners and the lopsided
distortion of folders. Plastic paper clips, though often made of a stable
plastic, should not be used because they clamp too tightly and exert too much
pressure on weak paper; they also break easily.
- Non-corrosive, rustproof staples are acceptable in instances when paper
records are strong and flexible. They should not be used on records of high
intrinsic value or on records that are weak and brittle. Staples create small
puncture holes in documents and since staples are removed and replaced
periodically for photocopying or other purposes, a large number of holes can
result, with the effect of weakening the paper. When staples are used, they
should be positioned through strips of archival bond paper as described above,
to help support and protect the documents.(
See Supply List)
- Strips of archival bond paper serve a useful function
in addition to the primary goal of protecting weak paper. Use of the strips in
conjunction with a fastener signifies that the paper clip or staple employed
meets archival standards and does not have to be replaced. This becomes
increasingly important with the passage of time as institutional memory fades,
since it is often impossible to differentiate between office and archival
quality fasteners on the basis of visual inspection.
- In some instances, paper records are too fragile to safely bear the
pressure of either paper clips or staples. In such cases, groups of records
should be maintained together through the use of folders or folded interleaving
sheets (made of archival bond paper)
placed within folders.
- Fasteners should never be placed on photographs,
posters, or original art work, as they can permanently damage the image layer.
- In some instances, fasteners, such as grommets, may
be so firmly embedded in the paper that it is best to leave them in place.
Attempts to remove such objects may result in a great deal of damage to the
surrounding paper. If embedded or strongly-adhered fasteners must be removed
for microfilming or other purposes, the records should be sent to a
conservation laboratory where removal can be effected safely.
- Great care must be exercised when removing old fasteners to avoid
damaging paper records. Fasteners that have rusted or become strongly adhered to
paper surfaces must be gently lifted; before removal, the line of contact
between the paper and any encrusted rust must be broken. (See
paragraph 13.)
- When removing fasteners, the document should be fully
supported on a table, and one hand should be placed on the document to hold it
in position and support the paper while the fastener is being removed. If the
procedure is conducted in mid-air, documents are likely to be torn and
damaged.
- Staple removers should not be used on fragile or
brittle documents, as they easily remove an entire weak or brittle corner
with the intended staple. A staple remover can be used with care, however, on
paper that is strong and flexible; this is often a practical necessity when
faced with masses of archival records needing processing. When using a staple
remover, the document must be supported flat on a table top. The staple
remover should be used from the back to lift the shanks of the staple. Once
opened, the staple should be carefully removed from the front.
- A microspatula should be used to remove fasteners
from documents that are weak, thin, or brittle. Working from the back, a
microspatula can be used to carefully lift the shanks of staples or similar
metal fasteners, as well as paper clips. (See Figure 5.) As a precaution, it
is advisable, when possible, to slip a small piece of polyester film under the
staple before removing it, to prevent the microspatula from slipping and
cutting into the paper. Encrusted rust, which could impede removal of a
fastener, should be removed mechanically if possible, carefully using a
microspatula to gently chip away at the rust to break the line of contact with
the paper. Hardened and encrusted rubber bands also can be removed in this
fashion. Any flicking or lifting motion to remove encrusted particles from the
surface of paper must be undertaken very cautiously to avoid tearing the sheet
or skinning the surface of the paper.
Figure 5
When removing staples, keep the document flat on a
table surface and do not allow it to hang over the table edge. Hold the
document firmly in position with a clean hand to keep it from shifting.
Working from the reverse of the document, place a small strip of polyester
film under the staple to protect the surface of the paper from being torn or
abraded. Carefully insert a microspatula under one shank of the fastener and
gently lift it. Similarly, lift the other shank. Then turn the document over
and remove the staple. Place the staples removed in a small container to
prevent them from inadvertently puncturing other documents.
- Paper cups or similar receptacles should be used to
collect all fasteners as they are removed. This practice prevents accidental
damage that may result if records are placed at a work station covered with
fasteners and miscellaneous debris.
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