A Few Words on Scrapbook Preservation

As we’ve seen in previous entries, preserving scrapbooks can often be a challenge. Scrapbooks can contain all sorts of materials – acidic paper, wood, metal, fabrics, newsprint, adhesives, ink, paints, photographs, and so on. Over time and without intervention, these materials will chemically react and degrade, leaving scrapbooks fragile or illegible. So what is an archivist to do?


To stabilize scrapbooks, archivists will usually place them in archival boxes (acid-free and either pre-made or custom-made). Sometimes they will interleave the pages with archival tissue to keep photographs and other chemically unstable materials separate from acidic paper. The most important step is to make sure that they are stored flat, off the ground, and in dark and environmentally controlled areas, with low humidity and relatively cool temperatures. These guidelines also apply for family archivists.
For more detailed guidance, check out the following resources:


- Preservation of Scrapbooks and Albums, from the Library of Congress
- Preservation Options for Scrapbook and Album Formats, from the American Institute for Conservation
- Preparing, Protecting, Preserving Family Treasures, from the Library of Congress
- Preserving Memories: Caring for your Heritage, from the Clarke Historical Library

If you are a scrapbooker, you certainly want to take steps to ensure that future generations of your family can admire and learn from your lovingly and skillfully crafted works. And who knows? Your scrapbooks might even end up in an archives one day. Here are some resources with guidelines on how to create your scrapbooks in ways that will improve their stability and life spans:
- Preserving and Conserving Your Collection, from the National Postal Museum

- Scrapbook Preservation Society

Any other words from the wise? Post them in the comments!

Entry compiled by Erin Dix