We are in the middle of the U.S. National Preservation Week — a national campaign April 26-May 3 launched by the American Library Association, the Library of Congress, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and other cultural heritage organizations aimed to help raise awareness about collecting and preservation and to connect the general public to preservation information and expertise.
As part of this, the Center for Jewish History in New York has published a series of posts on its blog that provide tips from its archival experts about the best way to take care of vulnerable artifacts at home: books, manuscripts, hangings, etc.
To preserve your own books and other heritage materials, remember these core principles:
• Avoid storing collections in attics and basements.
• Check boxes in storage and artworks on the wall every six months to make sure they aren’t wet and don’t have insect infestations.
• Never display photographs or artworks in direct sunlight.
There are also tips on how to organize digital files, scans and photos.
The tips don’t deal with built heritage, the focus of JHE — but we feel it important to pass along the advice, as people interested in Jewish built heritage often possess documents or other collections of objects and artifacts as well as extensive digital documentation and photo archives.
See full posts about preserving physical objects here
See posts about organizing digital files and material here