如何保护你的家庭文件

卡丽·布朗一家，c. 1925. Erik Overbey系列.

控制温度和湿度 – Two of the most harmful things to paper are temperature and humidity. 理想情况下, conditions in the area in which your papers are stored should be around 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit and 40 to 50 percent relative humidity. 这些条件并不总是 很容易在家里完成. You should strive, however, to maintain consistency 在这两个. You should also make sure the location of your papers is neither too dry 不要太潮湿. And don't keep your papers in the attic or the basement, but in a closet 这与外墙无关.

注意光线 – Light is another factor that affects the longevity (and legibility) of paper. It is especially damaging to color paper (color photographs, watercolors, textiles, newspaper, 等.). 将文件存放在阴凉、黑暗的地方. 不要展示它们，或者，如果你要展示， 展示项目的副本或使用紫外线玻璃.

隔离受感染物质 – Mold, mildew, and insects can cause serious 损害 to paper. 如果你发现了什么 has become infested, contain the problem right away by sealing the item immediately 装在拉链式的袋子里. Then you can tackle the problem that created the mold, mildew, 或者昆虫侵扰. Usually this means improving environmental conditions or eliminating the sources that attract insects (such as food crumbs or dust). 不过，警告你一句， serious mold problems require a professional to handle. 一旦问题已经 addressed, you need to determine whether the infected item can be salvaged or will 必须被丢弃.

如果不可逆，就不要做! -严禁使用胶带或胶水. 不要层压板物品. 层压是永久的，不能 是未完成的. If you want something preserved in that way, use polyester film to encapsulate 文档. This will provide the support you are looking for without causing permanent 损害. Regular tape and glue have chemicals in them which can and does harm paper. Plus, they break down over time and leave residue. 你可以购买档案磁带 从一家信誉良好的档案供应公司. 订书钉和旧的回形针也有害. 它们都生锈了. In addition, paper can tear when removing staples. 相反，使用不锈钢 steel paper clips or, even better, plastic ones, to hold paper together.

小心处理 – When handling large items like maps, lift them by their diagonal (kitty-corner) 边缘. Wear gloves when interacting with photographs, negatives, CDs, DVDs, or other material easily 损害d by the oils in your hands. 交易时不要戴手套 with paper, however, which is more likely to be 损害d by the gloves. 一定要确定 你的手要干净，不要过度处理. 清洗cd或dvd时，请使用 dry cotton cloth and wipe in a straight line radiating out from the center. 从来没有 擦一圈. 在处理材料时不要吃东西或喝水.

Just because it's digitized doesn't mean it's preserved – Digitization of your papers is a good way in which to reduce handling of them. 但 它还没有被认为是一种保存工具. 如果你承担起责任 of digitizing something, you must also take on the responsibility of preserving that file by migrating it from format to format as technology changes.

仔细准确地贴上标签 – If labeling photographs, use pencil (not a regular pen) and write lightly on the 背面. Do not press down too hard or you will indent the reverse side. 如果写 with a pencil makes it difficult to read, use a water-based, acid-neutral pen (which can be purchased at most archival supply companies). 要给CD或DVD贴上标签，请跟着写 the inner rim where the data layer is not located using the same type of pen mentioned 以上. 用日期、作者或主题标记你的条目. 如果不确定，一定要包括 a question mark so that your descendants won't be misled.

Use archival quality products to store your papers – Don’t trust retail outlets that claim their photo albums, sleeves, and the like 是“档案”还是“无酸”." Buy your materials from reputable library or archives vendors such as Light Impressions, Hollinger-Metal Edge, Gaylord Brothers, or University 产品. Be sure whatever you buy has passed the PAT (photographic activity test), 木质素含量低，无缓冲.