University Archives Flat File Rehousing Project: A Summary
Due to the renovation of the northeast corner of the University Archives on the 10th floor of the Bobst Library, oversized collection material needed to be safely relocated from the NYU Archives to the Tamiment Library & Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives.
The project team was led by Preventive Conservator Jessica Pace, and consisted of Special Collections Conservator Dawn Mankowski and graduate Mellon Fellow Lyudmyla Bua. Jessica ensured that the project stayed on schedule over a four-day period, during the week of February 13th, 2017, when three units of flat files were moved to the Tamiment Collection.
The project focused on efficiently mitigating the improper storage conditions of the oversized paper-based materials to allow for safe transferring. Six flat files contained large architectural reproductions, posters and certificates. Many materials had no housing, while others were housed in folders or drawers that were too small for them, causing tearing and crushing of the material, as illustrated in the photos above. Three of the six flat file drawers were broken, and/or showed signs of rust formation, compromising the material held inside. These flat file units were discarded and the contents moved to the new location in Tamiment.
Preparation of the rehousing supplies and prior assessment of the collections’ materials ensured an efficient workflow once the project was underway. First, all loose collection materials inside the broken flat files were housed in archival folders and relocated into appropriately sized enclosures. These were placed either in boxes or moved to flat files at the Tamiment Archives, as shown in the photos above. Next, the materials in the rest of the flat files were rehoused into folders for safe transfer and handling during the move. The collection materials were moved out of each flat file the day before. The empty flat files were then moved using large carts, as illustrated in the photos below. The location information of the collection material was diligently documented to ensure the ease of future access by library’s staff and patrons.
The successful outcome of this project was due to collaboration and communication between departments. Fragile and brittle papers were interleaved as a temporary measure to assist in the future handling of the objects. This remediation project ensured the materials can be safely used by the staff and patrons of the library, while the renovation is underway.
Future work is recommended to remediate the issues encountered during this project. Some items in the collection exhibited more serious condition issues such as large tears, creasing, crumpling of the paper, and brittleness, as well as improper housing that could not be easily corrected during the rehousing project. Due to the limited time allotted to complete this project, larger folders could not be procured in time for this project. Oversize materials that were too large or too thick for their current flat files, or too small for their folders, should be rehoused into appropriately-sized flat files after the Special Collections renovation. Additionally, reproductive processes that are not compatible with each other, such as blueprints (cyanotypes) and diazotypes, should be rehoused in separate folders in the near future.
-Post by Lyudmyla Bua, Andrew W. Mellon Fellow for Master of Arts and Certificate of Advanced Study in Libraries and Archives Conservation at Buffalo State, SUNY.
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