Scrapbooks
See making archival scrapbooks and check our general preservation practices page.
Scrapbooks are especially hard to preserve because of the variety of materials they might contain and the often low-quality pages and bindings.
Large and heavy scrapbooks are best stored flat. If that is not an option, they can also be stored with the spine down, as long as there is something holding the covers upright and closed.
Scrapbooks often contain many acidic items that can damage other items they contact. Here are some good options:
- Interleave (insert blank pages between) pages with acid-free, unbuffered tissue to prevent acidic items from contacting and damaging other items.
- Disbind the book and store each page in an acid-free folder in an acid-free box. To preserve the original look or layout of a disbound scrapbook, take photos of the opened pages.
- Store each page in a polyester sleeve. Place sleeves in order in a modern archival-quality album.
To reattach items that have come loose from scrapbook pages:
- Use archival-quality document repair tapes that are both acid-free and have an acrylic-based adhesive. Tapes that have passed the Photographic Activity Test are also safe to use with photographs. Use as little tape as possible.
- Enclose the detached item in an acid-free envelop or clear polyester sleeve, then attach that enclosure to the page.
