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5.1 Training for readers
Training in the context of an archive where individual readers have come to use the material rather than receive instruction is difficult. Formal sessions are unlikely to be well-attended but it is clear from the comments they make that readers do notice the way in which staff handle documents. On an individual basis therefore the best suggestion is to demonstrate good practice whenever possible in all parts of the archive.
5.1.1 Individual readers. In the reading rooms individual readers can learn from good handling practices when archival material is either handed to them or left out for them to collect. Staff should never carry more than one or two documents at a time and should set them down on the counter or the desk carefully.
Individual documents may be presented to the reader on a tray, in a box, encapsulated in transparent polyethylene or interleaved in a fascicule. It should be explained that all these are methods of protecting the document; if the tray is a suitable size it should be kept in it while being read or removed from the box carefully and placed on the desk away from other papers.
Encapsulated material may require explanation; it is enclosed, using heat scaling or ultrasound, in clear melinex to permit both sides of the document to be seen but not touched. Handling is reduced to a minimum as a result. Some archives or libraries tip documents into fascicules (gatherings of acid free paper) which permit the reader to look at the material but turning the pages is achieved by turning the protective leaf. It is likely to be used in situations where particularly valuable music or literary manuscripts are heavily consulted by readers.
Files or bundles of documents also require handling instructions. Staff should point out that turning papers attached at the side or at the top requires care, particularly if they have been exposed to light for any length of time and the tag or clip may be causing wear and tear. Readers should be encouraged to report the presence of any paper-clips or pins. Bundles of documents which are tied up should be carefully undone and the documents taken apart individually; they are quite capable of sticking together if they have been done up for a long time. Tape or string should be kept and any original wrapping materials pointed out. No more than one bundle should be undone at once in order to avoid mixing up the contents.
Rolls of parchment should be laid flat (see p.17) and unrolled carefully, re-rolling from the beginning at the same time to avoid too great a length being exposed at any one time.
Parchment documents gathered at the head should be leant gently against the front of an easel (see p.17) and the front sheet lifted back over the head until the whole document will balance without further restraint. Shelves halfway down the front and back can support the bottom half of the document and prevent it being dragged down by its own weight. Great care must be taken since manipulating documents of this size is always hazardous.
Individual textile samples or garments should be unwrapped on a large table as should any of the three dimensional objects such as small chests, boxes or seal skippets, writing materials or memorabilia which turn up amongst archives from time to time.
Book supports should be brought out for those readers who require them at the time that the volume is handed over. Placing the volume on the cushion (see p.13) and ensuring that both boards and spine are fully supported will indicate to the reader that care must be taken. Similarly, building up sufficient support with foam wedges under both boards and leaving the correct space for the spine will demonstrate the need for good handling. The reader should be shown how wedges can be withdrawn and re-inserted in order to keep the opening in the correct position at all times. (See p.14)
Tracing paper, ultra- violet lamps and light boxes can be explained as appropriate.
The proper way to extract a reference volume from a shelf can also be demonstrated. It should be grasped by the spine and gently pulled towards the reader rather than being pulled from the headband and jerked backwards to get a grip. The books on the shelf should be sufficiently loose for this to be possible but if they are too tight the two books on either side should be pushed to the back to allow room to grasp the spine. (Fig 11.)
The volume should be laid on a table or the support provided and opened gently without cracking the spine. Perfect bound volumes, which are made up of individual sheets bound together with a thick layer of adhesive on the spine, are particularly prone to damage if forced open. Volumes should never be laid face down on surfaces.
Microfilm and microfiche readers are unfamiliar to some users and advice on how to avoid scratching film or tape by inserting it correctly is important.
Enforcement of the rules in the reading room is the responsibility of the invigilating staff and it is important that readers realize that the rules are there to be heeded. It is unlikely that they will follow a code of practice otherwise. Demonstrating to one reader how to handle material properly frequently attracts the attention of other readers who may change their own habits as a result.
5.1.2 Group visits. The opportunity to impress the necessity of good handling practice should never be lost and group visits are an ideal moment. Unlike the individual reader, groups arrange visits in order to be instructed either about the means of reference in the archive or the sources for a particular subject. In either case they are impressionable. A request for all the party to go and wash their hands before original documents are explained by staff is likely to be a novelty, but the implication is clear.
5.1.3 Videos on handling with care are a useful teaching aid in this context. They should be short and not attempt to put over too much information. In-house videos have the advantage of describing the particular circumstances, commercial videos may be more professional in their approach.
5.1.4 Staff demonstration. If documents are out on display for members of a party to examine they provide an opportunity to explain where they are particularly fragile and why; most readers will take greater care if they understand the reasons for rules about handling.
5.2 Training for staff
Document handling should be a major part of the training programme of any archive. Certain core aspects should be taught to all but additional skills need to be taught to repository and reprographic staff.
5.2.1 Core skills
1. Ensure that your hands are clean when working on archival material.
2. Ensure that you have enough space to get documents out of their boxes and on to tables. Archival material should never be put on the floor even in boxes.
3. Handle documents as little as possible. The major damage is done by staff handling and it is sobering to think how many times a document is handled each time it is ordered. A strong room should be provided for staff use so that documents do not have to be returned to the main repository every evening. Unnecessary ordering should be avoided; if it is possible to provide suitable consultation areas in situ handling can be reduced. Keep all archival material on a special table so that it does not have to be moved to make way for other things.
4. Handle documents with care. This may seem axiomatic but familiarity with crumbling edges and disintegrating bindings can lead to carelessness. Filed papers should be turned over carefully to avoid tearing. If they are in a ring binder or bound together they should be grasped by the corner to be turned, not close to the left band margin. Conservators will advise on the proper handling of flaking or disintegrating documents.
5. Avoid touching the text on the surface of any documents and take particular care not to touch the surface of illuminated manuscripts, photographic or audio- visual material.
6. Nothing should be placed on top of documents other than restraining weights and these should not be put on top of any text.
7. Pencils should be used at all times when working with archival material.
8. Pencil- sharpeners should be used only in specified areas.
9. Never cat, drink or smoke in the vicinity of archival material. Tea and coffee breaks as well as meals should be taken away from the desk.
10. Keep sharp instruments and correcting fluid in a special drawer well away from any archival materials.
11. Do not try to do any first-aid to damaged documents without advice from a conservator. Never use glue, paste or pressure sensitive tape on paper.
12. Never crease, fold or bend documents. Re-boxing, re-assembling and re-tying of documents should be done with the original materials. If the material does not fit advice should be sought from conservators or repository staff.
13. No more than two standard size boxes should be carried by staff at any one time to avoid the danger of dropping them. If it is necessary to transport more they should be put on a trolley but even then they should not be in piles of more than two.
14. Outsize documents must be carried individually or preferably on trolleys. Care must be taken not to attempt to carry anything too heavy and if necessary two members of staff should be used. Health and safety guidelines about the best methods of picking up heavy items should be observed.
15. No more than three standard size volumes should be carried by staff at any one time; book trolleys should be used for any greater number.
16. Individual books should be removed from shelves by grasping the spine; if they are being moved in quantity remove two or three at a time and place on the shelf on the trolley in the order in which they came.
17. Trolleys should be wheeled with care ensuring that they do not bump into walls or other stacks.
5.2.2 Handling skills for repository staff. Repository staff, porters or messengers have a particular need for training in handling skills. They will be responsible for more handling than any other section of the archive. They should be taught all the core skills and particular emphasis should be put on the health and safety requirements. Correct posture and lifting techniques are essential.
Special handling skills should include the following;
1. Remove and return boxes or large documents from shelves with two hands; one should draw the item off the shelf with the other underneath to support it. Security will be provided in this way if either the box or binding should give way.
2. Move volumes about in book trolleys.
3. Remove and return maps, plans and outsize single documents from map cabinets with great care. If there is an inside restraining flap in the drawer it should be lifted before trying to extract or return the item.
4. Remove and return rolled maps from shelves by restraining the adjacent maps with one hand and using the other for the map. If there is too great a pile of rolls never pull one out without removing those above first.
5. Put maps, plans and large single documents in portfolios for support before using a map trolley to move them.
6. Use special, lined boxes for fragile materials such as glass negatives or delicate textiles.
7. If it is necessary to move large quantities of volumes in crates, for instance by van to another building, they should either be placed flat or spine down to provide support. The temptation to put them spine up for identification must be resisted; a list of references should be sent in addition. They must only be packed one row deep. This technique should also be used when moving volumes away from the scene of a flood or fire.
8. Use lifts to move materials from one floor to the other; never carry more than one item up or down stairs.
9. Shelve material awaiting collection by readers with care. Varying sizes and types of documents will be stacked next to each other and adequate support should be given to individual items.
10. Put outsize material, maps, plans or flat documents on tables, not shelves.
11. Moving archival material from one building to another should be done in a van for protection from the weather and security. If it is essential to carry individual items an unidentified waterproof pouch or bag should be used.
12. Packing any kind of transit van should be done with great care so that the material is securely restrained against supports. Specialized vans should be used with slats on the walls to which straps can be attached and pigeon holes for standard size materials if possible. Nothing should travel without a protective covering; individual items should be in boxes, folders, pouches or portfolios.
13. The use of forklift trucks to move documents on pallets is a convenient way of transporting bulk quantities from one place to another but there is danger from overloading and in using power machinery in conjunction with archival material.
5.2.3 Handling skills for reprographic staff. Staff involved with the photography, photocopying or microfilming of archival material need training for an unusual type of handling. They are required to subject the material to stresses and strains which are potentially damaging.
Preparation for copying is important as it may involve un-tagging files in order to film individual items or, in extreme cases, dis-binding volumes. The latter is not recommended and should only be undertaken by a conservator. Un- tagging, and subsequent re- tagging of modern archival material held together at the top left hand corner must be done carefully to avoid tearing; the paper is frequently weak having borne the brunt of being turned and the punched hole may be torn or enlarged.
It must be emphasized that any form of reprography can do some damage although the very fact of having made a copy should reduce the need to consult the original. It is in itself a preservation measure. Handling the material on the machines currently available is, however, not easy.
Photography. Good handling practice is easiest with conventional photographic methods since the archival material can be placed on a suitable surface and left there. It should be handled as little as possible according to the general guidelines.
Photocopying. The provision of archivally sound photocopiers is long awaited. Although several overhead machines do exist they are none of them wholly satisfactory. In consequence few archives own them although they are more common in libraries where they are used for standard sized volumes rather better suited to the machines. Archival material should never be copied on a machine with a moving platen; such machines are designed as office copiers. Most archives still use fixed bed copiers and attempt to minimize the damage from the necessity to turn the material upside down. It is tempting to view this process as a repetitive task which can be carried out by semi-skilled staff; good handling technique is vital.
Despite the inevitable pressure to work fast photocopying should be done carefully to avoid subjecting the archival material to repeated copying; the archival copy should be stored, having itself been copied. Subsequent copies should be taken from this second generation, but replaceable, film.
A firm policy about which material is suitable for copying should be drawn up and adhered to. It is unsuitable for the following:
• documents in poor condition
• parchment documents
• illuminated or painted documents
• documents larger than the size of the platen on the machine
• documents with seals
• large maps or plans
• volumes with disintegrating spines, joints or boards
• large or heavy volumes
The material to be copied has to be turned upside down to put it on the platen; single items should be turned over carefully and after the copy has been made should be placed on an adjacent table. It is important to have enough table space in the reprographic area. Volumes should be checked to ensure that there are no loose items which could fall out before they are turned over. The platen should be of an adequate size to support both pages fully. If double page spreads are to be copied the spine of the volume should not be forced down on to the platen since this is likely to weaken it. It is better to take a single copy of each page, supporting the other half carefully if necessary.
Microfilming. The advantages in handling archival material for microfilming are that the material remains static on a support; the disadvantages are that the operators are required to work to a programme based on frames per minute. In addition the repetitive nature of the task is likely to bore the operators who are therefore less likely to attend to careful document handling. All the core handling skills apply but particular care should be paid to the technique of turning pages. It is important to have the bed of the machine in a comfortable position for the operator so that the archival material can be handled with case.
