Conservation of archives

Conservation at Hereford Record Office

A wide range of techniques is used to keep the records in good condition and halt any damage already existing.

Archival Conservation Ethics state that the person using the conserved document must be able to see the original written evidence, which must not be covered in any way by the repair, and all the materials used must be sympathetic to the original document. Also any work done must be able to be undone - so no superglues! Minimum intervention is the key.

All conservation work is carried out to BS4971 standards, by a fully qualified conservator, and is reversible, in line with normal archival practice. Our facilities enable us to undertake work on maps, seals, paper and parchment and include bookbinding as well as encapsulation and lamination for non-archival material.

Unlike conservation (the physical intervention to save documents), preservation is the constant watchful eye on conditions, in order to prevent any further deterioration. This means temperature, humidity and clean atmosphere control. Daily checks are made and recorded. The Record Office follows the current edition of BS5454 (Recommendations for the storage and exhibition of archival documents).