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Re: help--- preservation of microFICHE



Bernadette:

Blue background is indeed diazo.  While diazo is LE100 under ideal
conditions, you can expect to see deterioration once they are 20-25 years
old.  I would suggest you get them out of the plastic containers, as diazo
off-gasses as it deteriorates and enclosing it in plasic will only speed up
the process.  If these records are of value, get them copied onto silver
fiche.  If not, store them in archival paper boxes, away from any other
microfilm or photographic materials.  The off-gassing from the diazo will
impact other photographic materials.  I don't believe it's necessary to
sleeve them individually, just put a reasonable amount in each sleeve.
Archival storage materials will certainly help prolong their life.  However,
be aware that as they begin to deteriorate, they will start to smell and
"burn" the paper sleeves.

When seaching for info on microfiche, look under the type, in this case
"diazo", as opposed to the format.  Whether in fiche or roll format, the
chemical compostition is the same.

Susan Hughes
Oswego, NY
(former Micrographics Specialist, Center for Archival Collections,
Bowling Green State University)


From: "Bernadette A. Boucher" <balibra76@YAHOO.COM>
Reply-To: Archives & Archivists <ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU>
To: ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU
Subject: help--- preservation of microFICHE
Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2000 12:12:27 -0800

Hello folks---

A newbie archivist asks another question:  we have
just gotten a donation of approx. 30 linear feet of
microfiche.  The fiche date from the 1980s and '90s
and are housed in small black containers made by
Rubbermaid Commercial Products.  Most of the fiche are
not individually sleeved (usually bunches of 20-50
fiche are stuffed into a sleeve, and the sleeves are
splitting)--- and some of the sleeves are acidic. I
don't anticipate that they will be used much, but I
want to ensure that I'm storing them correctly. I'm
not sure of the best way to do this.  I'm not even
sure what kind of materials the fiche are made of---
they are blue background with white text, glossy on
both sides.

I've searched through Library Literature, and I've
found a number of articles about microFILM, but not
about microFICHE.  I looked at NEDCC's technical
leaflet on microfilm and fiche, and it will be
helpful---once I know what materials this microfiche
consist of!  :)

My guess is that I'll probably have to put some kind
of sleeve around each microfiche, to keep them from
sticking together if they should deteriorate.  A
colleague has suggested that I could save expense by
interleaving each fiche with acid-free paper, rather
than buying envelopes for each fiche.  Is this
acceptable?

Any suggestions (what to do or what to read) would be
very appreciated!

Bernadette  :)

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