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Re: Labeling Photos



Kathy,
PVA glues are irreversible.  Photos should be labeled on the back lightly in pencil.  You might think about providing them with the proper storage envelopes and they could put the labels on the envelope until you or your staff could identify on back as I noted above.  You might be able to go there and label for them depending on work flow.  You need to discuss with them how historically valuable their work is and how pressure sensitive labels are detrimental to the long term preservation of the photos.  Just my 2 cents.  Dick King, University of Arizona

Kathy Gaynor wrote:

A few days ago,  I was in a meeting with our University Communications and
Marketing Depts. and we were discussing the photos that these offices
produce and how they might eventually be sent over to the Archives.  I
mentioned that it was my understanding that preservationists prefer that
photos be unmarked if possible.  If marking is required, then a light
pencil or photo marking pencil can be used along the edge.

Several people from these offices said that they generally used labels on
the back and implied that the number of photos that ended up in the
archives might be significantly reduced if the personnel were required to
use anything else.

So, has anyone come up with a reasonable compromise in a similar situation?
 We have a number of labeled photos already in the archives that were sent
over in the past.  What can we recommend for these offices to do from now on?

One colleague has suggested possibly using PVA Glue which she understood to
be reversible.  Any other ideas?

Thank you very much for your advice.
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