[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Glove use summary



Two weeks ago, I requested information on glove use.  My sincere thanks to all the respondents.  There were responses question from 16 individuals.  I hope I have correctly interpreted your responses.  Please forgive misinterpretations.
 
Of those 16:
One archivist noted the importance of gloves in the museum profession, and wondered whether glove use in archives had carried over from there.  Another noted that sometimes the gloves were dirtier than the hands in the gloves.  One person mentioned the importance of having support up and down the organization for the policy, whatever it is.
 
It is difficult to find mention of glove use to protect collections in websites concerning archival materials, except for handling photographs.  Glove use is more frequently cited in reference to protecting the archivist, as in salvage operations and in connection with handling moldy materials. 
 
The variety of policies is very interesting to me.  I still need to resolve several questions before I can create a policy on glove use I can fully support. 
  1. The effect of finger oils on metal, textiles, leather, and ceramics was mentioned repeatedly.  Is it truly possible to say that clean hands are enough when handling paper, if it is easy to find evidence of damage to textiles, the artifact material to which paper is most closely related? 
  2. Almost everyone mentioned the importance of clean hands, free of hand lotions or other salves.  This leaves me puzzling as to how to be sure hands are clean if we decide not to require glove use.  How often do hands need to be washed?  We cannot police the bathrooms.  Would a container of hand wipes in the library allow us to watchdog the cleanliness, or would they just make litter and add unwanted chemicals?
  3. If I decide to recommend glove use for handling some archival paper, is there a valid reason to waive the policy?  I am working with two paper conservators, neither of whom wore gloves when inspecting circus posters in our archive.  The conservators were using their fingers to learn about the papers on which they were going to be working.  Are there other valid reasons to waive the use of gloves?  Does it depend solely on the perceived value of the paper being handled?  Is there a way to make it less arbitrary?
Again, many thanks to everyone who responded with policies and examples.  I learned a great deal from the answers.
 
Erin Foley
Archivist
Circus World Museum
550 Water Street
Baraboo, WI  53913
 
608-356-8342, ext. 3283
fax 608-355-7959
efoley.cwm@baraboo.com