Preservation of Archives

Preservation encompasses all activities which prolong the usable life of archival records. These activities are designed to minimise the physical and chemical deterioration of records and to prevent the loss of informational content.

The Preservation Section has the responsibility of physically repairing damaged historical records, as well as the responsibility for managing the many factors that could contribute to the deterioration of archival records. These include the shelving and storage conditions of the records, as well as how the records are handled when used.

The conservation treatment and repair of historical records is a highly specialised function requiring an extensive knowledge of the nature of historical record's composition, the methods of physical repair of a diverse range of historical features found on documents (for example, wax seals), chemical treatments to halt the deterioration of records, the repair and rebinding of the many different historical binding structures, as well as the construction of appropriate protective boxes and enclosures for archival records.