4. Collection care and document handling

Chapter 4 provides the next logical step: how to handle your target collection with care and ensure none of it is inadvertently damaged in the digitisation process. Different items have different suggestions on how to handle and clean them. This chapter offers a brief outline of conservation principles and methods, and provides specific advice for caring for dirty and dusty materials, pictures and glass plate negatives, loose-leaf items, and bound items. Consideration is also given to methods of handling, when or when not to wear gloves, and what to keep in mind when housing and archiving materials.