As has been seen recently on popular television programmes involving archive material, it is good practice to wear cotton gloves when touching rare/ illuminated parchment or unprotected photographic items. However, despite the possibility of finger oils adding to the corrosion of paper, some cotton or latex gloves are liable to make the wearer less adept at turning pages, which can transfer ink and dirt. When the gloves get worn out and dirty, they become an expense the office can not meet.
It is our policy that searchers may wear gloves, (which can be provided) bearing in mind the following points. Handle documents confidently, and lightly by the edges where possible and use support items provided. Keep hands clean and avoid wiping or rubbing surfaces. Follow the office guidelines and observe the effect you are having on the material you use. Thank You.
Documents marked U.F.P. (Unfit for Production) in the lists and on packaging
From time to time you may wish to see a document which is marked U.F.P. (Unfit for Production). This means that a document or collection is badly decayed and fragile to the point where any handling will damage it further and that it is waiting for conservation work to be carried out on it.
Due to the vast amount of material that this office holds and few staff, documents to be treated have to be prioritised. Demand, is one of these priorities, so it is worth asking a member of staff if it would be possible to bring an item to the top of the list. We will do our best in Conservation to provide this service, bearing in mind that it will not be instant and that there may be a wait of several weeks.
Photocopying and photography of documents is at the discretion of the searchroom staff.
Where photocopying is allowed the document should be no larger than A3. Volumes and large or fragile original maps and plans will not be photocopied due to the damage that may be done to them.
Scanning is not carried out by this office.
In some cases documents and maps may be photographed. For more information about the our policy on photography.
Copyright is also an issue when copies of documents and maps are requested. For more information about copyright conditions go to Copyright Policy page.
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