Drying your whānau collections — checklist

Download a PDF of the checklist

This is a web version of Drying your whānau collections checklist.

You can also download the Drying your whānau collections checklist (pdf, 90KB)

Kia tūpato, kia haumaru | Be careful, be safe

Contamination and mould are the biggest risks to us and our collections.

• ALWAYS personal health and safety first — Mask up, glove up

• Find a cool and dry space to air-dry your collection. This will reduce the risk of mould. If no space is available your collections can be bagged and frozen.

• Remember to take photographs for insurance purposes.

Materials and equipment

• masks (P2)

• gloves

• waterproof clothing

• tables

• paper towels or newsprint paper or blotter

• boxes and containers to carry items

• plastic bags

• roll of clingfilm

• marker pens and tape

• clean running water

• freezer domestic or commerical

• tape

Nice to have – fans, dehumidifiers

Rinsing and air-drying

Fans and dehumidifiers will speed up the drying and reduce the risk of mould

• Take care not to touch the surface of the photo.

• Gently rinse muddy or silt-covered photographs in tap water.

• Use a piece of card or paper to slip under photos and papers to move them – water and silt will have weakened them.

• Do not try to separate photographs or papers that are stuck together – these can be frozen.

• Do not try to remove photos or papers stuck to glass in their frames – these can be frozen.

• Air-dry papers and photographs face up on a table lined with paper.

• Air-dry papers and photographs can be air-dried by rigging up a clothesline.

• Paper and photographs can curl up when drying out – don’t worry this can be dealt with later.

• Books that can be stood up can be fanned out on a table to dry.

• Air-dry ONLY for cassette tapes and VHS tapes.

Freezing

Freezing buys time to deal with things in smaller groups later. Label the packages you freeze.

• Paper, books, and photographs including framed photo portraits can be wrapped and frozen

• Place small groups of papers, photographs, and books in plastic bags

Need help or advice?

Get in touch if you need advice or help with drying your whānau collections. The National Preservation Office at the National Library provides professional advice and assistance in caring for heritage items.

Mobile — 027 560 8601

Email — preservation@dia.govt.nz