Archives Awareness Week 2022’s theme was “Behind the Scenes”. The Simcoe County Archives (SCA) is highlighting some of the tools and equipment we use every day to keep the Archives running. As the weather is warming up and we are finally pulling out of the grey days of winter, we thought we would incorporate a little colour in our list. Enjoy!
The Archives has a number of purpose-built high-density mobile shelving units in its vaults. These shelves are mounted on a carriage and rail system. Essentially, they roll on tracks making it possible to fit more shelving units in a given space. The shelves are rolled manually using the levers pictured. They can also be locked in place to ensure stability (this is especially important when staff are working in the aisles).
At the Archives we move a lot of boxes! The Wave-60 Work Assist Vehicle makes it possible for Archives staff to store and retrieve boxes from the highest levels of our mobile shelving units. The Wave-60 weighs over 2 tons, has a load capacity of 450lbs, and can extend to a height of 13 ft. Archives staff are certified annually to operate the Wave-60.
If you know one thing about visiting the Archives, it is probably that pens aren’t allowed! Ink poses a risk of permanently damaging archival records. For this reason, only pencils are permited for both staff and researchers.
Over time, metal staples and paperclips inevitably rust and can end up damaging the documents they are affixed to. Plastic paperclips are frequently used in Archives as a solution to this problem. Plastic paperclips are also a lot gentler on paper in the long term, preventing rips and tears.
Nitrile gloves are frequently used by Archives staff when handling delicate records. They protect the records from any oils or dirt present on hands and fingers. Though not mandatory for handling all paper-based records, they are required for photographic materials. The chemical processes used to develop photographs are especially susceptible to degradation from finger oils.
The Map Cart is a purpose-built cart used to transport large format records without putting undue strain on them. The cart’s curved form supports the records, protecting them from being bent or torn. It has been dubbed “The Map Cart” by staff, because that is primarily what it is used for – our extensive collection of cartographic materials.
A pH pen is a standard in an Archivist’s conservation tool kit. The ink in these pens is used to determine the acidity of paper. If the ink shows up as purple, it indicates a pH of 7.0 or above. Yellow ink suggests a pH below 6.5. A rule of thumb is that paper needs an alkaline reserve and a pH of 7.0 or higher in order to last for a hundred years or more. Archives staff typically use these pens to figure out if a given envelope or enclosure is appropriate for storing archival materials. It can also be used to determine the storage needs of different records.