Hi Allison,



   I just consulted with our conservation expert here at UCLA, and here is what she suggests:



I would recommend the librarian have the rare parchment map professionally re-housed by NEDCC, a regional conservation outfit in the Boston area.



https://www.nedcc.org/paper-conservation-at-nedcc/about



At a minimum acid free paper materials and some rigid support for handling should be used in the housing, but there are many factors. If the media (colors and writing) on the parchment is at all flaky or powdery, nothing with static electricity should come near it. Mylar has lots of static electricity.  If researchers need access to both sides, specialized mounts should be considered for safe turning of the map.



The link below is highly technical and related directly to issues for housing parchment.



http://www.conservation-wiki.com/wiki/Parchment_(PCC)#18.4.13_Housing



Best,

Louise



Louise Ratliff

Social Sciences and Map Catalog Librarian

UCLA Library Cataloging & Metadata Center

11020 Kinross Ave.

Box 957230

Los Angeles, CA 90095-7230

(310)206-5853



From: Maps-L: Map Librarians, etc. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Allison Rich

Sent: Wednesday, September 28, 2016 10:18 AM

To: [log in to unmask]

Subject: Question about housing for a vellum map





Hi All:



We need some conservation advice on housing for a vellum map and I thought that this might be a good place to ask for that advice.



Out vellum map is a portolan chart by a Portuguese cartographer from 1546.



It has been housed in a large portfolio and stored flat. The paper in that portfolio is old, however, and moreover acidic. We tested it with our PH pen.



Normally we store our maps on paper in sheets of mylar but we are unsure what to do with the vellum. Is it not advisable to have the plastic rubbing against the inks on the vellum.



Does the vellum need to be weighted down because it will react more with a change in temperature and humidity?



This map is beautiful and quite valuable and we want to do right by it. Just how should we store and house the lovely thing?



If anyone has any advice here, or can point me to a good forum to which to address my question, we would be most appreciative.



Best,



Allison







--







********************************



"Outside of a dog,



a book is probably man's best friend,



and inside of a dog,



it's too dark to read.



- Groucho Marx"







Allison Rich



Rare Materials Cataloguer



ESTC and NACO Coordinator







John Carter Brown Library



Providence, Rhode Island



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