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Greetings all. This is my first posting to
the ARSC List so I hope I'm doing this right.
A few thoughts concerning Brenda's question
regarding the use of plastic versus metal reels, and also cardboard
boxes.
I've been involved with two NEH funded audio
preservation grants, one at the University of North Carolina in the mid 90s and
one more recently at the University of Maine. In North Carolina, I believe
we used metal reels and plastic cases, and I think at the time these were
obtained as a unit package from 3M. My impression was that it was quite
expensive to go that route. Of course you end up with a nice solid package
that theoretically will withstand some adverse conditions such as being dropped
or being near a fire. When I took on the project in Maine, I opted to use
plastic reels and also opted for cardboard boxes as opposed to plastic cases for
the tapes.
I have been wondering myself for quite some time
about the use of the molded plastic cases as opposed to simple white cardboard
boxes. My rationale for using the white boxes was prompted by the lower
cost factor PLUS I have never been convinced that using "acidic" cardboard boxes
actually hastens the deterioration of magnetic tape. It would be great to
hear some input from someone who understands tape chemistry about this.
The way I see it, first, in an archival setting each reel-- at least an
archival preservation master-- is handled so infrequently that I don't find wear
and tear on the boxes to be a real factor to worry about. Those handling
tapes should be trained to handle them with relative care. Second, in
North Carolina considerable time was spent trying to develop labelling
techniques for the plastic cases. I don't have one in front of me but I
seem to recall that trying to figure out what kind of self adhesive labels might
actually stick to the plastic box for thirty years was one of the
challenges. With cardboard boxes, a person could-- if desired--
write directly on the box without worrying that a label will peel and fall off
down the road. Of course, laser labels can also be used easily enough, and
in Maine, we used a template created with a database program. Info for
each tape was printed on full sheet label stock from Avery, and a small amount
at the bottom was trimmed off so the 8.5" x 11" sheet would fit neatly on the
10.5" box back. Spine labels were made similarly, except we used regular
bond paper and glued the labels on by hand. This was because the white
cardboard boxes have a coated paper front and spine and an uncoated back.
I figured the self adhesive labels from Avery would adhere pretty well to the
uncoated box back, but I thought self-adhesive labels might peel off the spine
more easily than something glued on. We didn't bother with archival glue
for the spine labels-- it was just a plain glue stick. I guess we'll
see in a few years how well that holds up....
Back to my rationale for cardboard boxes. In
North Carolina, I found handling the plastic cases to be extremely
difficult. Not only are they heavy, but they are also very slippery, and
because of the space age design, they tend to slide around, and it seems to me,
this may increase the risk of dropping if one is carrying a stack. The
plain white boxes on the other hand, stack neatly; they are white which
facilitates hand labelling if needed; and they are much lighter and much less
expensive. In an archival setting, as I've said, I think that risks from
accidental droppage are minimal. In a fire, however, there is no advantage
whatsoever, and tapes could be damaged from both heat and water. That is
the one area where the plastic cases would seem to provide much better
protection. While it is not recommended archival practice to include box
lists inside tape boxes, I've seen lots of instances where this is done in order
to keep contents documentation handy. Trying to place folded sheets inside
the molded plastic cases is very messy-- not that this is a legitimate
argument, just an observation...
This may be heretical coming from a card carrying
archivist, but I have yet to see any published reports that indicate that a box
which is not technically "acid-free" might hasten the demise of a tape inside
it. The tape never comes in direct contact with the box (but is there off
gassing and just how harmful is it?) It
strikes me that vendors of archival materials may be taking advantage of a new
popular awareness of the value in preserving things and in archival endeavors
generally. Everything needs to "acid-free" and while generally the concept
is a good one, I wonder if people think through the applications for which
certain products are going to be used. I have tried-- and come to
hate I might add-- the tan metal reinforced tape boxes offered by places
like Gaylord. The metal reinforced edges may have seemed like a good idea
to the person who designed them, but in practice they simply make it so the box
won't stand up on edge well. The lids fall off when the board used happens
to develop any curvature from absorbing humidity. Yes, they feel heavy
duty and they have that "archival" look, but I have found them not
satisfactory-- just my two cents. Do we not have examples of tapes
stored in cardboard boxes for the better part of fifty years? And is it
not often the tape that seems to break down (from internal chemistry problems)
BEFORE the box does?
I would like to see someone comment on the
preference of metal reels versus plastic. The
reel, whether plastic or metal, seems pretty benign and aside from physical
damage that might be caused by winding problems, I don't believe reels
themselves contribute to tape demise. I understand that plastic can
warp, but is that not also true of metal? In a fire, I guess the plastic
reels could melt but will the metal reels get really hot and damage the
tape? Never mind about this, because if the fire is that close and they
turn the hoses on, I'm not sure it matters what kind of box the tapes are in,
unless it is asbestos....
Anyway, after this long winded comment, I would
like to second Brenda's request and hear others thoughts about the seemingly
mundane topic of boxes and reels. Overall, I was pleased with the outcome
of the project in Maine where we used white cardboard boxes and plastic
reels. Incidentally, we did use inserts in the boxes so the reel is
supported on a metal hub...
Steve Green, Archivist
Western Folklife Center
501 Railroad Street
Elko, NV 89801
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