Wooden yardsticks

I have had accidents and/or witnessed accidents with measuring devices.
Wood or metal rulers are not hazardous by themselves.  But on a
"butterfingers" day, they can be dropped and punch a hole in paper.
Retractable metal rules, with the L-shaped stop on the end, can also be
damaging.

There are occasions when you want to put the measuring device on top of
a paper artifact.  For instance, a map may need to be measured within
printed borders.  Cloth measuring tapes from a fabric store are a
solution, but the cheap ones aren't always accurate enough for
cataloging.

I am fond of the newer retractable cloth tapes.  For about $3.00, you
can get a 60 inch tape which is marked in centimeters on the other side.
Even if the tape is accidentally retracted near the artifact, it has
less potential for damage.

Cathy Atwood

                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 7:17
                  Distributed: Tuesday, August 3, 1993
                        Message Id: cdl-7-17-003
                                  ***