Barcode labels for glassine negative bags

The message below is posted on behalf of a colleague.

    The Australian War Memorial Photographs Section houses its
    working copy 5x4 inch negatives in glassine bags. A twin of each
    of these is housed in a buffered (pH 8.5) paper envelope and
    stored separately at 8 degrees C. Where an original negative is
    held for any of these images it is stored in the same paper
    envelope as the latter but kept separate in a cold (4-6 deg. C)
    vault designed to house cellulose nitrate materials.

    Problem: The images that we have preserved by either duplicating
    an original negative (see above) or copying a print are
    digitised from the set of working negatives. It is necessary for
    us to attach a barcode to these glassine bags to enable our
    photographers to record the number of each negative before they
    digitally capture it. Please visit <URL:http://www.awm.gov.au>
    and examine some of the 200,000 images so far captured. Our
    problem is finding a barcode size label with an adhesive that
    poses no long term problems when affixed to individual
    envelopes.

    For example the latter are absorbent so there might be problems
    with glues transferring to the negative.  However inefficient
    adhesives might mean we discover in ten years that the labels
    are falling off. Perhaps off-gassing of glue solvents will be
    problematic as some drawers, normally containing 400 reasonably
    tightly fitting envelopes, might not be accessed more frequently
    than once or twice per annum.

    Essentially what we seek is advice on "safe" adhesives, has
    anyone successfully satisfied similar requirements or can refer
    us to someone who has or can supply satisfactory labels.

    Ian Affleck
    Senior Curator of Photographs
    Australian War Memorial
    <ian.affleck [at] awm__gov__au>

    Andrew Jack
    Curator of Photographs
    Australian War Memorial
    <andrew.jack [at] awm__gov__au>

George Bailey
Objects Conservator
Australian War Memorial
Treloar Centre for Conservation
4 Callan St, Mitchell, A.C.T. 2911
Australia
+61 2 6243 4440
Fax: +61 2 6241 7998

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 13:23
                 Distributed: Tuesday, October 5, 1999
                       Message Id: cdl-13-23-016
                                  ***