Preservation of x-rays

Lothian Health Services Archive, Edinburgh University Library, UK
holds c1500  shelf metres of 20th-century medical case notes
(c1910-1990), consisting primarily of paper documents housed in thin
coloured card folders currently stored vertically on metal shelving
in an air conditioned stack.

Some notes also contain X-rays and many of these exhibit signs of
deterioration, characteristically the release of acetic acid and
shrinkage  of the film base. Adjacent X-rays have also sometimes
welded together.

To facilitate historical research, the whole case note must be kept
together. Therefore the X-rays could only be placed in cold storage
if copies were made. However the cost of this plus the storage
itself is prohibitive.Therefore we would welcome alternative
suggestions for the preservation of our X-rays.

We would particularly like to hear from other conservators and
collection managers who have dealt with the problem of paper and
photographic negatives collections which must be housed together.

Mike Barfoot
Lothian Health Services Archivist
Edinburgh University Library



                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 14:33
                 Distributed: Monday, December 18, 2000
                       Message Id: cdl-14-33-026
                                  ***