Handling materials on television

In response to Shirley Jones' comment regarding document handling on
TV: At the National Archives
<URL:http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk>, we take the preservation
of documents very seriously and we are sorry that the documentary
gave the public the wrong impression.

The TV programme on Shakespeare which Shirley Jones described is
part of a series that was filmed in December 1999. The documents
were handled by staff who would have been trained in document
handling and they would not have jeopardised the documents
unnecessarily or left them alone with the film crew. Since then, we
have introduced even stricter procedures and we ensure that all film
crews wash their hands, wear gloves and that table surfaces are
clean before the documents are touched. We also advise readers to
refrain from touching the surface of documents.

Early this year, The National Archives appointed a Preservation
Manager to focus on various preservation issues, including document
handling practices among readers and staff. Our Press Office staff,
who supervise film crews, have undergone intensive training on the
handling of documents and we have updated a rigorous policy to
minimise the risk of film crews damaging documents. There is always
at least one member of staff with the documents at all times and if
the documents are particularly fragile we have a conservator there
as well.

Anna E Bulow, PhD
Preservation Manager
The National Archives
Conservation Department
Kew, Richmond
Surrey TW9 4DU
United Kingdom
+44 20 8392 5330 ext: 2364
Fax: +44 20 8878 8905


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 17:11
                  Distributed: Tuesday, July 15, 2003
                       Message Id: cdl-17-11-005
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