[BCMA] To glove or not to glove that is the question

Thu Apr 28 11:08:26 PDT 2022

Hello all,

Apologies for any repeated information here but this is my standard advice on the issue of gloves in libraries and archives:

Often, clean and dry hands are sufficient however there are several instances where gloves are required for the safety of the collection material and/or the safety of the researcher.  In general, I recommend gloves always be worn when handling any of the following material:

  *   Photographic material – photographic chemistry is very delicate and the oils from your hands (even very clean hands) can be detrimental to the long-term stability of the material.  Note that many technical drawings and maps are often copies derived from photographic processes even though they may not appear to be traditional photographs (e.g. cyanotypes or blueprints, diazotypes, etc.)
  *   Rare or damaged leather or parchment bindings – these materials can get flaky with age and gloves will help to protect them.  Additionally, some 19th century leathers were poorly processed and may suffer from a condition known as ‘red rot’ – the chemical breakdown of the leather to a powder-like state.  Wearing gloves in these instances is safer and cleaner for the researcher as much as it is protective for the book.
  *   Metal materials – such as photographs encased in metal and wooden cases.  All metals will erode in the presence of the oils that occur naturally on human hands therefore gloves should always be worn while handling metals.  Note that cotton gloves will be very slippery against a metal surface.
  *   Material that has been previously affected by mould – generally any material with active mould should be restricted to a fume hood until it can be treated for safe use.  After treatment, mould can still be a future issue therefore it is always recommended that users wear gloves while handling this material and that they resist the urge to touch their face while wearing these gloves.

Many institutions require their patrons to wear gloves at all times to avoid confusion.  In terms of which gloves to provide for your patrons, nitrile gloves are usually preferable as they leave your fingertips more tactile.  Cotton gloves are generally more comfortable and easy to clean and reuse however they do not provide any protection to the wearer against mould and they don’t always provide adequate grip, leading to an increased likelihood of drops.  Some cotton gloves have plastic grips added to them however these grip pads/ dots are often made of unstable plastics and rubbers that degrade and leave harmful residues on collection material.  These gloves should be avoided.  If you’re ever in doubt on the glove issue, err on the side of caution and glove up.

I hope that is helpful.

Kind regards,
Lauren
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Lauren Buttle    (She/Her)        Archival Conservator  |  Archives

ROYAL BC MUSEUM
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From: Listserv <listserv-bounces at lists.museum.bc.ca> On Behalf Of Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv
Sent: Wednesday, April 27, 2022 12:12 PM
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Subject: Re: [BCMA] To glove or not to glove that is the question

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Hello,

We use both gloves and no gloves depending on the objects and the persons personal comfort. We also use nitrile gloves and they are way better for handling paper objects then cotton gloves. I kinda of hate cotton gloves as they always look dirty and are slippery.
I just make sure to wash my hands frequently when handling paper based objects.

Nikki Bose
Curator of Collections
Kelowna Museums

From: Listserv [mailto:listserv-bounces at lists.museum.bc.ca] On Behalf Of Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv
Sent: April 26, 2022 3:12 PM
To: listserv at lists.museum.bc.ca<mailto:listserv at lists.museum.bc.ca>
Subject: Re: [BCMA] To glove or not to glove that is the question

Dear colleagues,
The British Library deemed no gloves
Gloves stop the small damage of oil transfer from dirty, sticky fingers
But they make you more clumsy so you are more likely to make a rip , crease or even loss in the page.
I think the research was done by Dr Barry Knight, who is a much published chap.
Paul Harrison, conservator FIIC

On Wed, 27 Apr 2022 at 02:58, Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv <listserv at lists.museum.bc.ca<mailto:listserv at lists.museum.bc.ca>> wrote:
More and more are opting for no gloves when handling paper based artifacts and documents, since gloves can actually catch on paper and cause tears.

Maurice Guibord
Société historique francophone de la Colombie-Britannique, Vancouver
604-771-3047

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From: "Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv" <listserv at lists.museum.bc.ca<mailto:listserv at lists.museum.bc.ca>>
To: "Lisa Glandt" <aabc.advisor at aabc.ca<mailto:aabc.advisor at aabc.ca>>, listserv at lists.museum.bc.ca<mailto:listserv at lists.museum.bc.ca>
Sent: Saturday, April 23, 2022 2:27:41 PM
Subject: [BCMA] To glove or not to glove that is the question

Dear colleagues
I'm writing the "Wendy go run over by a reindeer" book and when checking other sources for information and templates there is confusion/contradiction in whether gloves are needed for handling original paper based artifacts or documents.
What is the current best practice?

Thanks

Wendy
--
Wendy Smylitopoulos
Curator
Greek Heritage Project Museum
Victoria & Vancouver Greek Community Society
250 419-3151

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