How can I develop a plan to help a small community organization organize its archival materials (something like a self-accessioning plan, I guess)? What should I read? Who should I talk to? [more inside]
posted by liketitanic on Oct 30, 2009 - 5 answers

I'm looking for tips and best practices for scanning the contents of my grandmother's scrapbook. [more inside]
posted by rtha on Sep 26, 2009 - 3 answers

I'm preparing for a massive personal archiving/interviewing trip with my grandparents and need advice regarding many aspects of the project. [more inside]
posted by ikahime on Aug 18, 2009 - 8 answers

Another "safe to eat" question, this one about tofu. [more inside]
posted by zadcat on May 31, 2009 - 15 answers

We want to freeze vegetables for the winter. Here's the trick: we don't want to use a refrigerator. [more inside]
posted by puckish on May 31, 2009 - 19 answers

What kind of grad program should I go to if I'm interested in the preservation of digital media archives? Museum studies? Information science? Something else entirely? [more inside]
posted by hapticactionnetwork on May 14, 2009 - 11 answers

How do I preserve velvety photo album covers? [more inside]
posted by sapphirebbw on Apr 16, 2009 - 1 answer

I have a big box of very old papers (and other things) I'd like to preserve in a way that facilitates viewing. What's a good way to go about this? [more inside]
posted by Nomiconic on Jan 6, 2009 - 12 answers

Can mold grow on food packed in oil? [more inside]
posted by aws17576 on Dec 14, 2008 - 10 answers

Where can I find an cool old house to move onto a lot? [more inside]
posted by abirae on Nov 8, 2008 - 11 answers

Strange as it might sound, I am compiling a list of rooms. I am eager to draw upon the travels, explorations, and creative minds of metafilter to help flesh out the list. [more inside]
posted by foxy_hedgehog on Aug 18, 2008 - 27 answers

How do I prevent cheap metal jewelry from tarnishing? I have a couple of necklaces that I adore, and while they weren't dirt cheap, they are not made of the finest of metals. They have changed color somewhat - are brassy in places, and one looks almost like it could be rusting? - and I would like to recoat them. Is this possible? [more inside]
posted by jacquilinala on Jun 26, 2008 - 13 answers

How should I store these 20-year old cassette tapes with historic value? [more inside]
posted by typewriter on Apr 9, 2008 - 9 answers

What is Paleobond, and can I get a MUCH cheaper substitute? [more inside]
posted by juliewhite on Feb 11, 2008 - 4 answers

I need to do some highly sophisticated pitch-correction on some old reel-to-reel recordings. What software to use? [more inside]
posted by mykescipark on Jan 14, 2008 - 13 answers

How to best preserve pages taken from old issues of *Fantasy and Science Fiction*, a book-sized literary magazine printed on newsprint? [more inside]
posted by cadge on Jan 8, 2008 - 6 answers

What should I do with old family documents? [more inside]
posted by thivaia on Nov 26, 2007 - 4 answers

For at least 25 years, my grandmother had a table cloth which every person who visited her house signed, and their signature was embroidered onto the cloth. Now my family is looking for a way to preserve and display it. Any cool ideas? [more inside]
posted by FortyT-wo on Sep 3, 2007 - 18 answers

I got a lamb skull from the supermarket (complete with meat) and I'm looking for the best way to remove all the non-bone parts and then preserve the bone for an art project. [more inside]
posted by andoatnp on Aug 12, 2007 - 19 answers

My father passed away recently and in going through his papers, etc. I have come across a large array of letters, receipts, bills, and various photos. I want to preserve these in some sort of scrapbook form, with the emphasis on preservation rather than scrapbooking cuteness, but accessible and respectful nonetheless. What site should I visit for advice, guidance and inspiration?
posted by vac2003 on Jul 20, 2007 - 7 answers

How do I safely flatten old diplomas? I have two diplomas from 1927 and 1931 that I'd like to frame. They were rolled up in a box with other items for many decades. They are a little squished (but not creased), and they want to retain their rolled up squishedness. Both are printed on a heavyish material with a plasticy feel and a slight sheen; I don't know if it is imitation vellum, or actual animal skin. The documents are from the Mary Institute at Washington University at St. Louis (1927) and Mt. Holyoke (1931) if that helps.
posted by thinman on May 26, 2007 - 12 answers

Where can I buy preserved lemon in the SF Bay Area? [more inside]
posted by rorycberger on Jan 9, 2007 - 14 answers

The third floor of my neighbor's home was made into a children's playroom many years ago and hasn't been touched since. There's very interesting (and possibly offensive) handpainted artwork on the (plaster) walls he would like to preserve, but hasn't a clue how to do it or who to talk to for advice. How should he proceed?
posted by stupidsexyFlanders on Nov 5, 2006 - 4 answers

What's the best way to organise a book of old newspaper clippings, quotes and recipes? (Scanned and/or transcribed) [more inside]
posted by slightlybewildered on May 13, 2006 - 2 answers

In this interesting fpp about the 2005 National Recording Registry, 'audio experts' are quoted as saying "too few people have the skills to preserve many at-risk analog sound materials." Where would one obtain these skills? [more inside]
posted by starscream on Apr 18, 2006 - 5 answers

Help with my new 100+ yr old blanket. [more inside]
posted by jdl on Dec 26, 2005 - 5 answers

I need a picture of the (intact) Hayes-Healy Building from DePaul University in Chicago. [more inside]
posted by cusack on Dec 20, 2005 - 4 answers

Help me preserve and share my grandmother's final writings. [more inside]
posted by aebaxter on Dec 9, 2005 - 9 answers

Preserving and protecting a textile: I have an old theater backdrop painted on muslin. It is a little water damaged but otherwise in good condition, except for fraying around the edges. How can I repair the edges and protect from future damage while displaying it? The archival sites mainly talk about storage and don't really deal with home diy ideas or tips.
posted by gingembre on Sep 19, 2005 - 2 answers

Looking to get prints made from old negatives. [more inside]
posted by turbanhead on Aug 30, 2005 - 3 answers

Photographing soon-to-be-destroyed architectural paintings... [more inside]
posted by fake on Aug 19, 2005 - 16 answers

I need your advice on preserving and presenting an old mirror. [more inside]
posted by keswick on Jul 23, 2005 - 2 answers

What is the best way or product to use to place photographs in an scrapbook? I found old photographs lying around in an envelope and I would like to put them in an album in a way that will also preserve them (some of them are over thirty years old and have seen better days). [more inside]
posted by mirileh on Jun 14, 2005 - 9 answers

I'm seeking info on data/CD/paper/object archival storage for various stuff at my home. There are really two questions here: 1) Where can I find authoritive information about CD-ROM preserving/archival methods. 2) Where can I find info on building/converting a cabinet to a controlled environment on a low budget/DIY? [more inside]
posted by -harlequin- on Apr 5, 2005 - 4 answers

I recently inherited a looks-brand-new copy of The London Illustrated News from 1947 dedicated to the wedding of Princess Elizabeth. It's amazing; it includes a pictorial family tree tracing both Elizabeth and Philip back to Victoria, baby pictures, pictures of the crowds in Trafalgar Square, etc. What's the best way to keep this treasure as pristine as possible, while still being able to look at it from time to time? [more inside]
posted by WolfDaddy on Oct 13, 2004 - 5 answers

What kinds of fruit/vegetables have you found that keep longest? For more perishable stuff, are there any methods (short of freezing) for extending shelf life?
posted by casarkos on Sep 19, 2004 - 9 answers

Suppose one wanted to scan each page of a magazine and produce a PDF file including each page in order. Is there any free software that makes this process less painful than my current solution (My current solution is to scan each page, drop them into word and then print as pdf in OSX)? It seems like there would be, but my google consultation has been fruitless.
Alternately, is there a better way to electronically preserve and distribute a long out-of-print magazine? The folks who share large runs of comic books over bittorrent spring to mind as possible sources of insight, but again, Google fails me.
posted by adamkempa on Jul 18, 2004 - 10 answers