They should never be used on storage enclosures. If permanent notations such as declassification markings are required by law or regulation, an archivally acceptable ink should be used. When encountered during holdings maintenance projects, such poor quality inserts should be evaluated to determine whether they are still pertinent. If they contain important archival information, either they should be reproduced onto archival bond paper, or the information they contain should be hand-copied onto stable paper or card stock. Staff should consult with project supervisors before removing, copying, or discarding any inserts or enclosures.
Conservators can assist in identifying stable paper materials upon which to transfer information.
Paper folders or wrappers of unknown quality that were formerly used to segregate records within file folders should be replaced with archival bond paper. Most prevalent in this category are folders made of colored paper or Kraft paper. Questions regarding the suitability of specific papers for archival applications should be answered by conservators. Alternatives that will achieve the goal of separating highly acidic materials from records on better quality paper include placing the highly acidic records in polyester sleeves or within a folded piece of archival bond paper. Established disposition procedures must be followed for any records that are identified for duplication and subsequent disposal.