Everyone enjoys having the opportunity to see precious materials on display. Visiting libraries, archives, or historic houses is a much richer experience when historic artifacts are on display, and visiting museums would be an entirely different experience if all the art and artifacts were hidden away to be brought out only when requested. The display of precious materials, however, is a preservation compromise no matter how carefully it is done and how well-protected the displayed items are. While all materials are susceptible to the environmental and security hazards presented by exhibition, paper-based materials are particularly vulnerable to these hazards.
Light is a special problem.
If objects are already in deteriorated condition when placed on exhibition, the risk of damage is even greater. An effective way to display materials while at the same time protecting them is to use non-original materials. Displaying a copy instead of the original is becoming an increasingly accepted strategy. This serves especially well for photographs, documents, newspapers, and book pages, although works of art on paper with highly light-sensitive media are also good candidates. New technologies make it possible to produce copies that are nearly indistinguishable from the originals.