Conservation techniques include surface cleaning, deacidification, repair of damaged and torn documents, encapsulation, and proper storage. Encapsulation is a recent technique used for preservation of loose documents. Archival storage materials include acid-free folders, boxes, boards, and interleaving paper. Preservation Microfilming Local records The TSLA microfilms Tennessee deeds, wills, court minutes, estate settlements, and marriage records for safekeeping. Since 1961, millions of documents have been microfilmed in the county courthouses, providing a wealth of legal, historical, and genealogical source material.
Duplicates are available for use or purchase by the public.
An inventory of county records on microfilm is available on our website. Archival and Manuscript Records Official state documents recording the transactions and policies of state government, and manuscript collections reflecting activities of the private sector, are regularly microfilmed. Duplicates are available for use or purchase by individuals and organizations. A statewide Tennessee newspaper preservation microfilming program, begun in the 1950s, makes available backfiles of newspapers on 35mm microfilm. Current titles are microfilmed on a regular basis.