Layering  is a concept used all around us.  When it's cold out, we dress in layers to help keep heat near our bodies.  Your computer may be behind a router with a hardware firewall, and have anti-virus, anti-spam and firewall software,  You car has anti-lock brakes, airbags and seatbelts… all layers of protection for the occupants.  Use this same layering concept to protect and preserve your treasured scrapbook albums, photos, documents and memorabilia.

In deciding how to layer, you need to consider what you're protecting against.  Typically, the factors to be concerned with include:

• Heat: The higher the temperature your items experience, the faster they will deteriorate.
• Humidity: Damp environments promote mold growth.
• Sunlight: Prolonged exposure to UV rays from sunlight can fade inks and dyes in photos, papers or textiles.
• Airborne: Your home has dust particles, along with particles from cleaning sprays, cooking, air fresheners, and the like.
• People: Handling can cause physical damage as well as the transfer of dirt, oils and acids found on hands.
• Pest:  Insects and mice can destroy whatever they get into!

The items that can be used to layer and protect your treasures can include:

The same idea applies to other items you want to preserve.  For instance:

• Spray you child's grade school paper with a deacidifcation spray that also applies a buffering layer.  The spray neutralizes the acid in the paper, which causes brittleness over time, and the buffering protects the paper from cross contamination should a non acid-free paper come in contact with it.  Then put the school papers inside archival envelopes or file folders, which can go inside an archival box.
• Put your mom's quilt or daughter's baptismal gown inside a heavy polyethylene bag.  The bag is acid free, protects the clothing from airborne particles, plus allows handling for viewing.  The bags can then be placed inside a storage box or closet to protect against sunlight and pests.

Include layering when you hand down items or give gifts.  For example, if you want to pass on the family photos your parents had, put them in page protectors and albums before giving them away.  Or deacidify the newspaper you bought on your grandchild's birth day, put it in an archival box, then present it as a gift to the new parents.

These examples illustrate the layering concept.  If you have memories that are important, build layers of protection around them so the generations that follow can enjoy them also.

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