AIC's 45th Annual Meeting

Various methods for redacting and restricting access to sensitive information have been employed in the fields of Law, Records Management, and Archival Processing. Marking, stamping, or destroying originals; creating multiple marked photocopies; and restricting access are some of the approaches currently in use. Current practices can be wasteful, damaging, and/or time-consuming, and are especially poor solutions for certain types of materials. In addition, many of these methods are in conflict with core values of the Library and Archives Conservation profession, including reversibility and providing preservation of and access to original material. Duke University Library conservators have tested various adhesives and papers in the development of an adhesive-coated paper redacting patch that is non-destructive and reversible in the conservation lab but not in the reading room. These Lascaux-coated papers are heat-activated and have been found to be effective and easy to prepare, apply, and reverse, in the event that information no longer needs redacting. Multiple case studies of collections at Duke that warranted alternate redaction strategies as well as housing solutions will be discussed.