Multnomah County Archives Special Format Preservation Project

FAIN: PG-50014-07

Multnomah County Library (Portland, OR 97205)
Terry D. Baxter (Project Director: May 2006 to December 2008)

Purchase of preservation supplies to rehouse 84,000 photographs and 440 volumes of court journals, coroner's reports, general ledgers, budget reports and other records related to the history of Multnomah County, Oregon, from 1854 to 1990.

This project focuses on providing basic preservation to volumes and photographic records held by the Multnomah County Records Program. The records include approximately 440 volumes; 80,000 slides; and 4,000 photographs and negatives. The records come from a variety of county programs and document activities from the beginning of the county in 1854 to 1990. The volumes are currently stored in either acidic boxes or are wrapped in acidic butcher paper. This has led to a moderate to high degree of acidification. Many are also subject to mechanical wear from being stored next to other unprotected volumes. The photographs are in some cases stored in acid free folders, but are not sleeved, thus inviting damage from handling and mechanical wear. The slides are housed in a wooden cabinet and in acidic envelopes. These records have moderate to high reference use and are unique sources of visual documentation.