Des Plaines History Center

Part of our mission at the Des Plaines History Center is to preserve the history of Des Plaines. Our professional staff use standards set by the American Association of Museums in order to store and preserve the artifacts in our collection. For individuals interested in preserving heirlooms and documents at museum quality, we have compiled a list of online resources below.

Image Permanence Institute
-IPI conducts scientific research in the preservation of visual and recorded information
http://www.imagepermanenceinstitute.org/

The Archival Advisor
-IPI's Guide for the Family Photo Collector
http://www.archivaladvisor.org/

Preservation Calculator
-IPI's interactive online tool for learning about photograph preservation
http://www.archivaladvisor.org/shtml/prescalc.shtml

Stored Alive Interactive Program
-IPI's interactive online web site for learning about how storage environments affect historical objects
http://www.climatenotebook.org/games/storedalive.html

The National Archives: "Archival Formats"
- preservation and conservation information
http://www.archives.gov/preservation/formats/

Library of Congress: "Caring for Your Collections"
- preservation and care guidelines
http://www.loc.gov/preserv/careothr.html

The American Institute for Conservation (AIC)
- Public Information Page for care of your family heirlooms and treasures
http://aic.stanford.edu/public/index.html

Canadian Conservation Institute: "Preserving My Heritage"
- more on the care of your family heirlooms and treasures
http://www.preservation.gc.ca/index_e.asp

The Henry Ford - Explore & Learn: "Caring for Your Artifacts"
- "Explore and Learn" resources for preserving historical materials
http://www.hfmgv.org/explore/artifacts/

National Information Standards Organization:
"Guidelines for Information About Preservation Products"
http://www.niso.org/standards/resources/Z39-77.pdf