Sustainable Housing: Repurposing Archival Offcuts for Preservation Solutions

Title: Sustainable Housing: Repurposing Archival Offcuts for Preservation Solutions

Description: 

This hands-on workshop introduces practical, sustainable methods for creating custom preservation housing using scraps and offcuts generated during archival processing. Participants will explore how to identify, sort, and safely reuse leftover materials such as boxboard, folder trimmings, and inert plastics to create functional, cost effective solutions for archival preservation housing.

Across four hours, attendees will learn basic principles of preservation enclosure design, evaluate when reused materials are appropriate, and practice constructing simple housings. Guided demonstrations will cover techniques for crafting enclosures, spacers, and stabilizers using office supplies and scraps common to most archives. Participants will also discuss environmental and budgetary benefits of reuse, develop strategies for integrating sustainable practices into everyday workflows, and leave with examples to take back to their own repositories.

This workshop is ideal for processing archivists, student employees, and anyone who wants to strengthen their hands-on preservation skills, reduce waste, and make the most of existing resources while meeting professional preservation standards. 

Summary:
Format: Small, classroom-style (15 participants max)
Target Audience: Cultural workers, archivists, historians, genealogists, and those working with archival materials
Learning objectives: 

1. Attendees will learn basic principles of preservation enclosure design, evaluate when reused materials are appropriate, and practice constructing simple housings.

2. Guided demonstrations will cover techniques for crafting enclosures, spacers, and stabilizers using office supplies and scraps common to most archives.

3. Participants will  discuss environmental and budgetary benefits of reuse, develop strategies for integrating sustainable practices into everyday workflows, and leave with examples to take back to their own repositories.
 Hands-on components: This workshop is hands on, and participants will make an enclosure to take with them. The room will need to be set up classroom style with tables for all, so attendance would be capped based on room capacity.

Schumacher Flex Commons, Moody Memorial Library, Baylor University

1312 South 3rd Street

Waco, TX 76706

(Further directions will be emailed to registrants)

Time: 1:00-5:00 PM

Capacity: 15 in-person participants

Required Knowledge and/or Equipment: None

Proposed Workshop AV and Materials Required: Basic screen and projector

Instructors:  Jennifer Day and Judith Matthews
Email: jday@uark.edu; judith.matthews@metrolibrary.org

Refunds: Full refunds for annual meeting and workshop registrations are available no less than 10 business days prior to the first day of the annual meeting. Refunds requested after that date will incur a $25 penalty.