Acid-Free Archiving

Using three-ring binders is a common, inexpensive way to store paper materials. Unfortunately, the oft-used vinyl ones can, over time, damage the contents. Covering the binder with cloth, for example, offers little protection, but you can minimize the damage by using archival sheet protectors. You might also insert archival safe barriers between the documents and vinyl. Or you could use the more flexible binders that are made of polyethylene plastic, which is much safer than vinyl for archival purposes. As an alternative to using binders, you might also store items the way an archivist does: in archival folders within archival boxes.
Chris McAfee, senior conservator, LDS Church Archives