In a fragile state: the Conservation Authorities Branch photograph albums at the Archives of Ontario

The preservation of a large volume of objects is often an examined compromise between the very best options available and appropriate allocation of resources. What, where, and how do institutions make the decisions necessary to properly preserve materials while accounting for constraints in available expertise, resources, funding, and institutional needs? Utilizing a collection of sixty acidic and fragile scrapbook-style albums held by the Archives of Ontario, this applied thesis project discusses preservation options suitable to photographic albums and scrapbooks, and explores the decision-making process required to develop a working method to restore access to the sixty Conservation Authorities Branch albums, which are currently inaccessible due to preservation concerns. While specific to the resources available at the Archives of Ontario, the basic methodology is applicable to a range of institutions both large and small.