It is remarkable the things people think of to 'fix' paper, only to make them worse. Pastels washed off in the bathtub, painted surfaces rubbed with glass cleaner, and images ripped off when removing window mats. My colleague once shrugged and joked: it's what keeps us employed!

Tape repairs stain newspaper.

You will find many resources on the internet that show you how to undertake treatments. While tempting, remember you should have hands-on training with a conservator before attempting any treatments, so you fully understand contingencies, potential problems, and liabilities. Examples of bad outcomes for do-it-yourself paper treatments include:

• spray applications of 'de-acidification' solutions, which can easily dissolve media and discolor paper;
• poor quality erasers and erasing techniques that either abrade paper surfaces or leave a harmful residue; and
• humidification and flattening, which can alter media or create physical stress resulting in tears, or other damages.

My aggravation is the do-it-yourself Internet advice - including cleaning paper using bread. That won't work. Commercial breads have ingredients, such as oils, that cause staining, and salt, that is abrasive. It is important to understand what you can do yourself and when you need to call a conservator.

When to Use a Conservator
There are limited things that can be done by non-conservators for paper, since the paper surfaces and many media are extremely susceptible to damage. I once got a panicked phone call from a curator who mistakenly removed important information by erasing unseen cartographer's pencil lines during surface cleaning (erasing) dirt from a printed map.

One of the most frustrating calls I received was from an untrained restorer who immersed a George Washington document on vellum sheepskin in a water bath. Skins can't tolerate water and an important document worth $10,000.00 was a total loss.

Professional conservators are trained in art history, studio art, and organic chemistry. They are material scientists who specialize in paper and have a complete understanding of how it was made and how it deteriorates. They understand how art and artifacts are manufactured, age and deteriorate as a function of their composition; how they interact with their environment; and how use and handling affect long-term preservation.

Learning how to work with conservators, and knowing the services they offer, and the cost of those services, help you understand what can be done to care for your collection Since conservators are not licensed or regulated, you must be a wise consumer of their services and know what are safe and ethical treatments. Because conservators use terms to describe conditions and treatments, which may be unfamiliar to you, you should learn these terms and understand how the conservator approaches problems found in an artifact. Much of this comes from experience. Start by reading the American Institute for Conservation's "How to Choose a Conservator" pamphlet.

Condition Reports
Items with problems to their structure and media must be carefully examined and documented to determine if the work can be safely exhibited or traveled. Treatment of sensitive paper-based works is often necessary for preservation of a document: without treatment most paper damage causes permanent loss.

Before any treatment begins, detailed examination must occur. A condition report records details of damage as well as details of construction, allowing a caretaker and conservator to make a thoughtful determination of treatment and care needs for the piece.

Condition reports can be generated by a curator, librarian, or collections manager as well as a conservator. Regularly complete condition reports for every work on paper, especially for high value and/or unique artwork, and for those going on, or coming off, of exhibit. Archival collections of documents, and sometimes groups of prints may have a single condition report.

• When the item is accessioned, complete its first examination and condition report. After that, regular examinations and updated reports occur prior to loans, exhibition, or on a regular schedule as part of the annual work plan.
• Regular condition reports identify new damage and help staff determine the rate of deterioration.
• Examinations are especially important prior to loaning works on paper to another institution.

You should be alert to the following condition problems:

• Any works compromised by poor quality framing, damaging mounts, tape attachments, water damage, mold, rips and tears.
• Media compromised by staining, smudging, flaking, or other insecurities

Collections cataloging database programs include a 'condition' field designed to enter information on the physical conditions of the art or artifact. Use consistent terminology to ensure that damage is reported in an easy to categorize manner.

Treatment Priority Categories
After completing a condition assessment, assigning a treatment priority to the art or artifact helps determine how to allocate limited resources of staff time, conservation treatment money and storage supplies.

Priority #1 - Urgent Need of Conservation
These materials are in immediate need of conservation treatment for their preservation and to stop further damage. This category includes objects with:

• Extremely deteriorated, brittle, and/or fragile paper supports, mounts, or backings;
• Active mold and/or mildew;
• Insecure media that exhibits friability, active flaking, and/or blind cleavage;
• Objects damaged in a disaster such as a fire or flood.

Priority #2 - Serious But Not Urgent Need of Conservation
These materials are in danger of further deterioration and/or damage and their long-term preservation will be seriously compromised if they are not treated promptly. This category includes objects with:

• Papers that are brittle, have extensive tears, or insecure mounts;
• Papers with poor quality or inappropriate adhesives, and/or tapes that are deteriorating and staining the paper;
• Books with broken bindings, missing covers, and detached text blocks or pages.

Priority #3 - Requires Treatment for Long-term Preservation
Conservation treatment will improve the long-term preservation of paper objects but treatment may not be immediately required. This category includes objects with:

Papers that are moderately discolored and deteriorated; Papers with moderate tears; Papers with water-soluble tapes, or mounts that are not causing extensive staining or deterioration; Abraded and/or acidic surface; Books with weak bindings or detached boards.

Priority #4 - Requires Treatment for Exhibition Purposes
These materials can usually be stabilized by proper enclosures and storage conditions but may require some stabilizing treatment if they are to be exhibited. This category includes objects with:

• Folded, creased, or cockled papers;
• Visually disturbing stains;
• Cosmetic requirements, such as paper inserts or media compensation.

Priority #5 - Good condition

• These materials are in stable condition and do not require conservation treatment.

Preventative Care
Preventative care is the best thing that can be done for the short- and long-term preservation of works of art on paper. Proper housing and handling is the greatest contribution a collections manager can make to the preservation of paper-based collections. Paper can last indefinitely with proper care and maintenance.