Preservation Unit
Preservation in Goa Archives has attained great significance as it cares to conserve scientifically the archival holdings of this Department. The Preservation Module created here has been tailor-made since its inception in the early '70s to cater to the needs of preservation/conservation and restoration, besides reprography, and as of today, it has progressed technologically in the field. The section is headed by the Scientific Officer
1. Laboratory The Laboratory is equipped to take up the deacidification processes much in use for treating and stabilizing the acidic/brittle and fragmented folios of documents. Scientific methodology of aqueous/non-aqueous processes is employed for checking and monitoring the Ph of paper documents.
2. Repairs and Binding
The Bindery has a fleet of 12 binders engaged in scientific repairs and reinforcement of documents. All stabilized documents are reinforced using an anti-fungal synthetic paste of high viscosity such as sodium salts of carboxymethyl cellulose and acid-free LZ tissue and after the process of repairs and guarding, the documents are stitched into gathers and subsequently bound into volumes / Books with suitable captioning, dating and hand-tooling of spines in half-leather in gold-embossing, etc.
3. Preservation
This is a specialized technical discipline involving precise knowledge of paper chemistry and related factors that contribute to the deterioration of documents. The methodology used in the Directorate for preservation purposes may be classified into two categories. These are -
a. Preventive Preservation
b. Repairs and Rehabilitation of documents (as detailed above under serial no 2 & 3).
In preventive preservation, maximum care is taken to ensure that records are stacked in dust-free and unpolluted Repositories, and the purpose regular upkeep and maintenance of Repositories is practiced by constant vacuum-cleaning cum hand dusting programs, weekly spraying of pesticidal/insecticidal formulations, spreading of deterrents such as naphthalene and sterilization/fumigation programs are carried out in closed chambers. All preventive measures are taken to check the presence or growth of any injurious pests. The Repositories are also kept well-ventilated with air circulators and proper lighting and measures are contemplated to optimize the climatic factors such as temperature and relative humidity in the stack area, this being a vital feature in the upkeep of records.
