Home Manuscript Preservation Guide: My Personal Experience
8 replies518 viewsFebruary 1, 2024 at 10:00 AM
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Dr. Fatimah Al-ZahraniResearcher· King Saud University
February 1, 2024 at 10:00 AM
Peace be upon you,
Many Saudi families own valuable historical manuscripts and documents but don't know how to preserve them. From my 15+ years of experience in manuscript restoration, here is a practical guide:
**Ideal Preservation Environment:**
- Temperature: 18-22°C
- Relative Humidity: 45-55%
- Avoid direct sunlight and strong fluorescent lighting
- Good ventilation while avoiding direct air currents
**Preservation Materials:**
- Use acid-free covers
- Specialized archival boxes (available from Darah's store)
- Cotton gloves when handling manuscripts
**Common Mistakes to Avoid:**
- Never use adhesive tape
- Don't attempt to restore the manuscript yourself
- Don't place manuscripts in sealed plastic bags
If you have manuscripts needing professional restoration, contact the Manuscript Restoration Center at Darah.
I welcome any questions.
Replies (4)
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Mohammed Al-HarbiMember
#1 · February 2, 2024 at 03:20 PM
Thank you Dr. Fatimah. I have a family manuscript over 200 years old and the edges have started to crumble. Can I use rice paper to wrap it temporarily until I visit the restoration center?
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Dr. Fatimah Al-ZahraniResearcherVerified· King Saud University
#2 · February 3, 2024 at 11:15 AM
Yes Mohammed, Japanese washi paper is excellent as a temporary solution. Place the manuscript between two layers of rice paper inside a flat archival folder. Most importantly, don't try to glue the crumbling parts. Keep all small fallen pieces as the restoration center can reattach them.
I recommend booking an appointment at the restoration center through Darah's website. The service is free for heritage manuscripts.
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Munirah Al-SubaieMember
#3 · February 5, 2024 at 07:45 PM
Very important topic. My late grandmother kept old correspondence between our family and families in Hijaz. We found them in a wooden box after she passed. Some letters are in good condition, others were damaged by humidity. Does Darah's center also accept this type of document?
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Noura Al-QahtaniModeratorVerified· King Abdulaziz Foundation
#4 · February 6, 2024 at 10:30 AM
Yes Munirah, Darah accepts all types of heritage documents. You can contact the Documents and Archives department. If the documents have historical value, Darah can digitize and preserve them while keeping the originals with the family or accepting them as a donation, as you prefer.
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