 Hopkinton Public Library's Historical Collection & Archives Preservation Issues  Where We Are and What We Have Hopkinton Public Library has a small yet important historical and archival collection. It is located in a 9 x 12 foot room directly beneath a bell tower that was once an entryway to Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church until the library acquired the old stone building in 1967. This small, dark space contains crammed wooden shelving units that block the original arched doorway and one of the old Church’s stain glass windows. For some time it has served as a repository for a wide variety of historical materials and artifacts, primarily related to Hopkinton and other towns within the central Massachusetts region. Preservation Conditions in the Holding Area The library is lucky to have fairly favorable environmental conditions in its Treasure Room. Temperature and humidity, critical factors in regard to physical breakdown of materials are not particularly affected by the main library’s heat or air conditioning system as it is closed off from library; the area is dark and generally cooler than the abutting Reading Room. It is only by chance that the small room is less hot than the main library and in summer months, cooler than outside. Although it has not been measured, the relative humidity (RH) appears to be on the low side, (50% or less,) a factor that promotes a more stable environment for the materials housed in the collection, although at this time fluctuation of temperature and humidity is not known. Additionally it is important to avoid low RH also as it can create brittle paper, an irreversible condition. The room is dark when not in use, also a beneficial preservation factor except that the overhead lights are fluorescent; it is known that incandescent lighting is less of a contributing factor to the breakdown of paper materials.  A Diverse Collection The physical formats of these items are diverse and include hundreds of photographs and photographic postcards, 19th century manuscripts, (significant examples are 19th century log books from First National Bank of Hopkinton and The 1830’s- 1840’s Hopkinton Maternal Association’s meeting book,) microfilmed church and cemetery records, local maps, published titles related to local history and published genealogies. Media items include photographic slides created during the 1960’s and 70’s and video taped recordings of interviews with older Hopkinton residents recollecting the past. Over the years former residents assembled scrapbooks and binders containing articles of local interest, projects and commentary related to Hopkinton’s past, which are shelved in Hopkinton’s special collection referred to as The Treasure Room. |