I've been a Paper Conservator for 25+ years. You seldom meet folks who need to do this, but there are some. I agree it makes life more difficult and I would never do it myself. If you have inexperienced folks handling unmated works, maybe this is a good idea. If you are handling unmounted photographs, maybe this is a good idea. I never use gloves myself. They may have been just trying to make the point that paper is sensitive to dirt, hand oils and... Timothy Vitale Preservation Associates 831-684-2731