Help!  We are being given a collection of thousands of old negatives dating
from the late nineteen-thirties to the nineteen-seventies.  They are all
stored in decidedly non-archival paper envelopes inside old, moldy
corrugated cardboard file boxes.  Until the information written on the
envelopes is copied or otherwise transcribed, the negs cannot be
transferred to new ones; however, we will be putting them into new boxes.
My question is:  Buffered or unbuffered?  University Products and Gaylord
both specify unbuffered boxes for negative storage; Hollinger says
buffered.  Due to budgetary constraints, we would like to use these boxes
for permanent storage of the collection once the negatives are transferred
to archival sleeves and envelopes, but that is probably far down the road.

Of course, I need your advice yesterday, since I found out today these
things are probably going to be picked up next week.  Many thanks for any
suggestions you can offer.
Anne T. Lane
Curatorial Assistant
Museum of York County
4621 Mount Gallant Road
Rock Hill, SC 29715
803-329-2121, ext 104
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