User:Lippa.courtney/sandbox

Textile Collections
Textile collections are made up of a number of different types of objects. They can be large and small, with various uses; they can be clothing, religious costumes, tapestries, quilts, lace, embroideries, and other forms of decor, and can come from any number of different cultures and geographic regions. Textiles are unique objects of cultural heritage in that they are extremely delicate. They are particularly sensitive and perceptible to damage from light, poor climate conditions, and pest activity and infestation. Steps must be taken to properly care for these types of objects.

Environment
Textile collections, though varied in their materials, all require special attention to the environment to which they are exposed, both while being stored and while being displayed. They are particularly susceptible to cumulative damage over time.

Light Control
Textiles are usually made up of natural fibers, such as wool or silk, or modified natural fibers, such as rayon. Like other objects that use dyes, the color is susceptible to high light levels and UV damage over time, but with textiles, the fibers themselves are also affected. In order to preserve textile collections, they should (ideally) be kept in complete darkness. For museums and other cultural institutions, as well as private collections, this is not always feasible. If textiles are displayed, the light on them should be UV shielded, and levels should be kept to 5 foot-candles.

Temperature and Relative Humidity (Climate Control)
As is true with almost all cultural artifacts, consistency in temperature and humidity for textile collections, both in storage and while on display, is key to the long-term preservation of the objects. Sharp fluctuations in either make the objects vulnerable to damage from things like mold and mildew, or drying out and becoming brittle. Both temperature and humidity levels should be monitored and kept constant as changes in temperature can cause changes in relative humidity.

Pest Control
Because many textiles are made up of organic material, they can be vulnerable to infestation and damage by insects. For museums, an Integrated Pest Management program should be followed to recognize potential problems quickly so they can be rectified. This includes identification and inspection, habitat modification, good housekeeping, treatment action, education, and evaluation. Specifically, pests such as moths and carpet beetles are common among textiles. If an object is found to have evidence of pest activity, the object should be isolated to prevent further infestation. The object should be sealed, with polyethylene plastic with all seams taped to create a microclimate, effectively eliminating the active pests. Once the object no longer has evidence of active insects, the textile can be cleaned and moved back into storage with other textiles.

Storage
Like works on paper, textiles should have long periods of "rest" after periods of display to prevent damage from exposure. The manner in which they are stored during these times of rest can also prevent damage. The storage environment for any textile should have consistent temperature and humidity levels, should regularly be checked for pests, and should be kept with as little light as possible. After that, individual textiles can be stored in a variety of ways depending on their size, weight, and material makeup.

Flat
Most textiles should be stored flat, when possible. This is true for any textile with metallic thread, or a particularly delicate material, like silk, which can become brittle and break as it ages, especially when folded or rolled. Sometimes, due to space restrictions, storing textiles flat is not possible, however, and other options are available.

Folded
A textile can be folded for storage, either to fit into an archival box, or into a drawer, but the textile should never have sharp folds. It should be folded as minimally as possible, and each fold should be padded out with acid-free tissue, batting, and/or muslin to create a more gradual curve in the object. This helps to prevent creases that can stress and even break the fibers of the object.

Rolled
Some objects, such as tapestries, are too large and heavy to be stored flat or folded. These can be rolled onto an archival, acid-free tube, with tissue, batting, and muslin interleaving to minimize the sharpness of the curve in the object (the larger the archival tube for a large tapestry, the better). The finished roll can either be wrapped in muslin or in soft tyvek to protect it from dust and other contaminants.

Hanging
Some textiles are clothing or costumes, and are best stored hanging; they are padded out using the same materials listed above, and are placed on padded hangers.

Display
As with storing textile collections, their display conditions must be carefully monitored to prevent damage. Light levels should be kept to a maximum of 5 foot-candles, and the display time should be limited to a few months. In museums, having a rotation schedule in place can prevent one textile from being exposed to light, dust, etc. for too long. While on display, the textile should be regularly examined for changes in condition and to monitor any areas of concern.