The Archivist’s kit
The equipment our articles keep coming back to, gathered in one place: what to scan with, what to store in, how to measure a room and how to protect the papers that cannot be replaced. Each group opens with the rule of thumb that matters more than the brand.
Scanners for prints, papers and bound volumes
Match the scanner to the material. Loose prints go fastest through a photo feeder, letters and forms through a duplex document scanner, and anything bound or brittle belongs face up under an overhead camera, never pressed flat on glass.
Epson FastFoto FF-680W
A high-speed photo scanner that feeds stacks of loose prints.
- Up to about one photo per second at 300 dpi (maker figure)
- Scans the front and the back in one pass
- Wi-Fi or USB
Epson Perfection V550 photo scanner
A flatbed for prints that also scans 35 mm slides and negatives through its lid.
- 6400 dpi optical resolution
- Transparency unit in the lid for 35 mm film
- Infrared dust and scratch removal for color film
Canon CanoScan LiDE 300
A slim, USB-powered flatbed for prints and documents one at a time.
- Powered by its USB cable
- Auto scan mode detects what is on the glass
- Fits on a crowded desk
Epson WorkForce ES-580W
A desktop duplex document scanner with a large feeder and a touchscreen.
- 100-sheet automatic feeder
- Scans both sides in one pass
- Saves to USB, email or cloud without a computer
ScanSnap iX1300
A small-footprint duplex scanner for bills, letters and cards.
- Double-sided scanning
- Handles thick items and plastic cards
- USB or Wi-Fi
Brother DS-640 mobile scanner
A one-sheet-at-a-time scanner light enough for a bag.
- Under a foot long, about 1.5 lb
- Powered over USB
- Color and black and white scanning
CZUR ET24 Pro book scanner
An overhead camera scanner that flattens curved pages in software.
- 24 MP camera
- Page-curve flattening and deskew
- Volume stays open face up; no pressing on the spine
Read more: Scan resolution calculator · Photo scanners for old photos · Scanning bound volumes safely
Film, slides and home video
A converter with its own screen is the quick way through a shoebox of slides. Tapes need a working VCR plus either a capture adapter for a computer or a standalone recorder that writes straight to a memory stick.
Kodak Slide N Scan
A quick film and slide digitizer with its own screen that saves JPEGs to a memory card.
- 5 in preview screen
- Takes 35 mm, 126 and 110 film
- Saves to an SD card; no computer needed
Portta video to digital recorder
A standalone box that records a VCR or camcorder straight to a USB stick or card.
- Records MP4 video
- 3 in preview screen
- Comes with a remote
USB video capture adapter (RCA and S-Video)
Connects a VCR or camcorder to a computer for capture software.
- Composite RCA and S-Video inputs
- Plug and play; no external power
- Captures sound with the picture
Read more: Legacy formats and media
Light and magnification
Faded ink, fine survey figures and film frames all read better with even light and a good lens. A light pad doubles as a viewer for negatives, slides and fiche.
10x lighted reading magnifier
A handheld glass-lens magnifier with a ring of LEDs for faded handwriting.
- Glass lens
- 12 LED lights
- 10x magnification
Jarlink lighted loupe
A pocket loupe with LED light for checking film, prints and fine print.
- 30x and 60x lenses
- Built-in LED light
- Folds into its own case
LitEnergy A4 LED light pad
A thin, evenly lit panel for viewing negatives, slides and fiche.
- About 5 mm thick
- Adjustable brightness
- USB powered
Read more: Reading nineteenth-century deed books
Handling and cleaning
Clean, dry hands are fine for most paper. Gloves are for photographs and film, where fingerprints etch the surface. Dust comes off glass and negatives with a puff of air or a lint-free cloth, never a sleeve.
Powder-free nitrile gloves
Thin, close-fitting gloves for handling prints and photographs.
- Powder free
- Latex free
- Box of 100
White cotton gloves, 12 pairs
Washable gloves for handling film and print edges.
- 12 pairs
- Cotton blend
- Washable and reusable
Silicone air blower
A hand bulb that puffs dust off negatives and glass without touching them.
- Soft silicone tip
- Long nozzle
- Includes a microfiber cloth
MagicFiber microfiber cloths
Lint-free cloths for scanner glass and film holders.
- Pack of six
- Each cloth bagged separately
- Washable
Read more: Conservation treatments, step by step
Storing prints and negatives
Prints last longest upright or flat in closed, acid-free housings, away from attics and basements. Sleeves and slip-in pages protect the surface; a drop-front box keeps light and dust out.
Lineco archival photo card box
A museum-style drop-front box for prints and cards.
- Acid-free board, buffered with calcium carbonate
- Metal-edged corners
- Made in the USA
BCW 4x6 photo sleeves, 100 pack
Archival polypropylene sleeves for single prints.
- Clear polypropylene
- Passed the Photographic Activity Test (PAT)
- Sized for 4x6 prints
Print File 35 mm negative pages
Archival pages that hold strips of 35 mm negatives in a binder.
- Holds 25 frames in strips
- Clear enough for contact sheets
- Fits standard binders
RECUTMS 4x6 slip-in album
A large slip-in album with acid-free clear pockets for 4x6 prints.
- Holds 600 prints
- Acid-free polypropylene pockets on black pages
- Padded cover
Lifewit 4x6 photo storage set
A carry case with 16 clear inner boxes for loose 4x6 prints.
- 16 inner cases with lids
- Plastic sold as acid-free and PVC-free
- Labels included
Read more: How to digitize old photos
Paper care and small repairs
Most paper problems are better left to a conservator, but a few supplies earn a place on any records shelf: unbuffered tissue for interleaving, a pH pen to test enclosures, and archival tape for small tears in documents you own.
Unbuffered acid-free tissue, 20 x 30 in
Large sheets for interleaving prints, textiles and folded documents.
- 100 sheets
- Unbuffered
- 20 x 30 in
Lineco pH testing pens, 2 pack
A pen whose line changes color to show whether paper or board is acidic.
- Two pens
- Purple line on neutral paper
- Clear or yellow on acidic paper
Lineco archival document repair tape
A thin, pH-neutral tape for small tears in documents you own and handle.
- 1 in x 35 ft roll
- pH-neutral adhesive
- Sold as non-yellowing
Read more: Removing old tape from records
Humidity and temperature
Steady conditions matter more than perfect ones. Start by measuring with a logger for a few weeks, then dry the room only as much as the readings say it needs.
Govee H5075 Bluetooth hygrometer
Logs temperature and humidity to a phone app and alerts out-of-range readings.
- Bluetooth app with history and export
- Alerts when readings leave your range
- Large display
ThermoPro TP50 hygrometer
A simple digital thermometer and humidity gauge for a shelf.
- Stated accuracy about ±2 to 3 % RH
- Shows highs and lows
- Battery powered
Elitech RC-51H data logger
A pen-sized logger that records temperature and humidity for weeks and saves a PDF report.
- Temperature and humidity logging
- PDF report without software
- IP65 rated case
Midea 22-pint dehumidifier
A smaller unit for a records room or office.
- Maker rates it for 1,500 sq ft
- Humidity setting from 35 to 85 %
- Energy Star certified
Waykar large basement dehumidifier
A large-capacity unit for a whole basement records area.
- Maker rates it for up to 5,000 sq ft
- Humidity setting from 30 to 80 %
- Energy Star certified
hOmeLabs dehumidifier with built-in pump
Pumps the water up and out, so no bucket to empty.
- Built-in condensate pump
- App control over Wi-Fi
- Rated 50 pints a day (maker figure)
Eva-Dry E-333 renewable mini dehumidifier
A cordless silica gel unit for a closet or cabinet that you recharge by plugging in.
- No cord while in use
- Lasts weeks between recharges
- Indicator shows when to recharge
Rechargeable silica gel bags, 2 x 500 g
Reusable desiccant bags for a cabinet, chest or safe.
- Two 500 g bags
- Reactivate in a microwave or oven
- Reusable
Read more: Dew point calculator · Records vault environmental monitoring
Fire and water protection
A fire-rated box buys time for the papers that are hard to replace: deeds, certificates, wills and the one copy of a family register. Ratings are tested for paper, so drives and film need a dedicated media safe.
SentrySafe fire resistant file box
A key-locking box that takes hanging file folders.
- UL classified for 30 minutes of fire
- ETL verified water resistance
- Holds hanging files up to 12 in wide
SentrySafe fire and water resistant chest
A small key-locking chest for passports, deeds and certificates.
- UL classified for 30 minutes at 1,550 °F
- ETL verified for 72 hours under water
- Carry handle
SentrySafe 1.2 cu ft one-hour safe
A floor safe with a digital keypad for a home office.
- UL classified for 1 hour at 1,700 °F
- ETL verified for 24 hours in 8 in of water
- Digital keypad plus backup key
Two-pocket fire resistant document bag
A zippered pouch for papers you want to grab and go.
- Two zippered pockets
- 15 x 11 in
- Reflective strip
Read more: Water-damaged records: the first 48 hours
Shredding at the end of retention
Destroy on schedule, not on impulse. For anything with account numbers or personal details, use cross-cut at the least and micro-cut (P-5) where you can.
Aurora AU1060MA micro-cut shredder
A P-5 micro-cut shredder for financial and personal records.
- P-5 security level
- 10 sheets per pass
- Rated for long continuous runs
Bonsaii 12-sheet cross-cut shredder
A home-office cross-cut shredder with a large clear bin.
- P-4 security level
- 12 sheets per pass
- 5.5 gal bin
Bonsaii 200-sheet auto-feed shredder
Load a stack, close the lid and walk away.
- Auto-feed tray for up to 200 sheets
- P-4 security level
- 8.1 gal pull-out bin
Shredder lubricant sheets, 24 pack
Feed one through like paper to oil the cutters.
- 24 sheets
- No loose oil
- Fits standard feed slots
Read more: How long to keep records
Drives and backup copies
Keep three copies of every master on at least two kinds of storage, with one away from the building. A desktop drive or a network drive holds the full set, a portable drive carries the second copy, and an online service can be the off-site third.
WD Elements desktop drive, 12 TB
A large mains-powered drive for a full set of masters.
- 12 TB
- USB 3.0
- Plug and play
UGREEN NASync network storage
A network drive for home or office that keeps a full set of masters on your own shelf, reachable from every computer.
- Models from 2 to 8 drive bays
- Takes third-party hard drives
- Two-year maker warranty
WD Elements portable drive, 6 TB
A pocket hard drive for a second copy of masters.
- 6 TB
- USB 3.2 Gen 1
- Bus powered
Samsung T7 portable SSD, 2 TB
A small, fast drive for working copies and transfers.
- 2 TB
- USB 3.2 Gen 2
- No moving parts
Photobucket
An online photo and video storage service, useful as the off-site copy of a family scanning project.
- Stores scanned photos and home video online
- Albums can be shared with relatives
Read more: File formats for long-term preservation · Legacy data and media conversion
Picked from maker specifications and published reviews, and checked about once a month. We have not bench-tested these units, and nothing here is paid placement.