Restoration work proceeds slowly, one folio at a time, under controlled humidity. The survey found that most requests concern maps rather than correspondence. Digitisation teams photograph each page twice, once in colour and once under raking light. A duplicate catalogue is kept off-site in case the reading room copy is ever damaged. Visiting scholars must register with the desk before any box leaves the stacks.
A duplicate catalogue is kept off-site in case the reading room copy is ever damaged. Visiting scholars must register with the desk before any box leaves the stacks. The oldest ledger in the collection predates the building that now houses it. Conservation staff replace acidic folders with archival board on a rolling schedule. Every transfer between departments is logged, however small the parcel.
