Storing pamphlets

I've got a small collection of pamphlets and booklets that I'd like to protect. Most of them are fragile and around 6x9x0.25 inches in size. Right now I use archival binder sheet protectors with staples and tape on the protectors (not the works themselves!) to fold and close them. The upside is that the entire pamphlet is covered and visible through the clear, acid-free plastic. The downside is that it's difficult to remove them from the protectors and slip them back in. Sometimes this process results in chips of the wrappers coming off because of rubbing against the sharp edges of the plastic. I don't do this often, but I enjoy opening and reading them once in a while. I also must lay them flat on their sides and not upright on the shelf, which could damage the ones on the bottom.

Does anyone know of any inexpensive, DIYish methods for preserving fragile pamphlets?

My materials are not all that valuable, so I don't think it makes sense to pay a premium on a site like Gaylord Archival.

Place the pamphlet between two pieces of thin binders board. Tape the boards to each other on one side so that the structure will open like a book. take care not to let the tape touch the pamphlet. Use linen sewing tape to tie the bords together. put a label on the top board. The binders board will allow you to stand the pamphlets upright. If you use some sort of buckrham you can then sew the pamphlet in, and have a professional pamphlet binding.

Thanks! I'll try it out.

For my pamphlets and small ephemera, I use readily available and inexpensive archival comic bags and archival cardboard, found at any comic store or online. The cardboard keeps your item snug, flat and secure; the bags allow you to see the entire piece. Simply place the item on the cardboard, slide it gently into the bag, close the bag, and tape the excess of the bag to the back of the bag itself. Then you can either lay the item flat for storage, or stand them upright with no worry of the item flopping over. It makes for a very pleasing and safe storage of small items, and allows you to access your items readily! There are also archival cardboard comic boxes of various sizes that will hold your newly-bagged pamphlets perfectly. To me, a satisfying and inexpensive archival solution!

(Edited to add: there are a variety of sizes of comic and magazine bag sizes. If the normal comic size bag seems like it would be a bit of a tight fit, then go up to Silver Size comic bags or whichever bag seems best suited to your needs.)

Second the recommendation for archival comic bags, though the archival cardboard... isn't. I keep all of mine vertically (most not protected at all; it's overkill unless they're extremely fragile) in a magazine box, so they stay truly vertical, don't look crappy on the shelf, and are protected from sliding around.

It can depend a bit on how many you have. I noticed a size of 6x9 inches and it made me think of the solution I have implemented for my archive of magazines about juvenile series books. I have more than 3,000 issues of this sort of thing and I need to keep them organized so I can refer to them. I've made PDFs of most of them for keyword searches but often looking at the physical issue is needed.

I found that Globe-Weis makes boxes for 6x9 index cards. Although not archival, they are an ideal size for this kind of magazine — half letter (5.5x8.5 inches), half legal (7x8.5 inches), and some of the boxes I have will fit letter size (8.5x11 inches) magazines flat.

Of course I started to accumulate quite a few of these. We have 24 on a custom bookcase in a closet in our new house in the room we call "library west." Another case has boxes for manuscript material (on the left). We are still moving in and making the best use of space but seeing the 24 green Globe-Weis boxes gives some satisfaction.



Here is an Amazon link to the boxes I use. If nothing else, it may give you an idea. At the time I am writing this they are about 50% off.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006IFE6/

If you need better peace of mind, you can put individual items in Mylar photo sleeves. I have been using these for 10-15 years with no harm to the materials I am storing in them but you may have more concern on your items.

James