Plastics in Australian Archives: An Industry Survey Regarding Prevalence, Condition, and Preservation Strategies

In recent decades, there has been an increased focus on the identification, storage, and treatment of polymer-based plastic materials in cultural heritage collections. While need for preservation plastics audio-visual collections is well established, evidence that unstable are also associated with paper-based This paper investigates whether libraries archives to direct resources towards risks posed by As no available documentation types condition plastics, Australian were surveyed using online questionnaire. Respondents reported over 90% archives, ∼50% observed these be poor condition. It concluded specific vulnerable developed communicated.