Collecting and preserving worldly activities means that archivists often encounter some of the threatening objects that exist in the world. This can include dangerous chemicals, radioactive material, sharp (and rusty) objects, and even biological matter. Precautions and safe handling and disposal policies help to protect staff, patrons, and the wider collections from potential toxic threats.
Printing plate, 1955
Metallic printing plates are common in media-focused collections. While they provide a material example of the publication operations of an organization, they also risk cutting staff with sharp edges.
CatholicU pins, 1933 and 2012
Unfastened pins and badges throughout the collections are known to poke unwary archivists and curators.
Poison book identification flag
In the Victorian era, arsenic was often used to create the vibrant green color seen on book covers from the period. Curators are working to identify books with these “poison” bindings and this flag helps our staff identify potential culprits. But don’t worry, these books are typically not too dangerous when handling, lest you start to lick the covers.
Nuclear Reactor Label (University Museum Collection, NMC 2535)
Radioactive material could materialize in a collection. CatholicU was home to a training nuclear reactor from the 1950-1980s. Used to train nuclear submarine technicians, this reactor has long since been decommissioned. This label from it is all that remains, and it is not radioactive!
Lozenges tin, ca. 1900 (William Callyhan Robinson Papers)
Sometimes a curator can find antiquated medicine hidden in an archival collection. When these century-old cough drops were located in one such collection, staff may need to reach out to the campus office of environmental safety for proper disposal.