[PADG:1147] Portfolios

["Victoria Heiduschke" <vheidus@xxxxxxxxx>]

All,

Here at Illinois State University we have used brownish-red expandable paper
portfolios with red cotton ties to keep together materials in the Teaching
Materials Center (TMC) that cannot be bound.  TMC stacks are open, and these
portfolio  items do circulate, some rather heavily.  Examples of uses for
these portfolios include a 2" thick stack of transparencies that came with a
text book set, a collection of pamphlets, and games (Bingo sets, Memory card
games, etc).  We've been using these portfolios because they make
processing/shelf preparation of these materials quicker (when you have to
label each Bingo chip with the call number and property stamp information by
hand, you really need to speed things up somehow), you can actually shelve
these items in the open stacks so they get used by student teachers much
more, you lessen the probability that you'll lose 200 Bingo chips if someone
returns it in the bookdrop, and they're cheap.  These portfolios, however,
are acidic and the brownish-red color loves to run if it gets damp/wet.

I've been looking into many catalogs to find a replacement for these
portfolios, but I haven't yet found anything that meets most of our
requirements.  I hope someone on the list has an idea.  Whatever we use must
be acid-free and rather durable, must have a surface to which we can affix
labels, be expandable and resealable (remember the Bingo chips).  Oh, and of
course, we'd like them to be affordable.

I appreciate any ideas you have!

Victoria
Victoria Heiduschke
Preservation Librarian
Milner Library
Illinois State University
Campus Box 8900
Normal IL 61790
(309) 438-7463
vheidus@xxxxxxxxx