Prince William County Order Book, 1778-1784 (before and after photos)- Discovered on an online auction, the Library purchased this volume in 2001 from a seller who had broken it up to sell in pieces (before).

After microfilming, it was sent to Etherington Conservation Center in North Carolina to be rebound and repaired (after).

Courthouse Attic – Some local facilities to not have adequate storage conditions for centuries-old records. Neglect can be the most damaging factor to the local and state materials no longer considered active records.

Nature, in the form of fire, water, mold, and pests, can be devastating to records. A combination of these elements destroyed this 1911 Henrico County Fiduciary Bond volume beyond repair.

Reel of motion picture film- Laurel and Hardy's "They Go Boom" (1929)- Film reels can offer particularly difficult problems with regard to storage. If the motion pictures are not preserved on so-called safety (acetate) film, degradation can occur rapidly. Nitrate film, used almost exclusively prior to WWI, can be highly combustible and nitrate fires cannot be extinguished once ignited.