About Lighthouse Paper
Lighthouse Paper is an informational resource focused on the long-term storage of paper documents, maps, and prints in private homes across Poland.
What This Resource Covers
Private collectors in Poland frequently hold materials of significant personal or historical value — maps inherited from family, limited-edition prints, correspondence from the 19th or early 20th century, or topographic surveys. These items share one vulnerability: paper deteriorates without proper conditions.
The content on this site draws on publicly available standards from institutions including the Library of Congress Preservation Office, the International Council on Archives, and guidance published by the National Institute for Museums and Public Collections (NIMOZ) in Warsaw. All referenced standards are publicly accessible.
What Is Not Covered
Lighthouse Paper does not cover professional conservation treatment — cleaning, deacidification washes, or physical repair require trained conservators with specialist materials. For collections with active deterioration, consulting the Polish Association of Paper Conservators or a certified conservation studio is appropriate.
This site also does not address digital scanning as a preservation method, institutional archive procedures, or items requiring controlled cold storage (photographs, films, or born-digital media).
Editorial Approach
Articles describe established storage practices in plain language. Specific figures (humidity ranges, temperature targets, pH values) are drawn from publicly accessible institutional guidelines and are not invented by the editors. Where guidance differs between sources, the more conservative recommendation is generally noted.
The site is updated periodically as new guidance from archival institutions becomes available.
Contact
Questions about storage problems, material sourcing in Poland, or corrections to published content can be sent to contact@lighthousepaper.eu.
Lighthouse Paper operates from Warsaw, Poland.