1. The role of the laboratory
The conservation laboratory of the Cagliari State Archives plays an essential role in protecting the documentary heritage. Its task is to ensure the physical preservation of documents by treating paper supports and bindings to safeguard their integrity, legibility and long-term accessibility. The laboratory’s work forms part of the Archives’ broader institutional functions and follows established scientific criteria and methods in the conservation of archival and library materials.
2. Areas of intervention
The laboratory works primarily on the heritage held by the Institute, treating:
- paper, leather and parchment supports
- historic and contemporary documentary materials
- loose documents
- registers and bound units
- seals
- drawings, large-format maps and graphic works on paper or parchment
- photographic materials on paper or glass plates
- library materials supporting research
In addition to conservation treatments, laboratory staff monitor the condition of the heritage through preventive programmes involving environmental monitoring, mapping of fonds, prioritisation of work and scheduled surface-cleaning activities. They also help prepare temporary exhibitions, both within the Archives and at external venues, ensuring that documents are displayed correctly and remain in a suitable state of conservation.
Principles and objectives
Conservation work aims to:
- preserve the historical and documentary value of the sources
- slow or halt deterioration processes
- make documents accessible again where possible
- ensure suitable conditions for their future preservation
Each intervention is designed in accordance with the specific characteristics of the material and its archival context, avoiding invasive practices and favouring compatible and reversible solutions.
A service supporting heritage protection
The laboratory is not a commercial or on-demand public service. It is an internal heritage protection resource supporting the preservation, arrangement and enhancement of archival collections. Conservation is therefore not regarded as an isolated intervention, but as an integral part of an overall strategy to safeguard documentary memory, coordinated with the Institute’s other functions.