Margit J Smith: White gloves : Required or not?

Why do few collection care employees and paper conservators wear white gloves when handling sensitive materials, but researchers are usually required to use them? It has been shown that the traditional wearing of gloves does not necessarily protect either the materials or the user.

If proper handling of materials is observed, as well as common sense hygiene - washing of hands, and not using lotion or sterilizer among other precautions - most materials will not sustain damage from being touched by human hands. Among some of the larger institutions attitudes are changing, which is a trend that should be investigated in many more locations.