Here's helpful information about our paper!

Below find a letter from Mike Milewski of Special Collections and Archives:

The Hammermill, Great White copy paper (20 lb.) that Bob (copy machines) and the Library staff routinely uses is a very good paper quality. Since we have started using this brand some years ago, which tests out "blue" with a PH test pen as top shelf for neutral (lack of acidity), we have stopped ordering special archival paper (also 20 lb.), as both test the same. Therefore, even though our paper is 70% wood pulp and 30% recycled material it is still very stable and will last 50-100 years. In the "old days" the archive community was limited to 100% cotton neutralized paper; now the wood pulp people got on the band wagon and cleaned up their act. When I first start here the ph test on copy paper was "yellow", and then some ten-15 years later it changed to "green". Bottom line, the patron need not worry about our paper quality as long as it is "Great White". If there is any doubt about paper quality, please feel free to send either the patron with questionable paper or a sample up to me and I will test it with our PH test pen.

Mike Milewski

Special Collections and University Archives