[Nhcoll-l] unbuffered paper for herbarium packets

[Amanda Bremner]

Hello,
I am trying to find a good paper (100% cotton/rag, long grain, lignin free, 8.5 x 11" sheets, 24 lb, unbuffered paper) to make herbarium packets suitable for bryophyte, lichen and fungi collections.  I am having a hard time finding paper that is not buffered with a 24 lb weight.  I have discovered that even though paper companies list their paper as being 100% cotton does not mean that 3-10% calcium carbonate or some other alkaline compound has not been added to the paper.

I've heard that buffered paper is not suitable for natural history collections especially if the humidity in the collections environment can be high.  Our herbarium is in an uncontrolled environment.  We are wondering what kind of paper other herbaria use and where they order their paper from (preferably including the catalogue number)?  If anyone has any suggestions it would be greatly appreciated.

Also, has anyone had any issues using buffered paper to house their herbarium collections? If you use buffered paper, do you wrap the collections in unbuffered acid free tissue paper or some other material?

Thanks
Amanda

Amanda Bremner, M.Sc.
Curatorial Assistant, Botany and Mycology/Adjointe à la Conservation des collections, Botanique et Mycologie
New Brunswick Museum/Musée du Nouveau-Brunswick
Saint John, New Brunswick/Saint John, Nouveau-Brunswick
Canada
Amanda.Bremner at nbm-mnb.ca


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