The BA Produces World-Class Egyptian Restoration Paper
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The Bibliotheca Alexandrina has achieved a new milestone in the field of heritage preservation, following the success of the Manuscripts Center and Museum’s Preservation and Environmental Monitoring Section in producing high-quality restoration paper, after a series of meticulous scientific experiments and continued efforts.
It is worth noting that this paper is handmade from long-staple Egyptian cotton fibers and has successfully met the ISO 9706 standard for permanent paper (Paper for documents—Requirements for permanence) and the ISO 11108 standard for archival paper (Archival Paper—Requirements for permanence and durability). In accordance with the measurements of the Egyptian Organization for Standards and Quality (EOS), and based on the results attached to the organization’s certificate, this product’s results far exceed the minimum thresholds of the standards for both ISO 9706 and ISO 11108.
This paper has unique properties that make it suitable for the restoration of rare manuscripts and documents, ensuring the preservation of their historical value and meeting the latest international restoration standards. Its compliance with these standards makes it not merely a “local alternative,” but a strong global competitor that enters the Premium Category through its widest doors.
The team at the Preservation and Environmental Monitoring Section has successfully achieved a balance between mechanical strength, superior durability, and strict chemical stability, classifying this paper as “permanent paper.” “Permanent Preservation and Durability Paper”—the highest scientific designation granted by international institutions to materials qualified for preserving the memory of nations—is an exceptional achievement.
This achievement represents a cornerstone of the “localization of industry” strategy for several reasons: first, “strengthening heritage sovereignty,” represented by the production of domestic paper that rivals global products and ensures the protection of national manuscripts and documents using 100% Egyptian materials and labor. Second is “economic sustainability”; this paper is produced from high-quality cotton fabric scraps left over from Egyptian textile companies, which constitutes a highly effective form of economic recycling that strongly boosts the Egyptian economy. Third is “achieving regional and international leadership”; presenting this paper to the world as the pinnacle of modern conservation techniques places Egypt on the global map of trusted suppliers of heritage preservation tools.