How To Go About Preserving An Old Collection?

Hi everyone! I apologize for saying this, but I know absolutely nothing about stamp collecting, but I have a problem!
I recently inherited the stamp collection of a long deceased family member(1956). The collection consists of stamps from early 1930s to the late 1940s, but have not been protected in any way. Now I realize I'm no expert, but I do know that if I want to keep them around longer, having them sit around in an unprotected double-sided stamp album left the way they were when he died in '56, isn't going to do the trick.

What steps should I take, or can I do, to make sure that these stamps last another generation -- or more?

Hello Indianer, and welcome.

An album protects stamps, so maybe you can clarify the problem. You could just transfer them to another album. How much protection they might need would also depend on what they are, whether mint or used and common or rare.

An album is a very good way to store any stamp. The problem is where you store the album. For the most part stamps from the 30's and 40's are pretty common and inexpensive even for MNH stamps.

If your album is damaged you may want to buy a new one or even make your own. I guess we need to know more to give better advice.

Thank you Modern Who! The collection includes stamps from all countries except the USSR (for some odd reason). I especially wish to protect WWII related stamps, such as Nazi Germany (including stamps from occupied countries and the '36 Olympic Games), US, and UK stamps in the collection. I was considering removing those pages specifically - but don't wish to breakup the collection and possibly frame them. The stamps I mentioned are already attached to the pages in the album.

There are also many stamps in a homemade filing system of envelopes that have not been attached to pages in the album.

But I would much rather keep the entire album intact. There's no sort of clear plastic covers that I could put on the individual pages? Or would that even suffice???

What kind of album is it? Two post loose-leaf or bound? If it's loose leaf you can get interleaves and place them between the pages for a little extra protection, something other than glassine interleaves for best protection.

There is nothing to place over pages in an album but you could pick up some page protectors and a small paper cutter, trim the pages to fit and store them, intact, in loose leaf binders.

Reading Mkfarms comment of where the album is stored and needing additional info, the album is currently (and I know this is bad), stored in an attic within a wooden box made for the stamp collection (and has been without problems for roughly 20 years). I live in AZ, where there is high heat, yet little humidity.
Am I correct in assuming that stamps would last longer inside a house where the climate can be controlled versus in the attic? And if I move them to within the house, would the interleaves or page protectors protect the stamps from light?

Really Modern Who you're insight has been most appreciated!

Yes an attic is not such a good place for stamps. I will revise my one comment. I thought they were US stamps. SO It was not fair to say most stamps are inexpensive, I'm not up to date on worldwide stamps.

I do use acid free page protectors for mine but the problem is that the older album's pages are larger.

A good place to keep stamps stored is the bedroom.

OK so If I move the stamp book from the attic down to a bedroom, and consider buying acid-free page protectors, would the page protectors be sufficient as far as light protection? I realize that moving it down to the house offers protection from moisture...

Just keeping the album closed and in a drawer or closet, should protect it from light. It's sunlight and the ultraviolet rays from sunlight that can be of concern. But only after sufficiently long exposure. Just keeping an album closed protects the stamps from light.