Care & Handling of Rare Books, Paper, Manuscripts, Photographs & Archives

hi my name is David Ashman and I'm the preservation manager and book conservator here at Orland libraries myself and my team are responsible for the care of the Heritage collections that are held at Orland libraries libraries and archives are responsible for looking after Heritage collections so they can be passed on for the benefit and pleasure of future Generations these collections can include manuscripts photographs Maps ephemera and books many of which are rare unique and irreplaceable unfortunately due to the organic and mechanical nature of our library materials they are highly susceptible to damage and degradation however with a little care and some simple techniques we can slow down the rate of deterioration so that these valuable resources will last for hundreds of years to come books and archives are composite items made up of a range of materials that may include leather paper cloth wood gelatin and metal they are all materials that will break down naturally in time the environment they are stored in and the way they are used can accelerate this in this presentation I will cover some of the problems that can be encountered and the kinds of things that might be done to overcome them conservation falls into two broad areas preventive and interventionist conservation preventive includes things like environmental controls temperature humidity light education of uses including care and handling storage such as boxing and shelving Pest Management and disaster preparedness plans and protective enclosures interventionist conservation is the reason many conservators are attracted to the profession it includes the treatment and stabilization of damaged books paper and archives let's begin by looking at some of the causes of deterioration and the preventive measures that can contribute to the longevity of our heritage collections any kind of light will affect books and archives though ultraviolet light from the sun and fluorescent lighting are the most severe light will cause the fading and weakening of cloth and leather and discoloration yellowing and in brittle of paper Heritage and archival collections are best stored out of the light this can be achieved in storage areas by turning off unneeded lights closing blinds or curtains and filtering windows with special films shelving can be positioned so it doesn't face windows with light streaming through having material stored in conservation grade boxes will also protect from the effects of light as in any chemical reaction an increase in heat will speed up the deterioration process books paper and photographic materials will benefit from being stored in cool conditions and away from heaters or areas that warm up in the sun warm damp conditions are particularly prone to mold growth mold spores are always present in the atmosphere and only need the right conditions to bloom relative humidity should be stable at around 50 to 55% when above 70% sent there is a risk of mold growing that can spread fast and cause irreparable damage pay particular attention to Hidden or outof the way spaces where the air is static creating microclimates ideal for localized mold colonies shelving is best positioned away from walls that are adjacent to damp areas such as a kitchen or a washroom the use of dehumidifiers and fans can be a temporary solution for improving air circulation and reducing relative humidity on discovery of an outbreak of mold confine the affected material by wrapping and then isolating away from the collections before contacting a conservator damp conditions are also more hospitable to the kinds of insects that will devour the starches and glues in books paper and photographs food and drink around Heritage collections can cause a mess and attract Vermin such as mice and insects mice and rats will shred Pages for nesting silverfish can deface and literally eat the words off the page of a book and Bora will tunnel their way through the fattest of volumes keep an eye out for signs of pest activity so that appropriate action can be taken to get rid of them it is better to make the storage areas impenetrable or conditions inhospitable for insects than to treat with chemicals that can be damaging to books as well as human health to reduce the risk of pests affecting the Heritage collections ensure that drink and food is consumed only in designated areas that are kept clean and tidy food scraps and wrappers should not be placed in bins close to collections and bins should be emptied at the end of each day dirt and dust is an abrasive that can have the effect of sandpaper when rubbing up against books and archives it will also attract moisture causing localized mold grow gr and act as a catalyst for harmful chemical activity when maintenance work is carried out that may create dust around collections make sure that appropriate precautions are taken to mitigate the risk over time dust will build up even in the most controlled of environments loose dust can be removed by cleaning with a soft brush hold the book tightly shut and brush away from the spine to avoid forcing the dirt and dust into the pages it is preferable to use a vacuum cleaner specially designed or adapted for this kind of treatment speak to a conservator about this if you are looking at a large scale cleaning project for a Heritage collection handling books and archives is another potential source of damage that can be minimized ensuring hands are washed and dry beforehand will prevent dirt oils and perspiration being transferred to surfaces avoid the use of hand or barrier creams when using original collection materials as these can easily Mark and damage porous materials such as paper and leather wearing white cotton gloves will lessen the possibility of leaving fingerprints and soiling vulnerable material however the gloves require regular changing and should be laed using a chlorine and additive free detergent double rinsing is also advisable the downside of wearing gloves is it may reduce manual dexterity in particular this can be an issue when looking at very fragile material in these circumstances it is best not to wear gloves and ensure hands are clean and dry a simple solution to this could be my fingerless glove method a destructive technique that allows a level of sensitivity whilst keeping the hands covered and remember that changing gloves and regular hand washing will still be necessary if you need to take notes whilst in close proximity to original material using a soft pencil such as a 2B is preferable as this can be easily removed in the event of accidental marking never use pens or markers around Heritage materials paper fingers are simple and easy to create that allows careful turning of pages without direct contact be aware of buttons pendants or lanyards and jewelry such as rings and broches that can damage fragile and soft materials books shelf badly put a strain on the bindings as you can see in these pictures books leaning on their sides become misshapen and the joints and sewing will be strained causing weakening and splits heavy bindings stored on their for Edge or upright on the tail will cause the structure to collapse and weaken the sewing for standard-sized books shelf upright with a matching sized book end to support them from sliding to an angle they are best supported if firmly held against adjacent books make sure there is space behind the books and the shelves for air to circulate in addition keep an eye out for signs of mold insects and Vermin very large or heavy books are best stored horizontally if sheld upright extra strain is exerted on the spine resulting in damage to the sewing structure and Joints set the bottom shelf position at least 150 mm above the floor to reduce the risk of damage when cleaning flaw and in the event of a flood see how this book is being removed from the Shelf shelf the head cap is being ripped off and serious damage can be inflicted by trying to prize It Out by grasping along the edge of the spine to avoid this kind of damage I recommend following these methods for removing books from shelves if there is enough room reach over the top and pull the binding forward with your finger on the for Edge then get a firm grip on the sides of the boards along the spine Edge and remove carefully remember to readjust the remaining books so they are not leaning at an angle if there isn't enough room to reach over the top you can push the books either side of the one that needs to be removed and get a firm grip on the sides of the boards along the spine Edge and again remember to readjust the books so they are not leaning at an angle alternatively you can use a dummy book to replace the one that has been removed large and oversized items may require two people to handle them for the safety of the item and the handlers always carry large volumes by supporting the spine and use a trolley for transporting maps and plans can be unwieldly items to handle always support them on a rigid support and use the trolley to transport around the building special trolley such as this one can be useful for transporting very large and oversized Maps having a clean and prepared space is good practice for receiving material when taken from the shelves an un tidy work area May Harbor hidden hazards such as open pens and objects that can cause damage keep books piled no more than three High to avoid the risk of them tumbling over and ensure that larger books are not parred on top of smaller ones and that books with bosses or met metal work on them are not on top of each other for large oversized maps and documents soft weights can be used to hold open Don't Force unrolled if very tight and brittle refer to a conservator for advice on flattening photocopying tight bindings or precious books on a flatbed copier or scanner will strain the spine and cause the joints to split always seek the advice of a conservator or other experienced staff member before copying or scanning any Heritage Library materials one option for tightly bound books is to photograph the required pages with the book supported at a comfortable angle and then printed out this procedure needs to be undertaken with care as the safety of the material being photographed is Paramount book supports are also a way of ensuring that tightly bound books and albums do not suffer undue strain when used by researchers or readers it can be adjusted to support the book at the angle of opening most suitable for a particular binding they are especially useful if used for old vulnerable books and it demonstrates another level of care that will encourage others always refer uncut pages to a conservator or someone with the right equipment and skills to perform a clean and regular incision all too often pages are separated with an inadequate understanding that results in torn and dragged edges I have seen doggies bus tickets spectacles and pencils all used as bookmarks a strip of newspaper left in a book can result in burn marks on the page due to the acidic nature of newsprint inserting thick book marks into the gutter will create a strain and cause joints to split and the spine to break Post-it notes are particularly Insidious as they can leave behind an invisible residue of adhesive that will attract dirt and dust and may cause pages to stick together to Marketplace always use a strip of acidfree paper or tissue that way if it is Left Behind even for a few hundred years it won't result in damage to the material it is in contact with containing a book inside a protective enclosure can be an appropriate alternative to repair it will protect against further damage protect from light it ensures safe handling it affords some protection from fluctuations in relative humidity and temperature and it does give some minimal protection against fire and flood home repairs using glues such as PVA and pressure sensitive tapes in including cell tape and Magic tape are harmful due to acidity and irreversibility I see a lot of material that has been repaired in this way that makes conservation more complicated as the original repairs must be removed before treatment can begin magnetic or self-adhesive albums popular in the 1970s and Beyond can cause permanent damage to the photographs contained within it is best not to use them at all and if possible remove photographs that are held in these kinds of albums if they are too firmly stuck to easily remove discuss options with a conservator photographs can be stored in archival quality albums made from materials that have passed the photoactivity test check with specialist conservation suppliers or a conservator increasingly modern materials are finding their way into our heritage collections Optical discs such as DVDs and CDs should should be handled by the outer edge do not touch the surface of the disc flexing and bending discs can cause them to crack or delaminate do not write or Mark in the data area of the dis this is the area that the laser reads write on the clear hub area of the disc or preferably on the packaging that contains the disc if an optical disc becomes Dusty dirty or fingerprinted it may be possible to clean it before permanent damage occurs take great care gently remove loose dust using a non-abrasive photographic lens tissue or very soft brush modern digital images when printed out should be treated in the same way as other paper based materials when properly stored D based inkjet and Dy diffusion prints have stability comparable to that of traditional photographic prints restoration and rebinding may get a book back into working condition however if non-archival materials such as PVA glues and acidic spine Linings have been used this will contribute to its deterioration rather than long-term preservation the Integrity of a book is affected if end papers are replaced or Pages trimmed and if a book is rebound rather than the original conserved this can result in the loss of important artifactual or historical detail for more information see the New Zealand conservators of cultural materials code of ethics at this website an essential power part of preventive conservation is having a disaster preparedness plan to be effective the plan should be kept simple a disaster is a stressful event and having a complicated plan will only add to the stress a disaster plan should include a simple action tree with a single point of contact train teams and their contact details First Response materials equipment and supplies all staff within the organization needs to know what their role is and how to resp respond a detailed written manual which contains logistical information such as priorities and contact details relationships with suppliers and professionals staff publicity and awareness raising among all staff and ongoing training and evaluation it is crucial that whoever discovers the disaster recognizes it as such and knows how to respond having well-meaning staff undertake Salvage without proper training can result in unnecessary damage it is important that everyone knows what his or her role is and who to contact whoever discovers the disaster first can take immediate action to prevent further damage for instance covering shelving with plastic sheets turning off water at the mains or extinguishing a small fire it is important that lines of responsibility be clearly drawn well in advance those normally in charge may be required to accept directions from disaster Readiness team leaders or the disaster Readiness coordinator a disaster preparedness plan can be seen as an insurance policy against unnecessary loss the associated costs are like paying premiums not popular when things are humming along nicely however in the unhappy event of a disaster the planning will pay dividends well in excess of any payments made if we were to lock our collections away in a climate controlled Vault never to see the light of day just think how much longer they would last however books and archives are meaningless objects unless they are browsed read and handled therefore by treating them gently ourselves and being seen to handle them with Care by our valued readers and researchers we can encourage a culture of good care and handling that will contribute to our rich and diverse collection of documentary Heritage being available for future Generations thank you very much for taking the time for listening to this presentation today and for participating in the preservation of our heritage collections

Channel: David Ashman

Views: 98,238

Keywords: History, Rare Books, Disaster Preparedness, preservation, care of rare books training, Disaster Salvage, Book and archive conservation, Care And Handling, Bookbinding, libraries, Conservation, Culture, Heritage, Museum, paper conservation, book paper conservation, Cultural heritage conservation, preventative conservation, rare old books, Books, Training, library archive storage, care and handling of books, preventive conservation, Library And Archive Storage, hand craft bookbinding

Id: 28w5mHpLiOI

Length: 19min 17sec (1157 seconds)

Published: Wed Mar 06 2013