Quick Preservation Tips

EnvironmentCool: Preferably no more than 65° FahrenheitDry: Preferablysomewherebetween30–50%relativehumidityStable: Temperature:Shouldnotfluctuatemorethan2°

Relativehumidity:Shouldnotfluctuatemorethan3%Dark: BlockUVandinfraredlightwithUVfilters

Blocksunlightwithdrapes,shades,orblinds Useprotectiveacid-free,lignin-freeenclosures Putlightswitchesontimers Ifpossible,displayfacsimilesinlieuoforiginals Ifdisplayingrareboundvolumes,turnpageseveryweektominimizedamage

Clean: Keepfoodandbeveragesawayfromcollections–theyinviteinfestationsandaccidents Periodiccleaningwillextendcollectionlife,butusecaretoavoiddamage Washandthoroughlydryhandsbeforehandlingmaterials. Besuretoweargloveswhenhandlingphotographicmaterials: Glovesshouldbecleanandlint-free Uselatexornitrilegloveswhenhandlingglassplatenegatives

Resourceswww.nedcc.org/resources/leaflets/2The_Environment/06LowCostNoCost.phpwww.nedcc.org/resources/leaflets/4Storage_and_Handling/03CleaningBooksAndShelves.phpwww.niso.org/publications/tr/tr01.pdf “Environmental Guidelines

for the Storage of Paper Records”

Tools to Monitor the EnvironmentTemperatureandRelativeHumidity:

Considerinvestingindataloggers(e.g.,HOBO®orPEM2™)Light: Trytextilefadingcards(akabluewoolcardsor

bluescales)ora35mmSLRcamera

Resourceswww.nedcc.org/resources/leaflets/2The_Environment/02TemperatureAndHumidity.phpwww.onsetcomp.com (for HOBO® monitors)www.pemdata.com/faq.aspwww.nedcc.org/resources/leaflets/2The_Environment/04ProtectionFromLight.php

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ShelvesSize: Shelvesshouldbedeepenoughtofullysupportthedepthofbooks

shelvedonthem Donotshelveoversizedvolumeswithvolumesofsmallerdimensions Designateseparateareasofshelvingforoversizedvolumesandfoliomaterials

Material: Avoidmaterialsthatoff-gas Potentialforproblemswith: Wood(especiallyoak) Plywood Particleboard Bakedenamel(especiallywhite)

Resourceswww.nedcc.org/resources/leaflets/4Storage_and_Handling/02StorageFurniture.php

Be Prepared!Haveawrittendisasterplaninplace–who,what,where,when,andhow

Considertakingthe2-partWESTPASworkshop,“ProtectingLibrary&ArchiveCollections:DisasterPreparedness,Response&Recovery”(www.westpas.org/courses.html)

AttendanAllianceforResponseForum (www.heritagepreservation.org/AfR)

Makefriendswithyourlocalfirstrespondersandprovideyourfiredepartmentwithfloorplansofyourfacilitythatclearlydelineateprioritycollectionsforprotectionandsalvage

Resourceswww.conservation-us.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.viewPage&pageID=593www.lib.washington.edu/preservation/disaster.html

CopiesFrombestoptiontooptionoflastresort:

1) Makeprintoutsfromdigitalcopies2) Usefacsimilesinsteadoforiginals3) Scanoriginals,usingspine-friendlyequipment

(i.e.,equippedwithcradle)4) Usingcopystandwithcameramount,takeaphotograph

(noflash),usingonlynaturallightforilluminationandusingabookcradletosupportthebook

5) Makeaphotocopy(ifpermitted),usingacopierwithspine-friendlydesign(e.g.,BinderMinder-www.binderminder.com)

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DisplaysFollowaboveguidelinesregardingenvironmentalconditionsIfpossible,usefacsimilesinlieuoforiginalsDisplaybooksinbookcradles,butbesuretoturnpagesweeklytominimizelightdamage

Cradlesallowitemstobekeptopenwithminimalstressonthebinding BooksnakesorMelinex®516strapscanbeusedtokeepthebookopen

ResourcesBuildyourownbookcradles:

www.nps.gov/history/museum/publications/conserveogram/18-01.pdfwww.cool.conservation-us.org/coolaic/sg/bpg/annual/v04/bp04-01.html

Makeyourownbooksnakes:www.libraries.ucsd.edu/preservation/psnake.html

Care And Repair (What To Avoid)LeatherDressingAlthoughpastpracticewastousealeatherdressingondeterioratingbindings,thisisnolongerrecommended.Leatherdressingscan:

CauseleathertodryoutResultinunevenstainingDarken leatherCauseleathertostiffenLeaveastickyresiduethatattractsdustStainthepagesthroughmigration

OfficeSuppliesNever,everuseanyofthefollowingonmaterialsyoucareabout:

PaperclipsBinderclipsStaplesStringRubberbandsTapeNon-PVA(polyvinylacetate)glue,rubbercement,airplaneglueRemovablenotes(aka“yellowstickies”)ConstructionpaperandcardboardReportcoversandPVC(polyvinylchloride)enclosures

Do No Harm!Ifindoubt,callaconservator!Findaconservatoratwww.conservation-us.org

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Wrong Way

Pullingonheadcapdamagesthespine.

Wrong Way

Booksnotproperlysupportedandcrammedonshelvescanbedamaged.

Wrong Way

Shelvingonforeedgesisdamaging;gravitypullsonthetextblock,separatingitfromthebook’scase,causingdistortionandlooseorbrokenhinges.

Right Way

Pushingbacksurroundingbooksandgraspingthedesiredvolumeoneithersideofitsspinepreventsdamage.

Right Way

Bookendsofsufficientsizeandstrengthprovidepropersupport;bookshaveroomto“breathe.”

Right Way

Adjusttheheightofshelvesfortallerbooks.Ifthisisnotpractical,shelvetallerbooksontheirspinestopreventdamage.

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Wrong Way

Whattodowiththoseleatherbindings?Donotuseleatherdressing.Instead,placeintoaprotectiveenclosuresuchasaphasebox.

Wrong Way

Neverusetwinetokeepmaterials,suchasnewspapersandjournals,together.Itslicesanddicescollections!

Wrong Way

Howtodamagefolios:toomanybooks;largervolumesrestingontopofsmaller.

Right Way

Acid-free,lignin-freecustomfittedphaseboxesprotectagainstphysicalabrasionandminimizefluctuationsintemperatureandrelativehumidity.

Right Way

Insteadoftwine,placematerialsintoacid-free,lignin-freeenclosuressuchasportfoliobindersorphaseboxes.

Right Way

Preventdamage:Nomorethan3volumes(or4ifafewarethin);arrangefromlargestonbottomtosmallestontop.

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Wrong Way

Usingaprotectiveenclosurethatistoosmallfortheitemcancausedamage.Inaddition,puttingabrittleortornitemintoanenvelopecaninviteadditionaldamage.

Wrong Way

Usingaprotectiveenclosurethatistoolargefortheitemitismeanttoprotectcancausedamage.

Perfect Binding

Obtainareplacementcopyfromthepublisherorhaverebound(double-fanadhesivemethod)byamemberoftheLibraryBindingInstitute(LBI).

Right Way

Thisportfoliobinderhasalargerspinethantheenvelopebinder,thusaccommodatingthedepthoftheitemtobeenclosed,preventingphysicaldamage.

Right Way

Customenclosuresareavailableinarangeofmaterials,somesurprisinglyaffordable.Theywillprovideahealthyenvironmentformaterialsiftheyareacidandligninfree.

NISO Standards

NationalInformationStandardsOrganization(NISO)hasseveralstandardsrelatedtopreservation.VisitNISO’sStandardssiteat www.niso.org/kst/reports/standards andsearch“Designation”usingthefollowingdesignationnumbers:

Z39.48Standardsforpermanenceofpaper Z39.77Guidelinesforpreservationproducts Z39.78Standardsforlibrarybinding Z39.79Environmentalconditionsforexhibits

“ViewDetails”andscrolldowntoopenthe“FinalDocument.”Thereisnochargetoviewthestandardsonline.

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What should I do with a...Rare,non-brittlebook

Iffundsareavailable,haveitrestoredbyabookconservator.Ifnot,protectitwithaphaseboxordropspine(akaclamshell)box.

Rare,brittlebook Ifitisunique,explorethepossibilityofcapturingtheinformationbyscanningormicrofilming.Useabookcradle!Ifpossible,offeradigitalorfacsimilecopyforuseinplaceoftheoriginal.Puttheoriginalintoanacid-free,bufferedphaseordropspinebox.

Brittlerarejournalor pamphlet

Explorethepossibilityofscanningormicrofilmingiftheitemisunique.Useabookcradle!Puttheoriginalintoanacid-free,bufferedportfoliobinder.

Flatfile(e.g.,map,broadside,sheetmusic),especiallylargeritems

EncapsulateinMelinex®516(Mylar).Ifsurfacecleaningisneeded,consultwithaprofessionalconservator.• Protectsitemsthatarehandledfrequently• Costcanbesomewhatexpensive

Flatfile(e.g.,map,broadside,sheetmusic),especiallysmaller items

Putintoacid-free,lignin-freebuffered(usuallycalciumcarbonate3%)portfoliobinder• Goodforinfrequentlyhandledmaterials• Boardsprovideadditionalphysicalprotection• Lessexpensivethanencapsulation

Blueprint,cyanotype,orotheralkaline-sensitivematerial

Putintoacid-free,lignin-freeunbufferedenclosure

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Additional Information On Collection Care:AmericanInstituteforConservationofHistoric&ArtisticWorks(AIC)

www.conservation-us.org“ConservationKitchen”(fromtheWashingtonStateLibrary) “ConservationKitchen:BasicToolsforAnyPreservationRecipe”

www.opal-online.org/GPO20080520/ (streaming audio with slides and text chat) “ConservationKitchenReturns:Wraps,Jackets,andBoxedTreats” www.opal-online.org/GPO20090528/ (streaming audio with slides and text chat) “TheConservationKitchen–VideoPresentationsandHandouts” www.sos.wa.gov/library/conservation_kitchen.aspx

CornellUniversity www.library.cornell.edu/preservation/publications/PreservingBooks.pdf

DartmouthUniversity www.dartmouth.edu/~library/preservation/repair/index.html

ImagePermanenceInstitute www.climatenotebook.org/games/StoredAlive.html

LibraryofCongress www.loc.gov/preserv

NationalArchives www.archives.gov/preservation/family-archives

NationalParkService“ConserveOGrams” www.nps.gov/history/museum/publications/conserveogram/cons_toc.html

NortheastDocumentConservationCenter(NEDCC) www.nedcc.org/resources/leaflets.list.php

UniversityofWashington(Preservation) www.lib.washington.edu/preservation/

WashingtonStateLibrary(PreservationLinks) www.sos.wa.gov/library/libraries/c2c/resources.aspx

Questions?E-mailmeat:diane.hutchins@sos.wa.gov

January20118