392G - Management of Preservation Programs Spring 2008 Class 7 *Conservation of General and Special Collections *Mass Deacidification

Collections Conservation A preservation management strategy for the physical treatment and protective housing of endangered research materials that allocates treatment resources for maximum benefit to the collection.

History Collections Repair Manuals - early 1980s Library Collections Conservators Discussion Group premiered at AIC, 1992 ALA Show and Tell, early 1990s Title “Collections Conservator” Berkeley Connecticut UT Austin

Collections Conservation Principles: Resources are focused on materials with the highest preservation priority. The useful life of materials in their original format is maximized. The scale of the collections conservation program is linked to the scale of the problems in the collections. The cost effectiveness of treatments is maximized by batching work; using permanent, durable materials; and employing sound methods. Special collections materials are included as appropriate to the collections approach. Other preservation options are considered when feasible, acceptable, and more cost-effective than conservation treatment.

Collections Conservator A conservator who “manages a high-volume production-oriented operation, and develops strategies for conserving large collections of general research materials in their original format.” Association of Research Libraries, 1988

Goals of a Collections Conservation Program To improve and stabilize the physical condition of library collections. This can involve a broad range of activities, their scope dependent upon the training, skills, and experience of the program manager; whether the program exists within the context of a comprehensive preservation effort; and the availability of resources.

Responsibilities of Collections Conservation Establishment of a communications network with the library system, which enables collaborative development of policies, work flows, and mechanisms for decision making. Development of specifications for a range of conservation treatments appropriate for general collections.

Responsibilities of Collections Conservation Management of a conservation lab, including evaluation of materials to determine the types of treatment or protective housing they require; treatment and housing of materials; standards setting and quality control; staff training and supervision; work flow management; and selection and maintenance of supplies, tools, and equipment.

Responsibilities of Collections Conservation Direct management of (or involvement in the management of) the library’s commercial binding program, preservation reformatting, and/or mass deacidification program, including the management of contracts for external services. Preservation needs assessment, including designing and conducting surveys

Responsibilities of Collections Conservation Environmental monitoring and participation in the development of environmental specifications for building renovation and construction projects. Disaster preparedness and recovery, and response to mold and insect infestation.

Selection Priorities Fundamental to the mission of a collections conservation program is treatment of materials that are in demand, combined with the overall condition of the collections. “[Consideration of both] condition and use is the best strategy for selection…[It] assumes that funds and facilities are likely to remain in too-short supply for the foreseeable future to undertake preservation with any goal other than solving today’s problems first; …achieve[s] the lowest rate of expenditure…and…channel[s] funding to areas of immediate need.” Barclay Ogden, U. of CA Berkeley

Selection Priorities The sooner materials are identified for treatment, the more easily and quickly they can be repaired. Problems are addressed as promptly as possible. Selection decision-making incorporates items currently damaged and at greatest risk.

Workflow Variables The appropriateness and availability of other preservation options (library binding, reformatting) for treating damaged materials The rate of flow through the lab based on availability of staff, their technical proficiency, and library’s rate of demand for work The appropriateness of the technical solutions for the materials being treated.

Treatment Options Preparation for Use Pamphlet Binding Tip-ins Pockets Paperback Reinforcement Hinge Tightening Bolt Cutting Paper Repair Protective Enclosures (envelopes, boxes, wrappers, portfolios)

Treatment Options Preparation for Commercial Library Binding Book Repair Hinge Tightening Tip-ins Paper Repair Structural Repair for Standard-size Case-bound Books and Paperbacks Structural Repair for Other Types of Bindings (e.g. book sewn on cords; oversize volumes requiring split- board construction; books with older, fragile, machine- stamped bindings; leather bindings)

Treatment Options Construction of Protective Enclosures Pamphlet Binding Paper Treatment Treatment of Special Collections

Special Collections Conservation Defining “Special Collection” Collections of materials that must be maintained in their original form (even if a surrogate is provided for access). Bibliographic interest  Significant editions  Works of exceptional aesthetic value  Notable associational worth or provenance  Exemplars of binding, printing or illustration history  Photographs  Films and videos  Manuscripts  Sound recordings  Computer files

Special Collections Conservation Difference between Special and General Collections Conservation: “One-of-a-kind” treatment Documentation Minimal intervention and aesthetic reintegration Rigorous respect for the integrity of the object and an appreciation of its role as an object of material culture.

Treatment Documentation Treatment Specification (conservator and curator, bibliographer, archivist, etc.) Treatment Proposal (curator contributes information about use, value, where it is stored, whether all parts must be retained, etc.) Description of original material and fabrication (sometimes accomplished via tests for media solubility, etc.) Potential courses of action, benefits, risks, limitations and treatment time

Treatment Documentation Treatment Report Purposes:  Helpful to the conservator during reconstruction portion of treatment  Serves future scholars and conservators wanting information about the original structure and what was done  Can function as a learning tool for both conservators and curators  Details the processes carried out during the course of treatment, the materials used in treatment, and a description of parts removed  Provides photographic documentation.

Treatment Options Paper and Books Removing damaging mounts Removing tape and adhesives Removing stains Cleaning Deacidification (alkalinization) Consolidation Mending Resewing or sewing stabilization Spine repair Housings

Conservation Labs New York Public Library Preservation Database online artifactual treatment documentation management system fl4J:palimpsest.stanford.edu/iada/ta99_047.pdf+conservation+treatm ent+specification&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us&client=firefox-a

Holdings Maintenance Defined A range of basic preservation procedures designed to prolong the life of archival records by providing a stable storage environment.

Holdings Maintenance Defined Includes actions designed to prolong the useful life of records and to reduce or defer the need for laboratory treatment by improving the physical storage environment, including: Replacing acidic storage materials Improving shelving practices Removing damaging fasteners Reproducing unstable materials Dusting boxes and shelves.

Holding Maintenance Focus on: Storage containers Oversize records Folded and rolled documents Written notations on archival records Dusting Damaged records Fastened documents Bound volumes, including scrapbooks and albums Preservation photocopying Unstable copies

Mass Deacidification NYPL Study Test 1: 1,000 volumes of Slavic monographs selected at point of shelf preparation. Criteria pH acidic Time to shelf 3-week turnaround if no binding needed 5-week turnaround if needing binding first Approximately 6 weeks Costs $16.20 total (excluding binding) Costs mainly for deacidification and shipping $1.05 for initial review and selection, packing and shipping, inspection of volumes upon return, 583 entry

Mass Deacidification NYPL Study Test 2: 1,000 volumes of Cuban monographs selected from shelf. Criteria Post 1950 publication Importance to collection pH acidic Time to shelf 3-week turnaround if no binding needed Approximately 4 weeks Costs $16.75 total Costs mainly for deacidification and shipping $1.65 for initial review and selection, packing and shipping, inspection of volumes upon return, 583 entry

Mass Deacidification New York Cooperative State Grant NYPL, University of Rochester, Columbia University Humanities and Social Sciences, ,700 volumes each year in each institution = 5,100 volumes total All but NYPL went to the shelf for selection Preferred smooth, efficient workflow Pulling, packing, shipping and receiving was placed in an area that was already familiar with this workflow. At Columbia and NYPL, this was the shelf prep unit that prepares items to go to the library binder.

Workflow Commonalities - Keeping Costs Down Pulling, packing, shipping and receiving is placed in a processing area already familiar with this workflow (shelf prep, contract microfilming). 583 entry is, for the most part, done in the unit prepping, shipping and receiving the volumes (not cataloging)