Books

Bookcases should be constructed of steel with a baked enamel finish. Wooden shelves should never be used because of the possibility of the wood outgassing harmful compounds. The shelves should be smooth and solid, without rungs or slots, and free of jagged edges and protruding screws. The bottom shelf should be no less than four inches above the flooring order to avoid problems from rising water and splashes from cleaning.

Bookends should also be made of steel, with a baked enamel finish. They should be free of sharp edges and rust, and high enough to support over half the height of the book. Wire bookends that hang from the shelf above should be avoided, because books tend to slip under them and slide into a leaning position. Take care to avoid knifing the text of the book.

Avoid knifing text of book with book end

In general, good air circulation should be maintained in storage areas. They should be stored three inches away from walls to allow air circulation. Books should be upright on shelves, and not allowed to lean to one side or the other. Most bindings are weakest at the joint or hinge area. When a book is shelved fore edge down, gravity will eventually and inevitably pull the text block from the case at the hinge. Bookends should always be used for shelves that are not full. Do not stack volumes on top of each other or on top of other upright volumes. Books should be arranged so that shelves are full, but not so tightly as to cause damage when they are removed. If shelves are not full, bookends should be used to hold books upright. Shelving should be wide enough so that books do not extend beyond the edges. As a rule, books should not be stacked in piles on shelves.

Proper shelving

Improper shelving

When removing a book from the shelf, gently push the books on either side of it farther back on the shelf. If this is not possible, place an index finger firmly on the top edge of the book and tilt the book out of the shelf. With the whole hand, grasp the desired volume by the sides at the midspine and remove it. Removing books in this matter will save fragile headcaps from becoming frayed and breaking. Use a step stool to reach high shelves.

Proper removal of book

Improper removal of book

Before reshelving, dust books to remove damaging dirt and set aside volumes needing repair. Securely fasten all portfolios and boxes protecting fragile materials. To replace a book on the shelf, loosen the bookend and move the books on the shelf to create a space for the volume.

Magnetic tapes and diskettes:
should be shelved upright in a vertical position and away from damaging heat and light sources. Containers, protective envelopes, and wrap-around for reels should be used to minimize the accumulation of dust. Protective housing should be constructed of stable plastic, noncorrosive metal, or alkaline-buffered paper. Tape should be stored in the tails-out position. Long term storage should include a program of rewinding.

Photographic materials: (prints, film base and glass plate negatives, slides)

Each photographic medium should be housed separately, whenever possible. They should be stored in either paper or plastic enclosures or sleeves. As a general rule, buffered enclosures are recommended for the storage of most photographic materials. We own many photographs in archives and special collections which need restoration. Restoration and conservation of photographs is a highly technical process and very expensive, with a single exposure costing over $100 to restore.

Microforms:

Proper enclosures are extremely important in the storage of microforms. Paper ties that hold microfilm secured on reels, microfiche envelopes, microfilm boxes, storage cases or boxes for film stored on open shelves, and microfiche dividers that prevent curling are examples of acceptable enclosures. Envelopes should be chosen without adhesive or with a seam running along the side rather than down the center. Fiche should be inserted with the emulsion side away from the adhesive or seam. In using, since acidic oils and fingerprints can damage films, gloves should be worn when handling master or duplicate negatives. All films should be handled by the edges or leaders. Only one microform at a time should be removed from its enclosure. Fiche should be resleeved immediately after use; film should be reboxed. Rolled film should never be pulled tight over the reel as this can cause abrasion. Paper bands should be used to prevent accidental unreeling of films.

Be aware of books as physical objects. Some things which can cause problems include the following:

Inserts

Various kinds of materials inserted into books inside the cover or text block of a book can strain or break a binding which has been custom made to fit the thickness of the text block.  Remember that newspaper clippings are very acidic and will cause the paper in books to become brittle.  Thick inserts will distort the binding over time.  Any insert should be made of acid free paper.  Bookmarks should be removed when you are finished reading.

Proper way to insert materials into a book

Too Many Inserts!

Marking in books:

Do not mark in your books.  If you need to identify something about the book, use acid free strips of paper and write on them in pencil.

Opening a new book:

Careless opening of a new book , or a newly bound book, can crack its spine. Books bound in plastic are especially prone to having tight spines. To safely open a new book,  place the book on its spine on a flat surface, and, holding the text block upright, open the front cover and run fingers gently along the hinge. Do the same to the back cover, followed by both front and back end sheet pages. Then, altering front and back, open small sections of pages, applying the same gentle pressure with fingers, until the entire book is open. Hold the textblock in the same upright position during the process.

 
Proper way to open a new book

Paper clips and rubber bands  damage books when improperly used or left in place too long. Paper clips will leave permanent crimps in the paper, and over time will rust and leave marks.  Rubber bands  can bend or rip pages and covers. A long-term effect, as the rubber band rots, is a sticky, damaging residue remaining on the book. Rubber bands should therefore not be used to secure together unbound materials or books going into any long-term processing location. To secure together unbound or hold materials, use cotton tape (preferred), or string.  Staples mutilate pages of books and should therefore never be used.

Improper use of paperclip


Proper securing of unbound materials


Improper securing of unbound materials


Photocopying:

Photocopying can easily damage books by putting undue presssure on spines as they are bent back to lie flat on the glass screen. If the paper is brittle, this will crumble or break the paper at stress points. As most of the machines  are not meant to copy facing pages in bound books, special care must be taken to avoid damaging the book. Therefore, photocopying should be done carefully by inverting the book, gently placing it atop the glass screen, covering the book with the maching flap, and copying.Apply no more than light pressure to spine.

Proper photocopy technique

Improper photocopy technique