![]() These materials comprise our collective memory and are valuable and necessary to a society or group of people. Along with the oral tradition, images, sound, and text have assisted in the transfer of personal, educational, political, social, or cultural information. Cave paintings, papyrus scrolls, handwritten manuscripts, and visual or sound recordings in various languages and formats provide information to people and allow knowledge acquired by one generation to be passed to the following generation. Information has been recorded throughout time in a wide variety of formats as human knowledge, ability, and skills developed. For repairs or conservation treatment, check the free referral service from the American Institute for Conservation for a book conservator in your region (Find more information on this topic at Mary Lynn Ritzenthaler is chief of the National Archives Conservation Laboratory.PRESERVATION AND CONSERVATION OF INFORMATION ![]() Simply box a damaged book, store it flat, and handle the volume very carefully. Using tape to mend torn pages or to reattach loose or detached covers, while well intentioned, ultimately causes more damage. Book cradles can support books at a safe angle to protect the bindings.īook Repair - Do not attempt to repair books that are unique or that you wish to pass on to future generations. Do not force books to open flat to get the "best" copy. Face-up copying is safest, using either a hand-held camera or a face-up copier. This puts stress on tightly bound volumes, resulting in bindings breaking and pages separating. Making Copies - Do not place books face down on a photocopier or scanner. Do not use metal devices that clip over the tops of pages or anything thick since they can tear and distort paper.įood and drink can stain paper, and if liquid falls on manuscript ink (such as a diary entry) the ink can feather and bleed. Use a thin piece of paper or a length of ribbon as a bookmark. That will leave a permanent crease in the paper, and the corner may break off if the paper is weak and brittle. Do not "dog-ear" or turn down the corners of pages. Handling - Handle books gently to avoid separating covers and spine pieces from the binding. ![]() This will keep the covers flat and the text from separating from the covers. Store large volumes, such as atlases, flat (horizontally). Shelve books of approximately the same size together so they will support one another otherwise, volumes will become distorted and covers will lose their shape. Shelving - Store small- to medium-sized books upright (vertically). Preservation-quality boxes for individual volumes will protect books from excess light exposure and keep pieces of damaged bindings together, such as detached or loose covers. Position bookcases so that sunlight does not fall on books you want to preserve. Light can cause book covers to fade, especially the spines of books exposed to sunlight for years. These conditions cause paper to become brittle (think of old newspaper clippings). Avoid attics and garages, where temperatures can get high and where there can be problems with water or high humidity. Storage - Store books away from sources of heat and moisture. Careful handling will help to preserve them. These books range from diaries, journals, and Bibles that contain genealogical entries to first editions of favorite authors and beautifully illustrated children’s stories. (Photo courtesy of Mary Ryan)ĭespite the popularity and convenience of e-books, many people own treasured books of the old-fashioned kind-paper leaves protected by covers. Shelve your books so that volumes of approximately the same size are together and can support one another. These much-loved books could use some attention.
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