Re: [ARSCLIST] Baking books?

[David Lennick <dlennick@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Tom Fine wrote:

> This is a little OT, but I figure with a list of preservation experts, someone might know the
> answer. Is it OK to bake a damp/musty-smelling hardcover book to dry it out? If so, is the "warm"
> (about 130-150 degrees) setting in a conventional oven OK? If not, what's the recommended what to
> dry it out. I bought some used books that had obviously been in the kind of basement that invites
> sticky-shed with tapes. I can read 'em as is, but I'd sure like to be rid of that musty smell and
> damp feeling to the pages. These books are non-valuable ($1 each), so I don't care if they get a
> little warped, just want them intact to read (ie don't want to ruin the binding).
>
> -- Tom Fine

Thought this was going to be a similar situation to the episode of "Cheers" where Sam dropped Diane's
rare book in the bathtub and when dried, it looked like a chia pet. Actually if anyone has an answer
to this or to the related problem of musty record jackets and labels (a problem I'm facing with
records I've been buying from an estate, where there was a flooded basement), let us know.

dl