Photocopying and dowels

We are all aware of the problems and risks involved to the binding and
sewing structure when filming bound material. However, you may not be
aware of some of the filming practices. What are your reactions to this:
Many microfilming labs use dowels in the book's spine to eliminate
gutter shadow.  The dowels cause the spine to throw up higher and the
page opening across its entire width to be parallel to the focal plane,
thus eliminating or at least cutting back on the gutter shadow.

At Columbia we do not use dowels.  The feeling is they are too damaging
to the material.

What are your opinions?  Do you have to deal with this sort of thing? We
sure would appreciate some feedback on this.

Bobbie

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 2:15
                  Distributed: Saturday, April 1, 1989
                        Message Id: cdl-2-15-004
                                  ***