To disbind or not disbind

Elaine,
...

>re-backed with the original endpapers preserved.  My instinct is to take
>the volumes that have been rebound out of their acidic cases and have
>phase boxes made to house the text blocks.**

That really is a bit extreme.  when in doubt go back to fundamental
principles, viz (a) minimal intervention (sub paragraph c: remedies
should fit the problem).

In this instance you would be doing something rather like amputating a
limb because of a skin infection;  while there might be a drastic case
where this was called for, it would certainly be a last resort.

>Another option is to place acid-free paper between endleaves and text
>block.... But that doesn't seem quite adequate.

Much better.  A heavily buffered barrier paper should be effective. If
you want to get strange you could use polyester film.

There is also a technique I have used in the past but am not yet
recommending is to deacidify the endleaves in situ (non aqueous,
naturally).  I plan to revisit a group of materials that were so treated
(back in the early 80's) to see how they have fared.  Any localized
alkalization suggests a wealth of difficulties, (imagine a long
theoretical discussion here) but I'm at least slightly optimistic.

Of course, if your secret agenda is to create an un-ignorable problem (a
shelf full of seriously sad cases) to lobby for a binding budget,
disbinding might do the trick, he says wickedly...

Walter

                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 4:34
                 Distributed: Monday, December 24, 1990
                        Message Id: cdl-4-34-005
                                  ***