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Subject: Circulation of brittle books

Circulation of brittle books

From: Regina Sinclair <sinclair>
Date: Friday, July 29, 1994
My thanks to everyone who responded to my query about circulating
brittle books.  I was interested in real-life procedures/practices for
volumes (shrink-wrapped, boxed, unprotected, etc.) that are not intact
and remain in general, circulating collections.  This summarizes the
more useful information sent directly to me, as requested:

Normandy Helmer, University of Oregon Library, places a book plate with
a friendly, cautionary care message on portfolios and phased boxes.  He
also utilizes an online database in verifying the contents of enclosures
returned after circulation;

Gary Frost, Booklab, uses a technique allowing the gentle photocopying
of the most fragile of brittle pages as an alternative to allowing them
to circulate;

David Roepke, Ashland University Archives, verifies that a back- up copy
an at risk book can be obtained through ILL before allowing it to
circulate;

Peggy Bordley, The University of the South Sewanee, described a colored
wrapper, placed on the front of the book, whether it is boxed or not,
containing a message asking that it not be photo- copied or returned to
the book drop after circulation; that any additional damage incurred
during use be pointed out to someone at circulation upon return.

Regina Sinclair
Head, Preservation Department
Johns Hopkins University

                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 8:11
                  Distributed: Monday, August 1, 1994
                        Message Id: cdl-8-11-005
                                  ***
Received on Friday, 29 July, 1994

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