Removing shrink wrap from books

Yale is processing a 2 million volume collection in preparation for
sending it to our off-site high density storage facility.  Many of
the volumes are in poor condition and they are being shrink wrapped
(instead of boxed) as a cost-effective measure for consolidating
loose boards, spines, pages, etc.

As these volumes return from our storage facility, our circulation
staff will need to remove the shrink wrap from the volumes before
giving them to patrons.  Has anyone written up instructions or
guidelines as to how the shrink wrap is to be removed? Do people
have experience using a particular tool that has worked well for
easy and safe shrink wrap removal?

Tara Kennedy
Preservation Field Services Librarian
Yale University Library Preservation


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 24:29
                Distributed: Tuesday, December 14, 2010
                       Message Id: cdl-24-29-023
                                  ***