Conservation workflows for medium rare library materials

Jennifer Hain Teper <jhain<-at->illinois<.>edu> writes

>I would be interested in hearing from colleagues in library
>conservation labs who have a workflow or documentation protocol for
>"medium rare" collection materials, i.e. materials that are more
>special than your average general collections/circulating book, but
>not necessarily warranting full-fledged special collections
>conservation treatment.

Our medium rare materials are a small number of items (mostly books)
from the circulating collections that need additional
security/better environmental controls/careful handling due to their
theft risk or their fragility-these items do not necessarily warrant
curatorial transfer to Special Collections, but they do warrant
access via the Special Collections reading room.  In general, they
are low-use items.  We transfer them to our secure, climate
controlled off-site facility, limit their treatment to protective
housing (done in our collections care lab, NOT our Special
Collections conservation lab) and we do not document other than to
put a note in the staff field indicating that they are only to be
used in the Special Collections reading room.  We had curatorial
input when we developed these procedures.

Kara M. McClurken
Past Preservation and Reformatting Section (PARS) Chair,
Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS)
American Library Association (ALA)

Director, Preservation Services
University of Virginia Library
Alderman Library
Preservation - Rm 201
PO Box 400150
Charlottesville VA 22904-4150
434-924-1055


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 29:31
                Distributed: Thursday, December 24, 2015
                       Message Id: cdl-29-31-003
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