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.

A method I developed and tested over 14-15 years at The University
of Iowa, in consensus with then Conservator Gary Frost (now, like
me, Emeritus) has I think great promise.  The process was suggested
in part by work in the 1970s with Richard Smith of Wei-To and then
an adjunct member of the University of Chicago Library School, and
in part by the fact that the when I arrived as the new Head of
Special Collections and University Archives in early 1999 the Iowa
Libraries were making heavy use of a shrink wrap machine to enclose
a variety of book and manuscript material housed apart from Special
Collections.

I recalled conversations in the 1970s with Richard about the promise
of shrink-wrapping when the technology became available (if memory
is still serving me properly) around that time.  The approach has
several appealing characteristics: it is simple; shrink-wrappers are
not outrageously expensive and materials cost very little (pennies
per item); staff, even junior clerical staff, can be easily trained
to run it; and it produces highly reliable results.

    Step 1.  Selection for shrink-wrapping.  Whatever works: student
    staff or volunteers can review designated areas removing
    candidates (unbound series or periodicals, books with boards
    detached, cases detached or loose, etc); institute a rule that
    items that pass through a circulation point and is seen to be
    vulnerable (however you care to define) goes directly to
    shrink-wrapping.  If resources are available for quick review of
    selected items by more highly trained staff, you might want to
    maintain a list of more valuable/especially vulnerable items;
    but it probably wise to avoid the temptation to build such list
    as most will quickly become obsolete and most will never be
    consulted.  Be pretty non-judgmental at this stage: if someone
    thinks something should be wrapped, wrap it--too cheap to fret
    over "better" decisions.

    Step 2.  Shrink-wrapping can be easily taught.  Again good work
    for student staff or volunteers: a bit tedious but people seem
    to find it rewarding, even appealing.  You'll want to find an
    inexpensive way to insert a tag so call number is visible
    through the wrap to an outside viewer.

    Step 3.  Re-shelve the item.

    Step 4.  Open any item a reader wants to consult without
    question.  When item is returned, mark the inserted tag with the
    date the item was consulted; send directly to re-wrap and
    reshelve.

    Step 5.  Establish a rule to taste so that any item that is
    consulted a second (or third or fourth, etc.) time within a set
    period period (1 year, 2 years, 3 years, etc.) is automatically
    referred to Conservation/Acquisitions for evaluation/replacement
    (replacement may be cheaper than conservation; periodicals may
    now be available digitally, etc).

    Step 6.  Step 5, in our experience, establishes a small, but
    highly reliable, flow of high priority work: items "frequently"
    consulted get first attention.  In our experience, most
    shrink-wrapped items never circulate; most of those that do, do
    so infrequently enough that they can reasonably be considered
    "low priority" items for replacement or expensive conservation.
    And the small number that are both frequent circulators and
    vulnerable essentially self-identify by passing through the
    process.

    Step 7.  Of course, like any administrative routine, this
    approach requires oversight, perhaps occasional tweaking--but,
    as a further attraction, it offers a great many "teachable
    moments" in which staff at all levels, volunteers, and even
    readers, can be given bit of advice about what and how to judge
    materials at risk.  Many will become allies, bringing problems
    to staff attention without prompting and perhaps even using
    materials more gently.

Sidney F. Huttner
Senior Librarian Emeritus
Special Collections and University Archives
The University of Iowa Libraries
319-338-6146


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 29:33
                 Distributed: Sunday, January 17, 2016
                       Message Id: cdl-29-33-003
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