Re: CD-ROMs on open shelves in libraries -Reply

["Cynthia Pierce"<cynthia_pierce@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I believe that the issue of packaging to be used for storage and/or circulation 
of CDS can be helped by
referring to the recently approved ANSI standard on storage of optical discs 
(OPTICAL DISC MEDIA --
STORAGE)(ANSI IT9.25-1997) and the soon to be balloted AES version of the same 
document, developed jointly
by the Audio Engineering Society's Standards Committee's Subcommittee on the 
Preservation and Restoration
of Audio Recordings (AESSC SC03) and the National Association of Photographic 
Manufacturers Technical
Committee IT9 (Optical Properties and Permanence of Imaging Materials).  The 
standard was developed over a
number of years, with active participation and review by both developers and 
manufacturers of  optical discs,
as well as by the library and archival world.  Specifically concerning packing 
design, the standard states:
     
".... Containers [for optical disc media] shall be designed in such a way that 
the disc is suspended so that the
disc surface is not contacting the container when the container is stored in its
proper vertical position...."
     
Clearly, this excludes the sleeve suggested by one application.
     
The standard continues with information on types of materials that are to be 
used (plastics such as polystyrene,
polypropylene, and polycarbonate are identified) and those which are to be 
avoided (specifically cited are
paper, cardboard, foam rubber, and plastics such as celulosics, PVC, and highly 
plasticized materials), as well
as the general design of the case.  Other topics addressed in the standard are 
environment (including
temperature, humidity, magnetic fields, and gaseous impurities), shelving, 
handling, labeling,  acclimatization,
fire protection, inspection, and cleaning.
     
I recommend that this standard be carefully reviewed if the life of the disc is 
of concern (and this includes the
5-year life cited in some of the recent postings about alternative packaging for
circulating materials).
Unfortunately, CDS are not as impervious to damage, scratching, dirt, and the 
environment as we would like to
believe, or as some manufacturers have suggested.
     
Gerald Gibson
Chair, AESSC SC03
Co-Chair ANSI IT9-5
Audio and Moving-Image Preservation Specialist 
Preservation Research and Testing Division 
Library of Congress
Washington, D.C. 20540-4560
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     I had an idea ...gotten from the meeting at LC  on those pesky 
     accompanying materials.  I thought that since we at the Library of 
     Medicine are going to be using a book measuring device/ with computer 
     to create acid-free boxes for brittle books.[There is a the same 
     device and machine to create the  box  at LC.]  why not use this for 
     modern books with accompanying materials .  since the device which 
     creates a fold-openable acid-free phase box to the exact dimensions of 
     the volume---why not increase the dimensions of the box to include and 
     aded dimension of the thickness for a CD-ROM jewel box, computer disc 
     box, etc [ones of course  that meets preservation Ansi standards] and 
     then pva glue the jewel box/ computer disc box to the top of the box- 
     -- thus when the box is opened-- on one side of the box, the patron 
     whould have the volume, and on the other side of the box, the patron 
     would have the accompanying CD-ROM Disc in its jewel box...the 
     materials would not be separated / one could use the German made  
     locking device on the CD_ROM [talked about at LC] if theft is likely, 
     and the box containing the volume+CD-ROM could be placed on the shelf 
     with a label...and you could label the jewel box  not the disc - 
     inside the box. 
     
     Equally if the library receives serials with accompanying materials- 
     the serials could be bound with errata noting which serial had an 
     accompanying disc - a box created to hold the bound set of serials and 
     the accompanying materials .
     
     just an idea -c-