[PADG:974] Re: Preservation Technologies Survey

[BruceArnld@xxxxxxx]

Mr. Dalton:

I am Chair of a major research program into the aging of printing and writing 
papers.  It is sponsored under the auspices of ASTM (The American Society for 
Testing and Materials), the world's largest standards making body.  We are 
now at the conclusion of a six year program of research at five laboratories. 
 They are the US Library of Congress Preservation & Testing Laboratory, the 
USDA Forest Products Laboratory, the Image Permanence Institute at Rochester 
Institute of Technology, the Canadian Conservation Institute, and the Finnish 
Pulp & Paper Research Institute.  

The research is aimed at development of scientifically sound methods for 
accelerating the aging of printing and writing papers that can be used to 
make reasonable predictions of the life expectancy of any paper, regardless 
of its composition.  We are now at the stage of distributing draft final 
reports from each of the laboratories to three panels, each comprised of ten 
members.  The members are distinguished by their research in the field of 
paper aging or are distinguished people from the library and archive 
community who understand the issues that the aging of paper create.  A third 
party editor will referee the peer review process to ensure that it is truly 
unbiased by any party.

We are at the stage where we can say that the new test methods appear to be 
scientifically sound.  That is to say that the chemistry and physics of the 
accelerated aging processes used are essentially the same as those that occur 
in a natural aging process.

The test methods that will be promulgated in ASTM following issue of the 
final research reports (after the peer review has been completed to 
satisfaction) will utilize elevated temperature, elevated light flux and 
increased concentration of the most common atmospheric pollutant gases as the 
means to separately accelerate the aging process.

When the new test methods are in place, we believe that all stakeholders from 
producers to end users will have a valuable tool by which to predict paper 
life expectancy.  We can say with good certainty that we will be able to 
determine if a paper is truly stable, if it is only moderately stable or if 
it is unstable for the intended end use through use of the new test methods.

I was denied access to the web site you referenced in your email as I am not 
a member.  However, I do receive the notices on padg.ala.org.  That is why I 
am sending you this open note so that you can reference our study in your 
talk at the ALA meeting in Chicago if you wish.

I gave a presentation on our program to the ALA Preservation Discussion Group 
at your meeting in New Orleans last year in June.   I can provide you with 
copies of the slides I shared in that meeting if they would be of relevance.

I am sending you this note as it seems to me it will be valuable to 
preservation scientists and managers in future years to know of this new 
capability.  Testing of questionable papers will provide a measure of the 
challenge associated with their preservation.

Sincerely,

Bruce Arnold

Chair: ASTM Paper Aging Research Program
R. B. Arnold Associates, Inc.
12 East Barnard Street
West Chester, PA 19382
Phone:  610-429-9469
Fax:    610-429-9647
Email:  brucearnld@xxxxxxx