[PADG:1290] Re: Shrink Wrap

[Gary Frost <gary-frost@xxxxxxxxx>]

We have a 120 volt heat tunnel (Sergeant model 92016-110), which has been 
adquate for our needs (3000 books per year).
We have not experimented with different gauges of film, so cannot compare them.
We have used shrink-wrapping for for less than two years, so we have no 
long-term data to offer.
We use shrink wrapping for:
  Quarantine from adjoining items:
* select really powdery leather bindings
for Protective enclosure of really fragile items:
* select stamped cloth bindings with detached/fragmented spine (reposition 
spine fragments and shrink wrap in place)
* select early publishers' cloth bindings (with the option of wrapping 2/3 
volume monographs together)
* select detaching leather labels on leather bindings
for Wrapping in lieu of repair:
* select loose boards
* select broken sewing
Wrapping for restraint or stiffening
* select gapping vellum covers (comparing this option with tying between 
boards or book shoe)
* select loose pamphlets, serials; loose items can be wrapped in "obvious" 
multiples, for example, volumes or years of loose serials. The heat tunnel 
imposes an automatic limit of about 5" thickness. Multiple wrapping accords 
with the use of serials.
Wrapping standards
* provide oversize paging lable, occasionally with underlying title page 
photocopy
* as needed; books jogged straight and dusted
* stiffening and restrain with 80 pt Escaboards
* flag flexed down over upper cover or exterior label of boarded items
ReWrapping Scenarios
* item rewrapping for general collections is identified by date stamping on 
a board wrapping lable. At present no provision for identifying rewraps is 
in place for Special Collections.
* items to be rewrapped are assessed for repair, reformatting as well as 
for rewrapping
At 09:03 AM 4/26/2001 -0400, you wrote:
>Folks,
>
>Princeton is one of the three principals--the others being NYPL and 
>Columbia--in a jointly operated remote storage facility that is being 
>constructed on the Princeton campus.  As part of Princeton's 
>considerations for selecting and transferring material to this facility 
>after its completion, we have been investigating shrink-wrapping books 
>with damaged bindings and/or paper, rather than otherwise protecting these 
>materials in the usual ways, eg with card stock wrappers, CMIs or phase 
>books, or envelopes.  The staff here in charge of investigating this angle 
>asked me to forward to you a few questions regarding two shrink wrap 
>units.  We would like to hear your views and/or experience with this 
>equipment and material.  (NB I have checked CoOL but the articles there 
>are 5 or more years old.)  Here are her questions.
>
>"in particular either a Damark model SMC/STR-16 or a
> >Seal-O-Matic S1420LSC. And of the shrink models in use, what should we
> >be looking for when we make our final decision, i.e., should it be 120
> >or 220v; the conveyor belts, silicone belt vs steel rollers; is there a
> >certain gauge shrink wrap that has been proven to last longer; etc. Any
> >assistance would be greatly appreciated."
>***********************************************
>Robert J. Milevski
>Preservation Librarian
>Princeton University Library
>One Washington Road
>Princeton, NJ 08544
>(609) 258-5591
>Fax:  (609) 258-4105
>Email:  milevski@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>***********************************************

Gary Frost, Conservator
University of Iowa Libraries
100 Main Library
Iowa City   IA   52242-1420
319 335-5908  FAX 319 335-5900
<gary-frost@xxxxxxxxx>