[PADG:1391] RE: Polypropylene Storage Boxes for Video

["Brown, Meg" <mmbrown@xxxxxxxxx>]

Winston,

A great person to speak with about this is Scott Williams, a conservation
scientist at CCI. Unfortunately my experience with him as well as other
scientists is that the answers always include a very large "non-answer"-they
worry not about the polypropylene, but about the additives which we as
consumers have trouble finding out about. 

I will comment on one issue to consider-and that is whether the containers
are air tight or not. I don't believe the polypropylene will degrade or
offgass or "ooze" (depending of course on additives) any faster than the
videotapes will deteriorate, but there may be some advantage to a container
that is not air tight so that if any deterioration by-products are floating
about they have somewhere to go.  

When Scott speaks or writes about plastics he consistently emphasizes
temperature-if these are items that will be checked out to patrons who might
leave them in their cars on a sunny day....you might want to consider a
paper/board storage container instead! Paper/board container might also
serve as a small barrier between the tape and ultra-violet rays!

All of that said-the polypropylene containers are darn durable-and you can
see titles through the clear plastic!  Good luck!


Meg Brown
Conservator
University of Kansas Libraries
Watson Library
Lawrence, KS 66045
785-864-3429
mmbrown@xxxxxxxxx
http://www2.lib.ukans.edu/preservation 


-----Original Message-----
From: Winston Atkins [mailto:Winston.Atkins@xxxxxxxx]
Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2001 3:07 PM
To: padg@xxxxxxx
Subject: [PADG:1381] Polypropylene Storage Boxes for Video


We're preparing to purchase new boxes for some of our videotapes. The
librarian with responsibility for the collection has asked if polypropylene
boxes will react with the chemicals in videotape boxes made from other
plastics. I've not heard of it happening, nor did a quick search of CoOL
turn up any reports, but I wanted to check with you all before I said that
it wouldn't happen. Your thoughts and experiences would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Winston


_______________________________

Winston Atkins
Preservation Department
Box 90193
Perkins Library, Duke University
(919) 660-5843
winston.atkins@xxxxxxxx