[padg] RE: "first phase" housing solution for books?

["Heather Marie Kosur" <hmkosur@xxxxxxxxx>]

Holly,

The "phase box" was originally developed as the first phase in a plan to conserve library materials (although most people never go past the first phase, making the phase box a solution in itself). From my experience in moving large, fragile collections, I would suggest constructing phase boxes for your larger books and placing thinner items in envelopes. Here are some links to information about phase boxes:

http://cool-palimpsest.stanford.edu/byorg/abbey/an/an24/an24-2/an24-204.html
http://library.syr.edu/information/spcollections/conservation/SUConsManual-PhaseBox.pdf

Heather

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-
Heather Marie Kosur
Illinois State University
Milner Library
Conservation/Processing
Campus Box 8900
201 North School Street
Normal, Illinois 61790-8900
(309) 438-5941
hmkosur@xxxxxxxxx

-----Original Message-----
From: Holly Robertson [mailto:hrob@xxxxxxx] 
Sent: Friday, February 13, 2009 4:10 PM
To: padg@xxxxxxx
Subject: [padg] "first phase" housing solution for books?

Hi all, 

I'm seeking innovative solutions for the protection of fragile general
collection books (often brittle, many with paper covers or detached
boards) that are part of a project to transport these materials from one
library to a high density storage facility.  These books are not at the
top of the queue in these tight budget times for our limited staff time
and supply resources, but need what I'm calling a "first phase" of
intervention — protection on the shelf and during the handling
involved in processing and transport that will prevent further damage
until additional intervention (a custom enclosure or collections
conservation treatment) is possible and warranted.

I've considered a couple solutions, described below, but wonder if you
crafty folks have additional ideas:

1.  Tying up the books: not an option as many of these older, paper
cover books already exhibit damage from tying tape / string
2.  Envelopes - for smaller and thin materials
3.  Shrink wrapping 
4.  "Board sandwich" - the book is sandwiched between two slightly
oversized boards (smartly recycled scrap board from our regular
box-making workflow) and tied up with string / tying tape; the slightly
oversized board prevents damage from the ties.
5. "Polyester banding" - the book is wrapped in a sheet of polyester
sized to its height; this sheet is then wrapped around the book like the
horizontal piece of a wrapper (and can be creased at corners, or not),
and attached with an adhesive backed velcro (that sometimes stays in
place, or not) or tied with string / tying tape
6.  Co-Libri book jacket - only really an option for books with hard
covers and boards attached

Alternately, if anyone is looking for similar solutions and would like
more information on the board sandwiching or polyester banding options,
I'd be happy to provide more information.  

Holly









-------------------------
Holly Robertson
Head, Collections Care Section
Preservation Directorate
Library of Congress
101 Independence Avenue, SE, LM-G19
Washington, DC 20540
hrob@xxxxxxx
202 707 6579
FAX: 202 707 3434
www.loc.gov/preserv/