Volume 7, Number 6
Dec 1983

Editor's Page

Corrections

The disaster bibliography listed in the November issue was actually updated in September 1983 (not October 1982). Toby Murray writes that she has received quite a few requests for it.

In the article, "A Legal Mandate for Preservation," in the November issue, the name of the company making the Parish Cupboard is misspelled. It should be G. Crayfourd & Sons.

Clarification

"Weakening of Paper on Immersion" (July issue of AN) described immersed paper, not paper which had been immersed and then dried. In practice, it is often necessary to take into account the effect of solvents, including water, on paper being treated or worked on. Sometimes one has a choice between two solvents, and wants to choose the one that will minimize the likelihood of damage during treatment, especially if one is much safer than the other. For instance, suppose one had to remove a spine lining or lift a fragile endpaper, and that the adhesive used was a PVA that was equally soluble or softenable in water and methanol; the obvious choice would be methanol, other things being equal, because it has less than half the swelling and weakening effect of water.

To take another example, a 1:1 mixture of alcohol and water is sometimes used to spray old papers, as a way of relaxing them quickly for unfolding, so that they will not split along the fold. The theory is that the alcohol has less of a weakening effect, so a mixture is safer than water alone would be. However, as shown in Figure 3, that ratio has practically the same effect as 100% water. The desired effect does not come about until the proportion is changed to about 9:1 propanol and water. Presumably the proportion would not be far different if other alcohols were used.

Supplies Column Postponed Again

There is a good pile of material on supplies and equipment for the Newsletter, but somehow time has run out and there is no more room left in this issue for it. The same thing happened when the November issue was being prepared. If all goes well, the next issue will clear up the backlog. (One item was squeezed in.)

No paid advertisements are accepted, but any notice that is appropriate and has news value will be printed ii there is room for it. Written contributions and bits of news are welcome. Claims for issues which are defective or damaged in the mail, and for back issues paid for but never received, will be honored without question within a year of publication.

Simple news announcements may be freely reprinted in other newsletters without attribution and without explicit permission. Signed contributions, however, may not be reprinted without permission.