Literature

Preservation of Historical Records, by the National Research Council, Committee on Preservation of Historical Records. National Academy Press, 2101 Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20418. 1986. 107 p. $17.95 postpaid. A high-level committee, with the help of experts, met to consider the best environmental storage conditions, and which formats, were best suited to long-term retention of records. [It was referred to on p. 92 of the last issue; a review is planned.]

A. D. Baynes-Cope and D. Allsopp, "Observations on Mould Growth in Small Libraries." P. 382-385 in Biodeterioration VI, published in 1986, presumably by the Biodeterioration Society. For ordering information, write Mrs. J. M. Maw, Biological Sciences, Hatfield Polytechnic, P0 Box 109, Hatfield AL10 9AB, Herts, England; or the Pan-American Biodeterioration Society, do Dr. Gerald C. LIewellyn, Bureau of Toxic Substances Information, Virginia Department of Health, 109 Governor St., Rm. 918, Richmond, VA 23219 (804/7861763). Many small libraries in England are too damp, according to the standards for storage conditions, yet they do not suffer from mold, as long as they are unheated or kept cool, and the ventilation is good. This testimony, from a conservation chemist and a mycologist, confirms reports from many quarters that books keep well in cold, drafty buildings. (For an earlier report, see the October 1984 issue, p. 82. It is interesting to compare the two reports of mold outbreaks under conditions that apparently met the standards, on p. 28 of the April 1986 issue.)

"Fungi in Libraries: an Aerometric Survey," by H. P. Burge, Jean R. Boise, W. R. Solomon and E. Bandera. Mycopathologia, v. 64 (2): 67-72 [1977 or later]. The possible role of fungi as allergic contaminants in book collections was investigated in 11 University of Michigan libraries. Spore levels were generally low and below outdoor levels, especially in air conditioned libraries. No distinctive library mycoflora was found. Samples were taken from July 1974 to March 1975, before and during handling of the books. Author Boise is now at the Farlow Reference Library, Harvard University Herbaria, 22 Divinity Ave., Cambridge, MA 02138. (This information was sent by Jon Perry, Ph.D., 4 Haven St., Boston, MA 02118.)

Proceedings of an Ounce of Prevention: A Symposium on Disaster Contingency Planning for Information Managers in Archives, Libraries and Record Centres, Toronto, March 7 and 8, 1985. Toronto Area Archivists Group, Education Foundation, P.O. Box 97, Station F, Toronto, Ontario M4Y 2L4, Canada. June 1986. 191 p. $25 + $2.50 postage and handling. This is one of two publications resulting from that conference, with almost identical sizes, covers and titles. The other is the handbook, described below. Both are first-rate. The Proceedings volume includes the discussions that followed each paper. Papers are organized under the headings Preventive Measures, Development of a Contingency Plan, Anatomy of a Disaster, and Rehabilitation of Salvaged Materials. The contributions that are particularly interesting or important are those on fire detection and extinguishing (Pat Armstrong), fumigation (John Dawson), pest control (Brian Menard), vital records (Ted van Leyen), contingency planning in cultural institutions (Sandra Wright) the administrator (Cordon Wright), the fire in the Concordia University Archives (Nancy Marrelli), the panel on freeze-drying (Peter Waters, Klaus Hendriks and Nancy Marrelli), photographs and film (Klaus Hendriks), and paper and books (David Theobald).

An Ounce of Prevention: A Handbook on Disaster Contingency Planning for Archives, Libraries and Record Centres. John P. Barton and Johanna G. Wellheiser, eds. Toronto Area

Archivists Group Educational Foundation, 1986. 192 p. $17.95 + $1.75 postage & handling. This volume, like the proceedings volume, is adhesive bound in such a way that the adhesive either comes apart entirely, or it runs between the pages in hard little dikes. The paper is acidic, and the grain runs the wrong way. If owners want to get their full value from this book, they probably should rebind it before studying and using it.

Major sections are headed the Plan--General; Disaster Prevention; Disaster Protection; Forewarning of Disaster; When Disaster Strikes; Commencement of Salvage Operations; Rehabilitation of Salvaged Materials; Fumigation and Sterilization; and Completion of Recovery. All kinds of disasters, materials, and operations are covered. There is a 30-page bibliography, and three appendices full of specific names, suppliers, and vital facts. -A detailed, easy-to-use index is at the very end. The text seems to be complete, accurate and well-considered, and better-suited to American conditions than the Planning Manual for Disaster Control in Scottish Libraries and Record Offices (reviewed in the September 1985 issue), which had a similar scope and mission. It would not be a bad idea to buy one copy for each member of the Primary Action Team, and then take turns testing each other on it to make sure the contents were mastered. Where necessary, it could be tailored to local conditions. in fact, the publishers have a bargain price for two: $30. They say there ought to be a security copy stored outside the building.

The Needs of Conservation: A Report on the Review Commissioned by the Crafts Council and Carried out by Lawrence Brandes with the Assistance of Mary Giles under the Aegis of the Council's Conservation Steering Group, 1983-1984. Crafts Council, 12 Waterloo Place, London SW1Y 4AU. 1984. 32 p. £2.50. This report has nothing to do with books and paper, except (tacitly) as contents of museums or historic houses. The recommendations aim too low sometimes, in view of what is at stake, and no indication is given of support for the recommendations by a consensus of the informed. The need for information services, for instance, is recognized, but building up a professional library for the information service is seen as too expensive.

Properties and Uses for Modified Starches, edited by 0. B. Wurzburg. 1986. CRC Press, 2000 Corporate Blvd., NW, Boca Raton, FL 33431. 288 pp. $112.

Water-Soluble Synthetic Polymers: Properties and Behavior, by P. Molyneux. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 1983-84. 2v. $82.50 and $91.50.

The J. Paul Getty Trust announces a new publication, the J. Paul Getty Trust Bulletin, that provides information on the activities of the Trust and its operating programs. There are seven operating programs, including the Getty Conservation Institute, all relating to art and museums. The Bulletin is published quarterly, and is distributed free of charge. Send name, hone or institutional address (indicate which) and professional affiliation (if not part of address) to the J. Paul Getty Trust Bulletin, 1875 Century Park East, Suite 2300, Los Angeles, California 90067-2561.

"Amylase in a Viscous Medium--Textile Applications," by Vivien Chapman. The Conservator, No. 10, 1986, p. 7-11. The author is at City Museum and Art Gallery, Chamberlaine Square, Birmingham B3 3DH, England.

"The Restoration of Hans Holbein's Cartoon of Henry VIII and Henry VII," by Sheila Fairbrass and Keith Holmes. The Conservator, No. 10, 1986, p. 12-16. The cartoon was on about 25 sheets of paper tipped together and mounted on canvas. The authors live at 27 Dalebury Rd., London SW17 7HU. (The Conservator is the journal of the United Kingdom Institute for Conservation.)

Cellulose: Structure, Modification and Hydrolysis, by Raymond A. Young and Roger M. Rowell. John Wiley & Sons, Dept. 7-6791, P.O. Box 6792, Somerset, NJ 08873-9976. 1986. 379 p. $64.50. The publisher's blurb says this book covers structure and biosynthesis, cellulose modification, liquid crystals of cellulose derivatives, and cellulose degradation. In addition, it describes structures of cellulose fibers and new methods for fiber production. Other coverage includes methods of X-ray diffraction and model selection for characterization of cellulose and cellulose-solvent complexes, wettability, hornification and dry forming of cellulose fibers. (This is the same Raymond Young whose new pulping method was described on the front page of the February issue.) the publishers offer a free 15-day examination period.

The Museum Environment, by Garry Thomson. 2nd edition. Butterworths [probably 1986]. This can also be ordered from IIC for £31.5O/$47.5O (members) or £35/$52.5O (nonmembers).

The October 1986 issue of the New Library Scene carries a lead story describing the conservation laboratory at Trinity College Dublin, which is headed by Anthony Cains. The author is a rare book librarian, Ron Chepesiuk, who had apparently never heard of Anthony Cams before his visit, and had not corresponded with him before his visit, because he spelled his name Keanes, and the editor did not catch it.

"Application of Vacuum Packaging to the Transportation of Works of Art," by Jan Lyall and Wendy E. Smith. [Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Material, Inc., Australia] Bulletin Vol. 11 (4): 105-125, Dec. 1985. Received December 1986. This is the paper for which an interim report was given on p. 119 of the December 1985 issue, because the conference proceedings (ICCM 1984) were still in press. It covers packaging for storage of library materials too. The first author, Dr. Jan Lyall, is Director of Preservation Services, National Library of Australia, Parkes ACT 2600.

"Changes in American Papermaking Fibers: 1690-1985," by J. N. McGovern. Tappi Journal 69 (6): 30-34, June 1986. Some trends: more hardwood (deciduous), less softwoods; chip residues from sawmills and whole-tree chips are now very important; reuse of waste paper is stable through most of this century (about 25% of total pulp); the soda process is practically dead; and the sulfate (kraft) process is now dominant, accounting f or about 80% of all pulp produced.

The Uses of Bookbinding Literature, by B. H. Breslauer. New York: Book Arts Press, School of Library Service, Columbia University, 1986. 44 p. $10. This book originated as a lecture for Friends of the Book Arts Press, and traces the history of manuals and historical studies in bookbinding. It is favorably reviewed in Book Arts Review for October. The 11-page bibliography lists only works mentioned in the text, and does not pretend to be complete, but it is unbiased, except for its omission of Far Eastern literature. It covers the last thousand years and includes works on structure as well as ornament, originally written in English, French, German, Arabic, Dutch, Swedish and Norwegian.

Research Libraries Group News, Issue #11, Sept. 1986, is on preservation. No authors are given, but the titles of the articles are:

Preservation: the Battle to Save the Nation's Libraries

RLG Chooses Some Strategic Directions [Preservation is one of four core programs. The others concern buying and cataloging books, and inter library loan.]

The Problems of Selection: What to Save First

Conservation: Books as Cultural Artifacts

In Rome last March the Centro di Studi per la Conservazione della Carta (Center for the Study of Paper Conservation) was organized, and its first newsletter (Notiziario) has appeared. It is not Number 1; it is Number 0, dated October 1986. This will presumably help them start out on the right foot in January. It reports on two meetings, at which Ann Russell and Anthony Cans spoke, and announces three fall meetings, at which the speakers were to be Margaret Hey, Don Etherington, and Giorgio Torraca. The meetings were to be at the Accademia Britannica, in English, with translation to Italian. There are reports of the Oxford Conference, a conference at Milan in May with 17 papers (all on paper and parchment), and one at Bern in January (on conservation of cultural property). There are sections on exhibits, coming events ("manifestasioni") and literature (domestic and foreign). For information, write the Center do Marina Regni, Via Festo Avieno 92, 00136 Rome, Italy.

The Care of Antiques and Historical Collections, by Per Guldbeck. With Revisions, an Introduction, a Chapter on Photographs, and an Index by A. Bruce MacLeish. 2d edition, revised and expanded. American Association for State and Local History, 172 Second Ave. North #102, Nashville, TN 37201-1902 (615/255-2971). 1985. There are chapters on paper and leather. This little manual was written for the use of curators, by someone who was not a specialist in paper. Some of the earlier mistakes have been taken out, but the treatment of certain subjects remains superficial, and sometimes incomplete or wrong. (It is important and necessary, but very difficult, to write manuals for curators that will tell them how to care for objects properly, without encouraging them to use methods unsafe either for object or curator. As manuals go, this is probably not below average.) On page 94 it says that extremely low levels of humidity can cause rapid oxidation in paper, leading to brittleness and deterioration of cellulose content; but if this were so, we would have no papyrus manuscripts in our museums, because Egypt is very dry. On page 95, we read:

"To prepare soaked documents for freezing, place sheets of silicone-release paper or waxed paper between soaked pages, especially in dealing with coated paper"; but this is unnecessary, time-consuming and certainly damaging to the paper. Curators are warned not to let frozen wet documents get too cold, but to freeze and store then at 10°-20°F!

The Dehumidification Handbook. Cargocaire Engineering Corp., 79 Monroe St., P0 Box 640, Amesbury, MA 01913 (617/ 388-0600). 1982; fifth printing 1985. 103 p. $13. This handbook is complete, well-organized and rich in detail, yet accessible to the nonspecialist. It is well-designed, printed on acid-free paper, and perfect-bound with an adhesive that holds together through at least one reading (which makes it distinctive). Cargocaire, like Airdex (described in the October issue, p. 69), offers quick dehumidification after floods through its "Moisture Control Services" (216 New Boston St., Woburn, MA 01801, 617/933-2180; also through regional offices in Texas, California and New Jersey). Moisture Control News, the MCS newsletter, describes jobs they have been called to, without giving a great deal of factual detail. Each of the two issues received describes a drying job involving hooks or records in its pages. (The newsletter is printed on acid-free paper, by the way.)

Conservation Treatment Procedures: A Manual of Step-by-Step Procedures for the Maintenance and Repair of Library Materials, by Carolyn Clark Morrow and Carole Dyal. 2d Edition. Libraries Unlimited, P0 Box 263, Littleton, CO 80160-0263 (303/770-1220). 1986. 225 p. $30 U.S.; $36 elsewhere.

It is probably perfect-bound, because the publisher sent the following note to the first author, who passed it on to AN:

Dear Ms. Morrow:

Because of an in-house error, the printer was not instructed to Smyth-sew Conservation Treatment Procedures, 2nd edition. We are extremely sorry for this oversight, and will be sure that all reprintings of the hook are Smyth-sewn.

Please accept our apologies.

Sincerely, Sharon Kincaide
In-House Editor

Nouveau Manuel Complet du Relieur dans Toutes ses Parties, by Seb. Lenormand and Mr. R...., amateur binder. LVDV Inter-Livres, 55 Passage Jouffroy, 75009 Paris [no date given in announcement]. 254 p. Price: 504 Belgian francs. ISBN 2 905 388-13-7. The announcement in the April Do Boekbinder says that this is known as the Roret manual and that it was first issued in the 16th century (but they must mean the 17th century, because the first manual did not appear till then). It has 15 chapters, which cover a wide variety of techniques. Some of the most interesting are those on dyeing of leather, marbling, cuir cisele, and making colored designs under the gold. The reviewer warmly recommends it. [This editor apologizes for any inaccuracies in translation.]

The Northeast Document Conservation Center has promised a manual on reproduction of negatives, which is expected in the spring of 1987. In the meantime, a technical leaflet on nitrate negatives is available: "A Short Guide to Nitrate Negatives: History, Care, and Duplication," by Steve Puglia, NEDCC's technical photographer. Free.

Care and Identification of 19th-Century Photographic Prints, by James M. Reilly. Kodak Publication No. G-2S. Eastman Kodak Company, Dept. L-5, 175 Humboldt St., Rochester, NY 14610-1099. 1986. $24.95 + $4.00 shipping charge. The AIC Newsletter called it an excellent publication.

Kodak has revised its manual, Preservation of Photographs (Publication F-3D), or rather allowed it to go out of print, and has replaced it with Conservation of Photographs (Publication F-40).

"Removing Mould from Leather," CCI Notes 8/1, Sept. 1983. 1 p. Free from CCI, 1030 Innes Rd., Ottawa K1A OM8 (613/998-3721). Some of the steps recommended are: Put the object in a bag to prevent spread of spores, and take it to a place with the same relative humidity, isolated from the collection, let it dry, and vacuum and brush carefully; spray lightly with unperfumed Lysol after testing; disinfect storage area, make sure the RH is below 65%,, and replace.

Getting the Bugs Out, by Philip R. Ward, published in 1976 or 1977 by the Friends of the British Columbia Provincial Museum, was announced on p. 62 in the August issue, before a copy was received. It is worth stating for the record that it contains too little material to be very useful (only 20 pages, some of them mostly blank with tiny morsels of text up in one corner); is occasionally inaccurate ("At very low temperatures larvae simply become comatose and can survive for long periods without feeding... "--the accepted view of this in 1976), and describes in detail only five major museum pests. But the illustrations are good and clear, and there is a useful and unusual graph describing the vulnerable and the absolute vulnerable phases in museum pests, for six species. It helps in timing of insecticide applications for maximum effectiveness with the least amount of insecticide. The most generally useful interval between the first and second applications is 20 to 30 days. (A single application will not get the eggs.)

"Promoting and Advertising a Home-Based Business" (brochure) free from Nary C. Saylor, Cooperative Extension Service, 206 Armsby Building, Penn State, University Park, PA 16802.

"Works of Art & Museum Specimens" (Specialised Bibliography [on biodeterioration] 5B16). [Inquire about availability through Dr. D. Allsopp, Commonwealth Mycological Institute, Ferry Lane, Kew, London TW9 3AF] Most recent entry is 1985. 10 p. £7.25. The entries that relate to library and archival materials, and have not been recently announced in this Newsletter, include:

73/2-31-0616. A Report on the Methods of Conservation of Manuscripts in Use in Different Laboratories of Europe and U.K. Gupta, C. B.: Stud. Museol. 6-8 98-103 (1970-72).

Foxed Paper and its Problems. Maynell, C.; Newsam, R. New Sci. 1979 (17 May): 567.81/3-HG-2557. Conservation and Reprographic Services in the National Archives of India. Tirmizi, S. A. I. Conserv. Carte Antiche 1981, 1 (1): 29-32.

81/3-HG-2558. The Book Restoration Laboratory at the Central State Library of Bucharest. Manea, C. Conserv. Carte Antiche 1981, 1 (1): 21-24. (In French)

824. Foxing in Stamps: Long-Term Effects of Sterilization and Treatment with NaCl. Bashan, Y.; Lifshitz, R. Systematic and Applied Microbiology (1984) 5 (4) 564-569. Gamma radiation stopped foxing and did not harm paper or colors. Seven-year follow-up; comparison with UV light, and "tyndelization of the stamps in an open autoclave." Soaking in 30% NaCl worked too.

The Center for Occupational Hazards has a brochure for conservators that includes a list of publications available from them. The list includes data sheets, packets, and books. They cover ventilation, fire safety, disposal of chemicals, pest control, ethylene oxide, respirators, and more. Address: 5 Beekman St., New York, NY 10038 (212/227-6220).

A 43-item bibliography on packing, by Timothy Farley (Head of the Packing Department, Philadelphia Museum) is on p. 66-68 of the Guild of Book Workers Journal that was received August 1986 (Vol. XXIII [1-2], 1984-85).

The Museum Bookshop (36 Great Russell St., London, WC1) will ship books to the United States. Its Museology and Conservation Catalogue gives prices in pounds sterling. In the list of selected items below, the December 1986 equivalent in dollars is given, as a guide for people who are wondering whether it is cheaper to buy here or to order from abroad.

Adhesives & Consolidants - Preprints of Paris Conference 1984 (IIC) - £14.00 [$19.60]

Science & Technology in the Service of Conservation - Washington Conf. (IIC) - £13.50 [$18.90]

Thompson, C. The Museum Environment - £35.00 [$49.00] Torraca, G. Solubility & Solvents for Conservation Problems (ICCROM) - £4.50 [$6.30]

They also have works by Plenderleith & Werner, Stolow, Baynes-Cope, Hickin, A. Johnson, Middleton, Langwell, Diehl, Swartzburg, Cunha, and others.

Dictionarium Museologicum (Dictionary of Museology) lists the foreign equivalent for 1632 English words and phrases in this field, with their synonyms, in 19 different languages. If you want to know how to say "artificial lighting" in Russian, or Portuguese, or any of the 17 other languages, this book is for you. Other terms include auction, audiovisual aids, authenticity, bequest, biodeterioration, and board of directors. Order from the National Centre of Museums (Központi Muzeumi Igazgatosag), P0 Box 54, H-1476 Budapest 100, Hungary. 1986. About 800-830 pages. $75 + postage. This book resulted from a resolution of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) in Moscow in 1977.

Baltimore Area Conservation Group. 1985 Conservation Bibliography. Prepared by the Bibliography Committee (Abigail Quandt, Kathleen Orlenko, and Joanna Mankowski). 18 pp. Classed under 24 subject headings and neatly produced on a word processor. This group is the only one known to publish an annual bibliography.

"Library and Archival Disaster--Preparedness and Recovery" (videotape and workbook), by Richard F. Young. Biblio Tech Films, 11420 Vale Rd., Suite D, Oakton, VA 22124 (703/264-1155). Available in 3/4, Beta and VHS. 25 mm. $98/set; international postage, add $8. Mr. Young spent three months in Florence after the 1966 flood, and has been bookbinder! conservator to the U.S. Senate since 1973.

"The Recovery of Water-Damaged Library Materials" (slide! tape program). Illinois Cooperative Conservation Program (ICCP), Morris Library, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Carbondale, IL 62901 (618/453-5122). 75 slides; 23 minutes; with synchronized cassette and script. $60. It stresses disaster planning, recovery team procedures, and specific training techniques for recovery of water-damaged books, catalog cards, documents, and audiovisual materials. A page from the script came with the announcement. Here is a sample of its informal style: "What we do is we take our freezer paper with the shiny side of the paper next to the volume. Just wrap it. You do not have to gift wrap these, they do not have to be taped, they do not need to be pretty. Neatness does not count! You want to do this as quickly as possible."

"Papermaking in Ogawamachi" (videotape), produced by Richard Flavin, Jionji Press, 218 Kibe, Ogawamachi, Hiki-gun, Saitama 355-03, Japan. 35 min. Available in VHS or Beta. $50 postpaid. Illustrates the process of Nagashizuki from harvesting the Kozo trees to drying the finished sheets.

"Library Preservation: Fundamental Techniques" (a videotaped record of the workshop held August 1985 at Stanford University). Order from the National Preservation Program Office, Audio-Visual Loan Program, Library of Congress, LM GO7, Washington, DC 20540 if you just want to borrow; or through the Library of Congress Gift Shop if you want to buy. Available early 1987. Titles in the series are:

Books in General Collections: Recasing (Den Etherington, 70 mm.)

Books in General Collections: Paper Repair and Pockets (Robert Milevski, 80 mm.)

Pamphlet Binding (Jan Merrill-Oldham, 60 mm.)

Surface Cleaning, Encapsulation, and Jacket-making (Judith Fortson-Jones, 80 mm.)

Protective Enclosure: Portfolios and Boxes (Robert Espinosa, 120 mm.)

Protective Enclosure: Simple Wrappers (Lynn Jones, 60 mm.)

"The Making of a Manuscript" (videotape) is not new, but it was listed in the September 1985 SAA Newsletter as not being available for purchase. Actually, it is available for $185 Canadian, from Ms. Lynn Bearden, Media Centre, University of Toronto, 121 St. George St., Toronto, Ontario M5S lAl.

A poster to deter consumption of food and beverages in the library has been produced by the Ohio State University Libraries. Well-designed in red and white on black, it requests the public not to "feed, devour, gulp, dine, gnaw, imbibe [etc.] in the library." 11" x 17". Available for $5.00 postpaid from the Friends of the Libraries, Ohio State University, 112 Main Library, 1858 Neil Avenue Mall, Columbus, OH 43210-1286.

Kurzweil Computer Products of Cambridge, Massachusetts, recently announced ArtScan, which provides the ability to digitize line art graphics while scanning text with Intelligent Character Recognition (ICR) on the Kurzweil 4000 Intelligent Scanning System. Text format interfaces are available for word processors and text editing software for PCs.

Indexit: A Microcomputer Indexing Program and Manual, by Allan B. Pratt. 1985. Graham Conley Press, P.O. Box 2968, New Haven, CT 06515. $49.94 + $2 P&H for indexing material that has already been published; for librarians, archivists, historians. Requires an IBM PC with 128K RAM, PC-DOS 1.1 or 2.0, an 80-column printer, and a word processor program which can read standard text files. Provides the user with a draft copy of the index (up to 5000 entries), which can be formatted and printed after proofreading and editing, using any of several common word processing programs.