Literature

Judith H. Hofenk de Graaff, "The Development of Standard Specification for Permanent Records in the Netherlands." A paper delivered at the ICOM (International Council of Museums) Committee for Conservation in Sydney last September. The author inquired among colleagues in many countries, and found that only Sweden and Finland had well-organized, government-controlled standard specs for printing, writing and copy papers. All Scandinavian countries were expected to standardize a shared set of test methods and specifications for permanent records in 1987. In Italy the government has set mandatory standards for museum board. In West Germany, the Bundesanstalt für Material Prüfung have some specifications for permanent documents and copies. There is a short discussion on aging methods, and the specifications that will probably be adopted in the Netherlands are given, citing mostly TAPPI and ASTM standards and methods. The Working Group on Permanent Records will ask the government for a royal decree that will make them mandatory. The author's address is: Central Research Laboratory for Objects of Art and Science, Gabriêl Metsustraat 8, 1071 EA Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Chandru J. Shahani and Robert E. McComb. "A Clarification on Specifications for Archival Paper." Tappi Journal 70(9), 128, Sept. 1987. Alkaline sized and coated paper loses fold endurance as a result of aging much faster than tear resistance or tensile strength. Therefore, tear and tensile may be more significant than fold as tests of permanence in coated papers. [From Oct. 1987 Abbey Newsletter]

 

Hand Papermaking is a semiannual journal that began publication in the spring of 1986. The first issue of Volume 2 was printed on Mohawk Superfine, and contains papers entitled:

Review: Chinese Handmade Paper
Paperworks: The State of the Art
Kim Yeong Yon: A Korean Papermaker
Twinrocker
Fine grit Paper
Western Mold Making

For information or subscriptions, write Hand Papermaking, P.O. Box 10571, Minneapolis, M 55458 (612/827-7611).

"On the Origin of Papermaking in the Light of Scientific Research on Recent Archaeological Discoveries," by Dr. Jixing Pan. Friends of the Dard Hunter Paper Museum Newsletter 6(l), June 1987, P. 2-5. A challenge to the Ts'ai Lun myth; may be later published or reviewed in this newsletter. In the meantime, the author can be reached at: Institute for History of Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1 Gong-Yuan West Street, Beijing, Peoples Republic of China. Dr. Pan is a Professor of the History of Science at the Institute for History of Science. The FDHPM Newsletter can be ordered from Doug Stone, Editor, 2920 S. Wentworth Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53207 (414/744-6333). It comes with membership in the Friends organization.

Oversight Hearing on the Problem of "Brittle Books" in our Nation's Libraries (Hearing before the Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education of the Committee on Education and Labor, House of Representatives, One Hundredth Congress, First Session. Hearing Held in Washington, DC, on March 3, 1987. Serial No. 100-1)

For a free copy, write Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education, House Amex 1, Rm. 617, Washington, DO 20515,

Attn: Ann Hausman. Witnesses included the Librarian of Congress, the president of the New York Public Library, and the Preservation Officer of the Library of Congress, among others. Each summarized the brittle book problem and said what their organization was trying to do about it. Lynne Cheney, head of the National Endowment for the Humanities, described the United States Newspaper Program, under which all U.S. newspapers from the year One are being located and microfilmed before they disappear forever, and mentioned the help they gave to fund the film "Slow Fires," which was released in December 1987 over national television. Carole Huxley, head of the cooperative, state-funded preservation program in New York State, described the New York program and gave a good list of ways in which the national government might help with the overall problem.