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RESEARCH PAPERS AND SPECIAL PROJECTS
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Advice to
Bookworms
Some people can't wait to get their hands on a dirty book. In their excitement, they forget to wash their hands; they forget to put on white gloves. Without stopping to remove the dust, they flop open the book covers. The dust falls inside. They flip through the pages. Notes and cards fall to the floor. Now they have dirty postcards, too! The books we treasure range from the rare first edition to the well-thumbed reference. A little care will ensure they will endure to tempt the bookworms of the future. Pressed flowers in your gardening books will let soil sift between the pages. Instead, put the flowers in a labelled envelope of acid-free paper and place a paper in the book noting where the envelope is stored. Make your notes in pencil - don't stain the pages or covers with ink that can smudge or run. But don't let the marginalia in that old Latin text bother you. Pencil marks of previous bibliophiles provide clues to a book's history. Really disfiguring marks can be removed if the paper is not coloured and is in good condition. Using a soft eraser, work in straight lines from the spine to the edge of the page. Stop if fibres begin to pull from the surface. Coffee, tea, ink, oil and the stains left by self-adhering tapes are extremely difficult to remove and require the advice of a professional conservator. If your plumbing books get flooded, stand them on end, fan the pages open and dry them as quickly as possible. If there are too many to deal with at once, freeze them, defrosting batches after your other problems dry out. Shelved against an outside wall, in an unheated room or basement, damp books can develop brown spots known as "foxing." They can also grow mold. To remove the spores and smell of mildew, ventilate the book thoroughly without direct heat or sunlight. When completely dry, brush and vacuum, taking care not to re-circulate the mold spores. When pages begin to fall from your family tree, resist the urge to tape. Self-adhering tape will damage both paper and binding before becoming brittle and ineffective. "Document repair" tape can be used if the book is merely old, not treasured – but use it on only one side of the paper. Loose pages and covers can be held in place with soft cotton ties. Very fragile books are best protected in acid-free boxes. The next time you go to the source for that half-remembered quote, take a soft brush, or better still, your vacuum cleaner. Keep the book firmly closed and, with the spine up, gently brush the dust away. If you're not using the vacuum, step outside the library to brush it, or dust will just waft to the next enticing volume. For more information or advice on this topic, please contact your local museum, art gallery or archives. |
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