Lack of conservation programs, inadequate and improper storage facilities for archives, and lack of book repair personnel and restoration programs have resulted in a life expectancy of less than 50 years for most library holdings. Recent efforts to find solutions to the problem are identified. (JAB)

This is the fifth booklet in the U.S. Department of Commerce Consumer Information Series. Paper, its composition, types, and preservation are discussed, as well as enemies of books, i.e., heat, humidity, light, air pollutants, and insects. Instructions are given for minor repairs on books and paper, and suggestions for the care of photographic…

Guideposts for the librarian who seeks to establish a total conservation program: organizing the program and management in selection, screening, maintenance, treatment, personnel, costs, and cooperation. (Author/JS)

The first part of this article describes a number of building blocks which, in judicious combination, can be used to create a broad preservation program for a library or archive collection. The second section outlines a strategy for evaluating library preservation needs and devising a program suited to them. (Author/PF)

History, techniques, and materials of bookbinding are reviewed in relation to preservation and restoration, with suggestions for care of bindings. Includes bibliography on preservation of books. (JS)

Four kinds of processes (biological, photochemical, oxidative, and acidic) can cause books to deteriorate, resulting in substantial problems for libraries. Methods for preventing such deterioration are reviewed, included a treatment developed at the University of Chicago called the "Chicago Process." (LBH)

This handbook is designed to assist library staff in implementing preservation programs, including first-time binding for pamphlets, monographs, and serials; rebinding; protective housing for deteriorated materials; replacement; and preservation microfilming. Services available from both commercial and in-house sources are described and guidelines…

A survey of preservation activities in large academic libraries revealed widespread problems of deterioration of library materials. Some countermeasures are described. (Author/PF)

Designed to assist Columbia University librarians and library technical staff in selecting binding styles or other treatments for unbound or deteriorated materials housed in the university's libraries, this handbook includes guidelines for the selection of appropriate treatment alternatives; descriptions of inhouse and commercial binding and…

Library binding concerns itself with the maintenance of a volume for reader usability and the maximum number of circulations, uses, or withdrawals. This manual has been designed as an introduction to binding for libraries. It is intended to assist librarians in the preparation of materials for binding, and to instruct them in the care of their…

This kit provides 24 essays on book repair: (1) "Conservation at the American Philosophical Society: An Institutional Profile in 1992" (H. Kyle); (2) "The Book Repair Program at Brigham Young University: An Institutional Profile" (R. Silverman); (3) "Book Repair and Conservation: Conservation Center for Art and Historic…

Library binding is one of the activities typically included in newly created preservation departments, but librarians continue to discover that transforming a traditional binding program into one that better meets preservation objectives requires considerable investment of time. This resource guide is intended to help libraries review their…

Library administrators, faced with the problems of acid-paper deterioration, are examining mass deacidification procedures. Mass deacidification of acidic books while they are still physically sound and not yet brittle is the most cost-effective corrective action to extend the life of the paper. There are currently at least five mass…

This guide argues that cataloging rules for all materials, both book and nonbook, should be based on the same principles so that all catalog records can be in one file. The guidance in this book applies to collections that are directly accessible to the public where archival conservation plays little role. It is written for libraries that…

In September 1991 an invitational roundtable met to discuss issues in mass deacidification of books. The meeting was prompted by the significant increase in mass deacidification activities in recent years and libraries' interest in applying these processes. Contributions included: (1) "Opening Statement" (Duane Webster); (2) "The…