Caring for Cultural Material 1

Caring for Cultural Material 2

Damage and Decay

Managing Collections

Managing People

Handling, Transportation, Storage and Display

Glossary

Index

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Caring for Cultural Material 1
In this volume:
– Paper
arrow Books
– Photographs
– Paintings
– Electronic Information Media
– Acknowledgments
Books
In this chapter:
– Objectives
– Introduction to the care and repair of books
– Parts of the books
– What are the most common types of damage
– Book structure, materials and damage to books
– Wear and tear of books
arrow Common causes of damage
– The do's and don'ts of handling books
– The do’s and don’ts of repair and labelling
– Storing and displaying books
– The best materials for storage and display of books
– Storage enclosures for books
– Easy do-it-yourself storage enclosures for books
– How does light affect books on display?
– Supporting books when they are on display
– Summary of conditions for storage and display
– Books in Australians climatic zones
– Book maintenance
– Some miscellaneous advise
  MORE ABOUT BOOKS
– A brief history of books
– Types of bindings
– Materials commonly found in books
– Paper repair
– For further reading
– Self-evaluation quiz
– Answers to self-evaluation quiz

 

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Books

Common causes of damage

All the most common types of damage are caused by:

  • poor handling;

  • poor storage methods;

  • inappropriate display methods;

  • wear and tear from repeated use;

  • chemical changes in the materials which make up books; and

  • chemical changes caused by chemicals which are present in materials in contact with books, or which are present as pollutants in the atmosphere.

Much of the common damage to books can be prevented by care and pre-planning your handling, storage and display of books.

The following sections will outline practical steps you can take to minimise this type of damage.

 

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