Books

Self-evaluation quiz

Question 1.

The causes of damage to books can be broadly divided into two categories—physical damage and chemical damage. Name three examples of each.

Question 2.

When photocopying a book, you should:

a) be aware that its structure may not have been designed to open out flat;

b) force the book to open as flat as possible and press the photocopier cover down over the book to get a better quality copy;

c) take note of what you are intending to copy and consider that some materials may be sensitive to strong light;

d) open the book as far as you can until it makes a crackling noise and then stop;

e) if the book does not open fully, consider taking notes rather than copying.

Question 3.

Indicate which of the following can damage books:

a) opening new books gradually from the front and then the back, section by section, until you reach the middle;

b) removing books from shelves by pulling at the top of the spine;

c) pressing flowers in books;

d) wearing gloves when handling gold-tooled bindings;

e) flicking quickly through pages;

f) licking your fingers for easier page turning;

g) repairing books with sticky tape;

h) folding the corner of the page to mark your place;

i) leaving the book open over the arm of the armchair while you go to get tea and cake to have while reading.

Question 4.

What are the ideal temperature and relative humidity ranges for storage and display of books?

a) 30ºC and 60%RH

b) 10–16ºC and 45–55%RH

c) 18–22ºC and 10–20%RH

d) 18–22ºC and 45–55%RH

Question 5.

What happens to books that are badly shelved and are allowed to flop to the side?

a) The bindings distort over time.

b) Nothing happens.

c) The sewing structure can break down.

d) They can fall apart.

Question 6.

Of the following materials, which are good to use for making storage and display furniture for books?

glass, uncured paint, PVA glue, enamelled metal, protein-based glues, for example, animal glue, inorganic pigments, chipboard, ceramic, cellulose nitrate, wool, polyester film, polystyrene, felt, polyurethanes, cotton, linen, PVC, unsealed woods especially hardwoods, acrylic polymers.

Question 7.

Which of the following statements are true?

a) All books should have support when they are on display.

b) Phase boxes are called this because they are boxes which are made in phases.

c) Wrappers can protect books and are straightforward to make.

d) Books which are displayed open should have their pages turned regularly to prevent light-damage to any one page.

e) Light and UV radiation have no effect on books.

f) Book pages can be prevented from moving during display, by placing a Mylar strip joined end-to-end around the open book.

Question 8.

In a tropical climate books are likely to:

a) dry out leaving the glues very brittle;

b) absorb moisture and develop mould;

c) get very dirty;

d) lose pages.

Question 9.

When dusting books it is important to remember that:

a) sucking dirt away with a vacuum cleaner stops it being re-deposited on the book;

b) if using suction, precautions should be taken to reduce the suction so that it does not cause damage;

c) erasers can be used with extreme care, to clean paper;

d) shaving brushes should be new, if they are to be used for cleaning books;

e) all of the above.

Question 10.

Which of the following statements are false?

a) All books should be treated with leather dressing.

b) There are no problems at all with using leather dressing on books.

c) Leather dressing can stain paper because it is very greasy.

d) Leather dressing can make the surface of the leather sticky, causing dirt and dust to stick to the leather.

e) Leather dressing removes dirt and dust.