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Hints on Preservation
Books

Paul Schlotthauer

Books should be shelved upright and supported by bookends if necessary (very large volumes should be stored flat). Make sure the shelves are deep enough to prevent the ends of the books from hanging over the edge. Don’t pack books so tightly on a shelf that you have to tug one to get it out, and never pull on the top of the spine, which will eventually tear (pushing the books on either side will help remove the book in the middle). For old books such as family Bibles, it might be best to use archival quality enclosures such as phase boxes or clamshell boxes, which will protect the books from light and dust. Different sizes of pamphlet enclosures are available to house smaller printed items such as programs, menus, and brochures. Don’t lay an open book face down, and don’t press down the book’s pages to ease a stiff binding—you might break the paper and/or the spine.

Most people keep books on wooden shelves, but in fact wood is unkind to books. Like cardboard and certain plastics and metals, wood emits acids and chemicals (a process known as "offgassing") that react with paper and cause deterioration. Archival bookshelves are made of steel with baked-enamel finish, but few of us are going to go out and purchase these for our homes—for one thing, they’re ugly! So if you are storing your family Bible on your grandfather’s hand-made oak shelves, use a buffered book enclosure to protect it from the effects of the wood.

Musty Odors

Paper is highly affected by the surrounding environment. It’s happiest living in dust-free rooms that enjoy moderate, steady temperatures and relative humidity, clean air, good air circulation, and little natural or fluorescent light. Unfortunately, many family Bibles and books have spent their existence in less-than-ideal surroundings and have often suffered as a result. Two common problems are musty odors and folded pages too brittle to open. In most cases it’s possible to solve — or, at least, minimize — these problems with some homemade solutions.

Those unpleasant musty smells you notice when you open an old book are the result of past mold or mildew. The first thing to do is make sure the book is dry by putting it in a cool, dry space for several hours. If the book is damp, open it and stand it up with pages fanned so that they will dry. Circulating the air with a fan will speed up the process.

Heritage Preservation is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage of the United States. By identifying risks, developing innovative programs, and providing broad public access to expert advice, Heritage Preservation assists museums, libraries, archives, historic preservation, and other organizations, as well as individuals, in caring for our endangered heritage. 1012 14th St. NW, Suite 1200 Washington, DC 20005 (202) 233-0800
     New publication (non-member regular price: $24.95, member regular price: $18.00: A team of top museum professionals, assembled by Heritage Preservation, provide practical advice and easy-to-use guidelines on: how to polish silver and furniture without diminishing their value; how to preserve a wedding dress for future generations; the safest materials and procedures for creating a scrapbook that will last; how to care for a photograph album that is deteriorating; creating safe display conditions for ceramics, dolls, quilts, or other treasured collections; and much more.