Brittle Books Program

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The Brittle Books Program is an initiative carried out by the National Endowment for the Humanities at the request of the United States Congress. The initiative began officially between 1988 and 1989 with the intention to involve the eventual microfilming of over 3 million endangered volumes.

Contents

Purpose

In the beginning half of the 20th century it became apparent that the use of acidic wood-pulp paper, common since the 1850s, was causing paper materials to slowly burn. This has been referred to as the slow fire. A statement submitted to the House of Representatives estimated that there were 80 million brittle books in North American libraries, 12 million of which were unique titles. As mass deacidification efforts proved costly and inconsistent, librarians and archivists began looking for more practical ways to preserve the intellectual content of the decaying material. Microfilm, one of the most stable and durable mediums around at the time, was decided to be the most reasonable alternative.

Timeline

[3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

Important figures

William Barrow was a pioneer conservator in the library science field. He connected the paper strength or lack thereof (brittle paper) to the acidity of the groundwood used to make wood pulp after the 1850s. [8] With his own observations of his collection and tests conducted, he announced to the library community that acid deterioration begins to show signs after 20,40 and 80 years. [9]

Structure

As with other National Endowment for the Humanities programs, the Brittle Books Program is a partnership program, meaning that qualifying institutions must apply for grants in order to participate. Should the institution be accepted, they are required to share at least 33% of the program's costs. Unlike other National Endowment for the Humanities preservation funding initiatives, the Brittle Books program does require that an institution in each state must be awarded a grant. The projects are largely run at the state level with the National Endowment for the Humanities providing methodologies, assuring a standard level of quality, and connecting the efforts of the various institutions. To be awarded a grant as part of the Brittle Books Program, institutions were required to abide by five basic conditions:

Preservation issues

Deacidification

While there is a deacidification [11] method that can successfully lower the acidity in brittle books, many public libraries do not have the funding to implement standard programs to halt the deterioration taking place in these institutions. Some repositories have the resources to send books for a deacidification wash in stages.

Deacidification washes are usually a viable option for most repositories as books can be sent in bulk; however, only books of excellent physical quality may be sent. The wash process is rather aggressive and any deformities in a book may cause damage to already brittle specimens. Therefore, libraries would have to first repair those books in less than desirable condition - specifically elements of the binding, leaf attachments, and text attachments - before deacidification. These extra conservation efforts would increase the costs of deacidification.

Paper splitting

Another option to preserve brittle books is to perform paper splitting. [12] This process dissects a book by its leaf and text attachment and treats each sheet of paper individually. Supervised by a book conservator, a paper conservator, and a conservation specialist, pages are literally pulled apart - fronts from backs - and a piece of alkaline paper is placed in between. The acid pages are then sandwiched back together with a non-acid buffer between them to slow the deterioration process. However, only ZFB (the Zentrum für Bucherhaltung) [13] offers this procedure (also called mechanical paper splitting). They claim the process is so refined, they have successfully split cigarette paper. Washes will de-acidify the paper though they will remain brittle; but paper splitting increases the strength and flexibility of the paper via the extra new sheet of buffered paper and the ZFB process includes de-acidification washes. [14] [15] [16]

Microform

Microform is a reasonable option for Brittle Book preservation mainly because microfilm can be usable for 500 years, so long as it is stored in proper conditions and a microfilm reader is accessible. Even microfiche is easier to store than microfilm, provided organizational practices prevent the divestment of sheets from their filing system. Despite its proven record of durability, microform is no longer a preferred method of digitization because it lacks the accessibility that modern electronic digitization provides.

Digitization

Digital conversion of physical items is the preferred method, despite an estimated five-year longevity for most computer files. As proper archival-quality digitization requires use of large, uncompressed TIFF files, storage can be a significant cost, especially for public libraries. Moreover, copyright law restrains the ability to digitize all brittle books. While the library is authorized to make a copy of a book it cannot obtain through reasonable means, having a digital copy offers the possibility of unauthorized distribution if circulated in this format. [17]

Photocopies

Many repositories, such as the University of Kansas, [18] opt for preservation-quality photocopies. A list-serv [19] is utilized for the posting of titles so a consortium of libraries can benefit from a reduced cost in replication so they may maintain their circulating collections. Maintained by OCLC, the submissions are processed at the OCLC Preservation Service Center and OCLC retains the digital copies produced as to defer any copyright issues away from the repositories subscribing to the service.

Future

As libraries move into the digital era, preservation practices attempt to move with them. Current and future projects in preserving brittle volumes are more likely to involve scanning and digitization than microfilming. A recent example of such a program is the Digitizing America's Imprints project at the Library of Congress which received a $2 million grant in 2007. [20]

Further information

Related Research Articles

Mass deacidification is a term used in library and information science for one possible measure against the degradation of paper in old books, the so-called "slow fires". The goal of the process is to increase the pH of acidic paper on a large scale. Although acid-free paper has become more common, a large body of acidic paper still exists in books made after the 1850s because of its cheaper and simpler production methods. Acidic paper, especially when exposed to light, air pollution, or high relative humidity, yellows and becomes brittle over time. During mass deacidification an alkaline agent is deposited in the paper to neutralize existing acid and prevent further decay.

Slow fire Paper embrittlement of a book or document

A slow fire is a term used in library and information science to describe paper embrittlement resulting from acid decay. The term is taken from the title of Terry Sanders' 1987 film Slow Fires: On the preservation of the human record.

Digitization process of creating a digital representation of a document or object

Digitization, less commonly digitalization, is the process of converting information into a digital format, in which the information is organized into bits. The result is the representation of an object, image, sound, document or signal by generating a series of numbers that describe a discrete set of points or samples. The result is called digital representation or, more specifically, a digital image, for the object, and digital form, for the signal. In modern practice, the digitized data is in the form of binary numbers, which facilitate computer processing and other operations, but, strictly speaking, digitizing simply means the conversion of analog source material into a numerical format; the decimal or any other number system that can be used instead.

Acid-free paper A type of paper used for preservation

Acid-free paper is paper that if infused in water yields a neutral or basic pH. It can be made from any cellulose fiber as long as the active acid pulp is eliminated during processing. It is also lignin- and sulfur-free. Acid-free paper addresses the problem of preserving documents and preserving artwork for long periods.

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is an independent federal agency of the U.S. government, established by the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965, dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. The NEH is housed at 400 7th St SW, Washington, D.C. From 1979 to 2014, NEH was at 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. in the Nancy Hanks Center at the Old Post Office.

The National Digital Newspaper Program is a joint project between the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress to create and maintain a publicly available, online digital archive of historically significant newspapers published in the United States between 1836 and 1922. Additionally, the program will make available bibliographic records and holdings information for some 140,000 newspaper titles from the 17th century to the present. Further, it will include scope notes and encyclopedia-style entries discussing the historical significance of specific newspapers. Added content will also include contextually relevant historical information. "One organization within each U.S. state or territory will receive an award to collaborate with relevant state partners in this effort." In March 2007 more than 226,000 pages of newspapers from California, Florida, Kentucky, New York, Utah, Virginia and the District of Columbia published between 1900 and 1910 were put online at a fully searchable site called "Chronicling America." As of December 2007, the total number of pages is about 413,000. This further expanded to be 1 million pages in 2009. Funding through the National Endowment for the Humanities is carried out through their "We The People" initiative.

The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, commonly known as Tobunken, is an institute dedicated to the preservation and utilization of cultural properties. It is based in Tokyo. It is one of the two institutes in Japan that comprise the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, an independent administrative institution created in 2001.

The conservation and restoration of photographs is the study of the physical care and treatment of photographic materials. It covers both efforts undertaken by photograph conservators, librarians, archivists, and museum curators who manage photograph collections at a variety of cultural heritage institutions, as well as steps taken to preserve collections of personal and family photographs. It is an umbrella term that includes both preventative preservation activities such as environmental control and conservation techniques that involve treating individual items. Both preservation and conservation require an in-depth understanding of how photographs are made, and the causes and prevention of deterioration. Conservator-restorers use this knowledge to treat photographic materials, stabilizing them from further deterioration, and sometimes restoring them for aesthetic purposes.

Preservation (library and archival science) set of activities aimed at prolonging the life of a record or object

In library and archival science, preservation is a set of activities aimed at prolonging the life of a record, book, or object while making as few changes as possible. Preservation activities vary widely and may include monitoring the condition of items, maintaining the temperature and humidity in collection storage areas, writing a plan in case of emergencies, digitizing items, writing relevant metadata, and increasing accessibility. Preservation, in this definition, is practiced in a library or an archive by a librarian, archivist, or other professional when they perceive a record is in need of care.

The United States Newspaper Program (USNP) is a national effort among the individual states and the US federal government to locate, catalog, and preserve on microfilm, newspapers published in the United States up to the present time. Funding is provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities, and technical assistance is provided by the Library of Congress. The program has since been enhanced by the National Digital Newspaper Program. The program began in 1982 and was estimated to be completed in 2007. As of 2004, $51.1 million in federal and $19.3 million in state funding had been raised.

Founded in 1973, the Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) is the first non-profit conservation center in the United States to specialize in the preservation of paper-based library and archival materials.

<i>Double Fold</i> book by Nicholson Baker

Double Fold: Libraries and the Assault on Paper is a non-fiction book by Nicholson Baker that was published in April 2001. An excerpt appeared in the July 24, 2000 issue of The New Yorker, under the title "Deadline: The Author's Desperate Bid to Save America's Past." This exhaustively researched work details Baker's quest to uncover the fate of thousands of books and newspapers that were replaced and often destroyed during the microfilming boom of the 1980s and 1990s. Double Fold is a controversial work and is not meant to be objective. In the preface, Baker says, "This isn't an impartial piece of reporting", and The New York Times characterized the book as a "blistering and thoroughly idiosyncratic attack".

William James Barrow was an American chemist and paper conservator, and a pioneer of library and archives conservation. He introduced the field of conservation to paper deacidification through alkalization.

Paul Banks was Conservator and Head of the Conservation Department and Laboratory at the Newberry Library from 1964 to 1981. He left the Newberry Library in 1981 to establish the first United States degree-granting program in library preservation at the Columbia University School of Library Science. Banks published widely on library preservation, conservation issues, and education.

Patricia Meyer Battin was one of the first librarians in the United States to combine the responsibilities of library administrator and technology director. Her focus shifted toward preservation when she became the first president of the Commission on Preservation and Access. She later became a pioneer in the digital library movement and began to work in the area of digital preservation.

The Center for Research Libraries is a consortium of North American universities, colleges, and independent research libraries, based on a buy-in concept for membership of the consortia. The consortium acquires and preserves traditional and digital resources for research and teaching and makes them available to member institutions through interlibrary loan and electronic delivery. It also gathers and analyzes data pertaining to the preservation of physical and digital resources, and fosters the sharing of expertise, in order to assist member libraries in maintaining their collections. The Center for Research Libraries was founded in 1949, as the Midwest Inter-Library Center (MILC). The traditional role of the CRL was as an aggregator of tangible collection materials, however this has been updated in the digital age into the CRL's current role as a facilitator of collection development, digitization, and licensing collections by individual libraries and interest groups. This transformation required the CRL to adopt new funding models from partnerships with key organizations, and an updated use of current technology to support community outreach and engagement. The funding was provided by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the National Science Foundation, and the IMLS.

A digital library, digital repository, or digital collection, is an online database of digital objects that can include text, still images, audio, video, or other digital media formats. Objects can consist of digitized content like print or photographs, as well as originally produced digital content like word processor files or social media posts. In addition to storing content, digital libraries provide means for organizing, searching, and retrieving the content contained in the collection.

The Illinois Newspaper Project (INP) began as part of the United States Newspaper Program (USNP), a cooperative effort between the states and the federal government designed to catalog and preserve on microfilm the nation's historic newspaper heritage. The USNP was funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and administered by the Library of Congress, who are currently funding the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP), of which the INP is also a part.

Conservation and restoration of books, manuscripts, documents and ephemera subject of scholarly research

The conservation and restoration of books, manuscripts, documents and ephemera is an activity dedicated to the preservation and protection of items of historical and personal value made primarily from paper, parchment, and leather. When applied to cultural heritage conservation activities are generally undertaken by a conservator-restorer.

The conservation and restoration of film is the physical care and treatment of film-based materials. These include photographic materials and motion picture.

References

  1. ↑ "NHA Testimony: Patricia M. Battin, 17 March 1988". Archived from the original on 2007-08-01. Retrieved 2007-06-10.
  2. ↑ "Timeline". Archived from the original on 2009-01-17. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
  3. ↑ "Preservation and Access". Archived from the original on 2007-04-15. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
  4. ↑ "Division of Preservation and Access". Archived from the original on 2007-03-23. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
  5. ↑ "Division of Preservation and Access". Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
  6. ↑ "Division of Preservation and Access". Archived from the original on 2007-02-19. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
  7. ↑ "aR2001-Division of Preservation and Access". Archived from the original on 2007-04-15. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
  8. ↑ .Timoth Barrett; Cynthia Mosier (1994). "The Role of Gelatin in Paper Permanency II". American Institute for Conservation.The Book and Paper Annual vol.13
  9. ↑ Barrow, William J. (1969). Permanence/Durability of the book-VI: Spot testing for unstable modern book and record papers. W. J.Barrow Research Laboratory, Inc. p. 11. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
  10. ↑ "NHA Testimony: Patricia M. Battin, 31 March 1995". Archived from the original on 2007-09-20. Retrieved 2007-05-01.
  11. ↑ Mass deacidification
  12. ↑ MDEP Paper Strengthening Pilot Program 2003-2005 (Preservation, Library of Congress) Archived May 26, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  13. ↑ "Mass Deacidification and Conservation for Libraries, Archives and Museums from one source". Archived from the original on 2007-10-24. Retrieved 2008-04-27.
  14. ↑ Brückle, I. and Dambrogio, J."Paper splitting: History and modern technology" "Journal of the American Institute for Conservation", 2000. Retrieved on 2008-02-06.
  15. ↑ Bansa, H. and Ishii, R. "The Effect of Different Strengthening Methods on Different Kinds of Paper". "Restaurator", 1997. Retrieved on 2008-02-06.
  16. ↑ Liers, L., Wächter, W., and Müller, G. "Results of the paper splitting process." "Restaurator",1996.
  17. ↑ Copyright and Preservation-Brittle Books Preservation
  18. ↑ KU Libraries: Brittle Books Program Archived July 23, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  19. ↑ KU Libraries: Brittle Books Program Archived September 3, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  20. ↑ "A $2M grant will digitize brittle books". USA Today. 2007-02-01. Retrieved 2010-04-27.
  21. ↑ CLIR Films
  22. ↑ Responses to the Preservation Challenge Archived August 17, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
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