Library Preservation

Preservation Policy

Sewn monographs in need of major case repairs will be recased, preserving the original formats.  Textblock repairs will be performed by the Preservation department as needed for bindery preparation.  Sewn monographs will not be trimmed.

Peabody collection materials will be assessed on a case-by-case basis for in-house repair or conservation by outside contractors.

1. Periodicals:

1. Periodicals with folded signature formats will be sewn through-the-fold.  These periodicals consist of a folded signature stapled through the middle (e.g. Smithsonian Magazine).  Volumes sewn through-the-fold will not be trimmed.

2. Periodicals with adhesive bound pages (no fold) and selected monographs with “perfect” or adhesive bindings will be double-fan adhesive bound.  This binding entails some trimming of the gutter margins.  Trimming will be kept to a minimum. 

3. Periodicals with a mix of folded and cut issues will be double-fan adhesive bound.  The folded signatures will be slit to prevent trimming of margins.

4. Periodical volumes over three inches thick will be divided into two volumes when double-fan bound.  This will prevent structural failure caused by the weight of the pages.  The traditional oversewing technique (whip stitching) for thick volumes is to be avoided, because it markedly reduces the inner margin of the textblock.

Note:  One alternative option is to bind thick volumes with no square (with textblock and cover flush at the bottom).  This requires custom-cut boards.  Depending on cost, this option may be selected instead of splitting the volumes.

2. Completeness:  All pages must be present.

1. Obtain missing pages via interlibrary loan or download pages from correct edition in Google Books, HathiTrust or other digitized sources. 

2. Replacement pages should be photocopied or printed onto Permalife or other acid free, lignin-free paper (preferably with some rag content).

3. Replacement pages must be printed double-sided to replicate the original arrangement of text or images.

4. Photocopied or printed pages must be formatted to align the recto and verso into the same part of the page in proper registration.

5. The grain direction of replacement pages should be checked prior to use. The grain direction should always be parallel to the spine of the book.

6. Replacement pages may be tipped, hinged, or sewn in.

7. Bookplates and inscriptions should be preserved whenever possible; they should be copied to Permalife paper, if the original cannot be preserved.

8. Barcode labels must be removed for reattachment after rebinding. Place the barcode label with the rebinding slip.

3. Recasing: Books with intact textblocks and torn endsheets or torn super are recased with the original sewing. 

1. Cases with historical or aesthetic value should be retained, but plain cases may be replaced by a bindery case.

2. Sewing must be intact, if the monograph has a sewn structure.  Loose or broken sewing is repaired in-house.

4.   Adhesive Binding:  Only non-brittle volumes with very wide margins and no illustrations may be reformatted from sewn to adhesive-bound formats. 

1. Most titles of a post-1990 imprint date lack sewn structures (good rebinding candidates). 

2. Most titles post-1860 and pre-1985 have potentially brittle paper (poor rebinding candidates). 

3. Margins must be 5/8 inch and page numbers, charts, graphs, maps, or illustrations must not bleed to either the gutter or the outer margins.

4. Gift paperbacks will be retained in their original formats and repaired or rebound as needed. 

5. Paperbacks in the collection will be rebound according to their original structures (either sewn through-the-fold or double fan bound).

5. Maps, charts, etc.:  Illustrated endsheets, maps, etc., are repaired in-house and guarded or tabbed to permit an adequate binding margin for commercial recasing.  Such volumes must be recased without trimming.

6.  Wrapping and Packing:

1. An itemized list is generated for all bindery shipments, indicating bindery procedures used for the items (a bundle of annotated and dated “pink” slips may suffice as a list).

2. Books with detached covers are secured for shipment by wrapping with fabric tying tape, Grip-Tite fabric fasteners, or paper wrappers.  Under no circumstances are rubber bands to come into contact with library collection materials.  Extra-large rubber bands may be used only over board wrappers (oversized pieces of board used to “sandwich” a book without a cover) on a temporary basis, for shipping.  No rubber bands are to be used in storage prior to shipment.

3. Books are shipped horizontally or vertically, but never spine-up. If you can read the spine, then the book is not packed correctly.

4. Books are wrapped with paper before wrapping with bubble wrap to buffer the materials from changes in humidity.  Moisture may condense on plastic lacking an interleaving layer.

7. Recasing by a conservator: Sewn books with auxiliary supports, such as linen or hemp cords and linen or cotton sewing tapes, are recased, retaining some connection between the sewing supports and the boards. 

1. Broken sewing supports are replaced or augmented where needed. 

2. Rare books with supported sewing may be conserved by outside contractors or repaired in house.

8. Repair:  Books with torn spines, intact endsheets, sound super, and stable textblocks are repaired in-house.