TECHNIQUES RECOMMENDED In RESTORING - PRESERVING of BOOKS, MANUSCRIPTS and DOCUMENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION ............................................ PREFACE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii PART I - NUMBERING AND CLEANING......................... 1 Procedures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 PART II - DEACIDIFICATION................................... 5 Procedures '" '. . . . . . 6 PART ill - LAMINATION...................................... 10 Hand Lamination Procedures...................... 12 APPENDIX I - SOLVENTS AND THEIR USE ................... 15 APPENDIX II - RESTORING INKS 17 APPENDIX ill - MATERIALS NEEDED IN RESTORING AND PRESERVING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 MATERIALS USED IN RESTORING-PRESERVING , . . . . . . . 21 BIBLIOGRAPHy............................................... 22 INTRODUCTION Within the past twenty-five years the problems involved in the preservation of books and manuscripts have become increasingly acute. The immense volume of books which flows into the ordinary library each year and the increased demands upon all archivists for the retaining, microfilming and repairing of books, documents and manuscripts have created a near-gargantuan task of preserving these items which come into their care. It is to this problem of preservation that this pamphlet is directed. It is not possible within the limited range of this work to include the many facets of research which are being conducted on this great problem. It is possible, however, and it has been attempted here, to present the major results of such research and to indicate via appendices and bibliography avenues of further readings which might be of help. The principal areas covered in this work were chosen for their practical value to the person generally unversed in the actual techniques to be discussed. To the technician or person more advanced there is directed the more amplified appendices; however, it is recommended to such persons that the use of the bibliographic items will be of even greater use. The usual librarian and/or bibliophile will find that the greatest problems come from either deteriorated books or books needing preservation without the added expense of re-binding. However, from time to time, such persons will find that documents, manuscripts, and rare books which justify the expense of re-binding will need more elaborate preservative treatments than those with which they are familiar. Both of these problems have been discussed and the matters of budget have been kept in mind in such discussions. There is, of course, a vast amount of equipment which is available in the solutions to the many problems of preservation. However, unless the major work of an individual or of a library is directly connected with the preservation of a very great number of books, documents, etc., the cost of such equipment would be prohibitive. Fortunately, such equipment is not necessary for a relatively small number of such items and the articles which can be used are generally those readily at hand, with the exception of certain chemicals. It is strongly advised that a careful survey be made of individual needs, for it is only in this way that a great waste of time, expense and personnel may be avoided. It is also wise that in any given library the actual work of restoring or of preserving books, manuscripts, etc., be restricted to definite individuals. This suggestion is prompted by the fact that, as in all instances dealing with techniques and methods much can be learned from cumulative experience, so is the instance true in this case. Much can indeed be gained by judicious trial-and-error, but such methods can also prove costly in terms of time and, unfortunately, sometimes in terms of irreparable damage to the very items wished to be preserved. The techniques themselves may be qUickly learned, but the handling of individual problems (and it will soon become apparent that each preservative problem is distinctly unique) can be treated best from a vantage point of considerable experience. The matters of proper deacidification, expert inlay, wise use of chemical testing, etc., render better results by experience... even vicariously by seeing the mistakes or successes of others. To repeat, the techniques involved in preservation are not of themselves difficult, but the proper and expert application of such techniques is the result of experience. It is wise, therefore, to keep the actual preserving and/or restoring of books, documents, etc., within the province of certain designated individuals. As has been stated, each library and each archival institution, as well as each preservative problem is unique. The follOWing methods, techniques, and suggestions are, of necessity, general in nature and in treatment. All of these matters are fairly recent in origin and all persons and institutions involved in them are only learners. None have learned all; it is only that some have learned more than others. We, here at the Georgia Department of Archives and History, are very pleased to share what we have learned. Indeed, it is an obligation to be in a position both to aid other learners and to learn from them. ii PREFACE W. J. Barrow in 1940 developed an effective method of deacidifying archival and library material. This method, which was the first effective process of arresting and stabilizing high acidity in papers, consisted of some five steps: (1) placing each individual sheet between two screens of woven wire, (2) soaking the screened pages for thirty minutes in a solution of calcium hydroxide, (3) soaking it for the same length of time in another solution of calcium bicarbonate, (4) air-drying gradually for several hours, followed by (5) removing the document from the screens and re-moistening with ordinary water. Such a process did not mention the previous necessity of "breaking-down" the book from its original binding, the numbering and cleaning of each individual sheet; therefore, the entire process was both long and involved. But, much of such a process was and is still necessary in order both to arrest the paper's acidity and to prepare the document for the additional preservative step of laminating. It is interesting to note that Mr. Barrow discovered both a means of arresting paper-acidity and of machinelaminating at roughly the same time. To laminate without deacidification is to fall short of complete paper-preservation and to deacidify without laminating only is to arrest the paper-acidity and not completely to preserve the document. Because the many steps involved caused such a complicated process, this method was, of necessity, very expensive and could be used only for the most valuable of documents. Since that time, nearly twenty-six years ago at this writing, Mr. Barrow's laboratory has developed two other methods for deacidification, each of which was successively less complex and, consequently, less expensive. These methods will be discussed in detail in their proper places within this work; but, it is wise, before the actual methods are discussed, to outline somewhat the presentation of material to be followed. The material will be presented in much the same fashion as the steps followed in the laboratory at the Georgia Department of Archives and History. Such a presentation is considered both to follow a more logical sequence and to be grasped more easily, therefore, by the layman to whom any of such material is new. Each individual step or group of closely related steps will constitute an individual heading. At the same time, however, should such iii steps involve material which needs further amplification or contain information needed by professional technicians and not by laymen each of such headings will be supplemented also by an appendix giving such an amplification or additional information. Such appendices will be found at the end of this work and will be designated by an elipsis (... ) following the individual heading, e. g. , HAND LAMINATING .... It should be noted that Mr. Barrow's contributions are not only those of a pioneer in this field, but are also those of a continuing leading authority. For this reason, it has been considered wise to quote, where necessary, mainly from his works. It is strongly urged that laymen and professionals take full advantage of Mr. Barrow's wide series of articles, handbooks, and pamphlets on every aspect of the preservation of documents. His publications are both learned and extremely lucid, which qualities are rare enough to justify their extensive use for that reason alone. However, it should not be concluded from the above statement that Mr. Barrow alone has contributed to our knowledge of document preservation. Indeed, the work which comes from the W. J. Barrow Research Laboratory in Richmond, Virginia is but one of hundreds of contributors to the technical treasury on this subject. The research laboratories of The National Archives in Washington and The United States National Bureau of Standards, Paper Section have contributed at least equally to our knowledge. iv PART I - NUMBERING AND CLEANING Barrow observed in 1939 that deteriorated documents were highly acid. This observation prompted innumerable experiments with paper fibers of both old and new paper compounds, which lead him to two important conclusions regarding the correlation between acidity and deterioration: (1) deterioration is only fractional in those documents made before the introduction of acid components... before the mid17th Century... and, (2) that those documents which are stored in a nonacidic atmosphere retain a nearly neutral acid leveL .. pH leveL .. and continue to maintain good strength. Furthermore, he discovered in recent studies that "high acidity knows no favorites among fibers and deteriorates those of rag with equal relish as those of chemical wood fibers." 1. These various conclusions lead Barrow and~ others who were doing research on document deterioration independently of him to the firm conviction that deacidification of documents was absolutely necessary to insure and/or to regain good longevity. With the above conclusions kept firmly in mind, it will soon become quite obvious that the total picture of document-preservation is in every step concerned directly with the removal of fiber-acidity and with the prevention of its return once such acidity is reduced to as nearly a neutral status as is possible. Cleaning removes excess dirt which prevents the deacidifying compounds from acting upon the paper fibers as directly as u~n a clean document. Deacidification restores the acidic neutrality of the original document or else establishes it if not present from its origin. "Sandwiching" prepares the deacidified document for the fusion by laminating of the enveloped document against a future possible acidic environment. Trimming maintains the edge of fused acetate around the edge of the laminated document to insure a proper seal of the bound document against possible leakage, which would re-introduce an acidic condition. All of the different elements then are designed to promote the eventual neutralization of the acidic documents. Even the original numbering is changed so that proper sandwiching may be effected with that step's important contribution. 1. Barrow, W. J., "The Barrow Method of Restoring Deteriorated Documents." p. 6, State Library Building, Richmond, Virginia, 1965. 1 Procedures It is found too often that in working with old books or manuscripts some of the original pages may be lost or found that additional pages may be needed at the beginning of the book. In either case the original numbering of pages will no longer hold true. The necessary addition of even one page at the beginning of the book will mean that all following pages will no longer be numbered correctly. Pages missing anywhere in the book will mean that the succeeding pages will have incorrect numbers. A rule of safety which has proved most effective states that immediately after entering the book in the mastercatalogue, all pages in the book be re-numbered on the even pages (1,3, 5, etc.). Such a method will insure that the original number of pages received will be continued intact throughout all states of 'its restoration. Generally, it is most effective to mark the pages in the lower lefthand corner with a No. 3 pencil. The numbering should be in as small lettering as possible in order not to take attention from the document itself, while yet being clearly visible. The problem of half-sheets or even smaller fragments of a broken-down book or manuscript can be reduced if a set plan is determined upon at the very beginning of the restoration process. One such plan would be that half-sheets or larger would be given a full number (1, 3, 5, etc.), but that any fragment smaller than a half-sheet would be given the number of the page to which it refers plus the addition of a letter. Thus, a fragment which refers to page 43 would be designated 43-A; a second fragment referring to the same page would be 43-B. But, any following fragment referring to another page would be given that number and the addition of a letter would start again, e. g., 45-A, 63-A, etc. These fragments so numbered will be referred to in the "sandwiching" process as "sew-ins." Another problem of numbering fragments as it concerns cleaning will be discussed in its proper place within the following paragraphs. The cleaning process, which follows immediately that of numbering, is one that requires the greatest of care and of attention. The purpose of this process is the removal of dust and of a large percentage of oils from the individual sheet. The best means by which such an end may be effected is through the use of ordinary wallpaper cleaner. The cleaner should be molded in an amount large enough to fit the palm of the hand and should be constantly re-molded during the cleaning so that the compound remains moist. When the used amount becomes almost totally black and dry it should be discarded and a new amount chosen. Should the cleaning be interrupted for any period over five minutes, the compound should be returned to the container so that it will not 2 lose its moisture. The individual sheet should be cleaned on both sides with quick and gentle strokes from top to bottom of the page. IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT ALL LOOSE PARTICLES OF THE CLEANING COMPOUND BE REMOVED FROM THE SURFACE OF THE DOCUMENT AS THESE PARTICLES WILL HARDEN AND OFTEN SPREAD UNDER PRESSURE OVER THE FACE OF THE DOCUMENT UNLESS REMOVED. It is best to remove such particles by means of a brush as even the cleanest of hands will leave behind some residue of oil. Even should no pressure be applie~, the particles, if left upon a page, will tend to weaken the paper fibers and, thereby, reduce the permancy of such fibers. It will be noted that the humidity of the working area will greatly affect the consistency of the compound. Such variation in humidity will have one effect in particular upon the actual cleaning process. In cleaning a particularly fragile document, the actual strokes should, of course, be even more gentle than usual. However, in very high humidity the compound will tend to cling to the surface of the document (and to the hands, which situation demands even greater care). Such adherence to the document will cause the paper to tear or shred unless extreme care is taken. In such an event, in which one part of the page is torn or separated from another, it is necessary to number the fragme,nt. However, it is not necessary to add a letter to the number' in such a case, but only to give it the same number as the sheet from which it was separated. The fragment should then be attached by means of a plastic paper-clip to the original page. 1. In addition to the removal of dust and ordinary oils, there are other particles such as different types of oils, glues, waxes, and adhesive tapes which must be removed as well. The solvents recommended for the removal of such materials will be found in Appendix I. It should be noted here, however, that as a matter of expediency the actual removal of such materials should wait until exactly before the deacidification of the total work after the complete volume has been cleaned. 1. Under no circumstances should metal paper-clips be used to fasten any pages or parts of pages as the metal of such clips tend to combine with the paper's acidity and thus discolor the fibers. 3 Should a page be torn during the cleaning process and not actually separated from the sheet, it would be wise to use a soluble tape to hold the tear together until the time of deacidification. Under no conditions should "Scotch" tape or any other insoluble adhesive be used for this purpose, for such tapes are difficult to remove and are capable of leaving stains upon the documents even after removal. When all pages have been cleaned and checked for proper numerical order and for freedom from compound particles, they are then ready for deacidification. It would be wise to place a small weight upon the loose pages until the actual time of deacidification, as the sheets have a tendency to curl unless some small counter-pressure is applied. 4 PART II - DEACIDIFICATION Once it had been determined that deterioration of paper fibers could be attributed largely to acidity within the fibers or to acidic atmospheric conditions which produced correlative acidification within the fibers, it was then necessary to find those means of arresting the acidity and, if possible, of reversing the acidification process, i. e., of deacidifying the fibers. Innumerable tests by Mr. Barrow and others resulted in the use of calcium compounds as the deacidification agents. The reason for selecting these calcium compounds was that previous tests of old papers, still strong after several centuries of natural aging and with a pH 7.0 - 8.0, indicates that it was calcium carbonate probably resulting from early bleaching methods or washing the rags in hard water that gave them their mildly alkaline or near neutral condition. 1 These calcium compounds were solutions of calcium hydrOXide and calcium bicarbonate. The first solution was intended to neutralize the acidity of the fibers and the second to remove the residual hydroxide of the first solution. Although these solutions were highly successful, their use presented several problems. The method was suitable for manuscripts and other high-value material, but was much too expensive to apply to b.ooks generally. The two-(or bi)-calcium process necessitated the "breaking down" of books and the complicated and involved use of special (and expensive) materials, e. g., bronze screens. The time involved in the careful separation of individual sheets and in the placing of them between screens was not only laboriOUS, but was much too time-consuming for such application to other than the most valuable of documents. Librarians and others were eager for a single-step method of deacidification which would not involve the ''breaking down" of books and which would accomplish the same results as the longer bi-calcium process. The answer to the first request came with the discovery of the use of magnesium bicarbonate as a deacidification agent; the answer to the second came with the discovery 1. Barrow, Loc. Cit., p. 7. 5 that "spraying with the magnesium bicarbonate solution effectively neutralizes acid paper... increases their flexibility... that papers so deacidified show good stability after heat-aging... that the neutralizing effect of the spray extends throughout the thickness of the paper and into the gutters of normal depth in bound volumes." . It is to this solution and to the spray-and-sponge method of application to which the section on Deacidification of this pamphlet will be directed. Further amplification of laboratory methods in Deacidification will be found within the bibliographic references for those who might need more information than is given in this particular section. Likewise, the problems encountered in the effects of deacidification upon varied inks will be treated broadly in this section and more specificallv in Appendix I I. The reader is encouraged to consider both the Appendix and the Bibliography (concerning these matters) which offer many excellent works on these two specific points. Procedures The beginning of the deacidification process is actually part of the cleaning routine as it involves both the testing of inks and the removal of such materials as varied tapes and the like which had not been removed during the cleaning of the documents with wallpaper cleaner. The testing of inks is one of the simplest procedures to be encountered in the total restoration of the documents and, at the same time, one of the most vital. The materials involved are of the greatest simplicity also; they are two: a small cotton swab and some water. The saturated cotton is briefly touched to the document's writing after which both the swab and the document are inspected: (1) the swab, to see if any of the ink has been absorbed by the cotton, for should there be coloring on the swab, this fact would indicate that the ink would fade and must, therefore, no't be subjected to the usual methods of deacidifying; and, (2) the document, to ascertain if the ink will "feather" or run, an occurrence which would also eliminate that particular page containing this type of ink (or the entire document, should this ink be universally used) from this form of deacidifying. Such pages or documents must be treated in another fashion than that to be discussed here (these 1. W. J. Barrow Research Laboratory, Permanence/Durability of the Book-TIl, "Spray Deacidification", passim, Richmond, Virginia: 1964. 6 procedures will be found in Appendix II). Once the ink is determined to be safe or stable, the pages are ready for the removal of various extraneous materials as discussed in Appendix I. The proper methods for deacidifying very rare manuscripts is with the use of bronze screens and a one-step solution of magnesium bicarbonate; therefore, once the removal mentioned above has taken place, the individual pages are ready for screening. Once these individually screened pages have reached a sizeable amount of about fifteen or twenty pages, they are immersed in a solution of magnesium bicarbonate sufficient to cover all pages for a period of some twenty minutes. At the end of this period, the stack of now deacidified pages are removed from solution, are turned so that all of the excess solution is drained off, and then, while still screened, are placed in groups of no more than four screened pages upon horizontal racks to dry for some twelve hours (or over night). Such steps complete, except for re-moistening and pressing, the major steps of laboratory or professional deacidification. However. the methods to be employed in a small library workshop or the individual home workshop differ quite radically from those methods just described. The methods generally recommended for the library or home are either the spray (which is preferred for unbound books) or the sponge for loose documents or for "brokendown" books. IN EITHER CASE, WHETHER SPRAY OR SPONGE, IT IS IMPERATIVE TO OBSERVE THE MOST PRECISE CARE THAT GOOD VENTILATION IS PRESERVED AT ALL TIMES, UTILIZING FANS AND OPEN WINDOWS AS A MINIMUM PRECAUTION AND A LABORATORY-TYPE HOOD IF THERE IS TO BE PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO FUMES. In the bound book the use of a spray application is strongly advised. The equipment involved in such an application requires a spray-gun (those used by painters was found to be effective) and a solution of twenty-five grams of magnesium carbonate to one liter of water (roughly four ounces per gallon of water); through this solution via a dispersion tube should be passed carbon dioxide gas for a period of at least one hour before the application is attempted. The solution should then be tested by means of an alkacid pH. tester. in order that the solution registers no less than a pH factor of 7. 5. When spraying a bound volume, it has been found advisable to 7 deacidify the book in portions rather than the entire volume if the volume in question is a thick one. The boards of the volume are first wrapped in aluminum foil and the sheets are turned rapidly during the spraying procedure. The term "rapidly" is used here because the sheets are receiVing spray on both sides and, consequently, are becoming more quickly permeated with solution than would be the case were the solution to be applied by sponge as in the application to single sheets. When the entire volume has been sprayed with all of the pages very damp, the volume is allowed to "marinate" overnight and the leaves are forced to remain in contact with each other by placing a small weight on top of the volume. Next day the volume is placed upright and the pages are separated into a fanlike position to accelerate drying: such drying is usually accomplished within twenty-four hours, but the size of the volume will determine the exact speed of such drying. After this drying is accomplished, pressing overnight of the volume between boards in a horizontal screw-press is generally considered to be sufficient to flatten the leaves, but stronger pages might require that every eighth or tenth leaf be dampened and the volume closed for two or more hours to allow this moisture to penetrate to the other leaves. Also by pressing the volume overnight with dry sheets of paper or thin blotters will facilitate the flattening of the leaves. Repeated pressing with more dry sheets may be necessary. Naturally, distortion of the spine while damp is to be avoided. It should be remembered that in spraying a bound volume, the book should be well-opened in order to force the solution into its gutter, and, thus to penetrate into the sewed and glued areas. 1. In the deacidification of single sheets by the use of a sponge, the method is somewhat different. Smaller amounts of the solution will be needed; one ounce of magnesium bicarbonate to one quart of water. The same testing of inks will have preceded the actual deacidification as before. In this method, an ordinary synthetic sponge will be used in place of the spray applicator and the entire procedure will take a longer period of time, but the deacidific results should be the same, i. e., the achieving of a pH reading of an 8.4 to an 8.8 level for each treated sheet. In both cases, the spray or sponge application, the solution should be stirred and then allowed to resettle before using. In the sponge 1. W. J. Barrow Research Laboratory, Ibid. et passim. 8 method, the solution is applied to both sides of the document until the sheet is quite damp, then is placed between cardboard sheets for pressing under the same horizontal screw-type press. However, in this sponge method, a steam-iron may be used upon each sheet prior to pressing in order to facilitate drying and to prevent curling of the sheet. Such a procedure is highly recommended. After such ironing the documents will retain a slight dampness which is a good factor. They. are then placed together, using waxed paper between those documents on which residual wax or glue has remained, and are then pressed overnight. This sponge method may be used for bound volumes, but the difficulty of achieving uniformity of solution distribution within the gutters of the book strongly recommends the use of' spray application with such volumes. In the matter of deacidification (whether by spray or sponge) of maps or pages using red or other non-fast type of inks on one side of the page, it has been found that an appli<:ation of solution to the blank side of the page will reduce sufficiently the acidic pH of the entire page by absorption to a safe and permanent levei to justify such" a method. In both spray or sponge application should the ink feather badly, it is wise to use an alkaline solution with a very light sponge application. Once again the warning should be given that GOOD VENTILATION DURING THIS ENTIRE PROCESS IS AN IMPORTANT REQUIREMENT AND MUST NOT BE OMITTED. 9 PART III - LAMINATION Restoration and preservation of documents are but opposite sides of the same coin in the over-all treatment for permanence of books, documents and manuscripts. For all practical purposes, the restoration of these items has been completed in the final stages of the deacidification process, but the completion of deacidification is not actually finalized until lamination. If, as stated earlier, deterioration in paper products is the result of acidity-acidity either in the paper fibers or in an acidic atmosphere penetrating into those fibers--, it must follow that actual preservation of paper products cannot be reached completely until these products have been acidically neutralized (deacidification) and protected from a further acidic atmosphere (lamination). As is immediately obvious, lamination cannot be used on bound volumes except in occasional instances of repairing torn pages by hand lamination. The permanence of such bound volumes is, therefore, completed with the deacidification and storage ot such volumes in as suitable an atmosphere as possible. With unbound volumes, documents, and manuscripts, however, lamination is the final step in a three-part process designed to assure as completely as possible full security against deterioration. Lamination by the use of the roller-type laminator was developed in early 1938 by the W. J. Barrow Research Laboratory, in Richmond, Virginia. This process was designed to protect the individual document by. a thermoplastic film utilizing cellulose acetate in a "sandwich" procedure. However, it was soon discovered that the conventional method of using film only (one on each side of the document) produced a laminate with low-tear resistanGe and relatively low-folding endurance. These faults were soon corrected by the addition of a second sheet to each outside cover of the original "sandwich", this sheet composed of tissue using long, durable, and well-purified fibers. These four sheets which "sandwich" the document were then put under high pressure and extreme heat (approximately 280-305 degrees Fahrenheit) for a few seconds. These procedures resulted in a fused product which effectively sealed off the document from a hostile acidic atmosphere. 10 It was then discovered that to give an even structural balance to the sheet, it was wise to fill in worm-holes and/or missing portions of the page with pre-laminated film and tissue. Another discovery was that by mounting maps on cotton muslin by lamination, strength was added to the map by addition of the cloth, and that lamination of the face of the map provided resistance to ink, pencil marks, etc. It became apparent that lamination of docu-mentlj and maps was limited chiefly by the size of the equipment. However, as in the case of deacidification, the process of "sandwiching" and laminating was exceedingly expensive both in the cost of training and retaining skilled personnel and in the initial outlay and later maintenance of heavy equipment. Such restrictions qUickly limited lamination to all but the most valuable of documents and to all but well-endowed institutions. It was, therefore, an event of extreme importance to archival and other institutions when in 1957 an article was published by The National Archives of India stating the discovery in that country of a simple, inexpensive, yet effective method of laminating records, by the employment of the same materials used in the United States, but avoiding the use of he~t and high pressure. It is this method of hand limination which is recommended to libraries and other institutions which would need lamination and/or such preservation of materials on an infrequent basis. Discussing this method of hand lamination, Mr. James L. Gear, Chief of the Document Restoration Branch of the National Archives, states: The hand lamination process of the National Archives of India... appears to be quite effective. It cannot take the place of heat lamination where mass production is essential, but it can be very useful to all archival establishments, both large and small. Smaller archives that have not and cannot afford expensive equipment for lamination will find that they can use the method effectively for most of their rehabilitation work. .. Data from ... physical tests ... show nearly equal physical properties in the hand and machine laminated 11 samples. They indicate that hand lamination can be substituted for machine laminating or silking. The process can be used to advantage for repairing documents bearing wax seals, which up to now have been repaired by silking. The usefulness of the method will be limited only by the skill of the processor. The method of hand lamination has now been adopted as an approved repair process in the National Archives. We have not used it extensively but have found it expecially suitable for repairing torn pages in bound volumes. It is this method of hand lamination, therefore, which is recommended here for the use by archives and other institutions as well as by individuals which find an infrequent need of laminating records and documents. This method will be described and explained in the following paragraphs. For the more extensive method of heat lamination, the reader is referred to the General Bibliography of this pamphlet. Hand Lamination Procedures It should be remembered that the primary purpose of laminating a deteriorated document is to add physical strength to the document in order that it may receive future normal usage without further injury. The use of cellulose acetate film gives a protective surface to the document against the absorption of acidic gases in oil, grease, dust, air, etc. However, such a protective covering cannot arrest further deterioration within the document fibers; such deterioration can be halted only by the deacidification process discussed earlier. The following materials and discussions of their use will be needed in the hand laminating process. It will be discovered that some experimenting will prove beneficial before the process is actually used upon valuable papers and that such experimentation with different materials and methods will add to the development of better techniques by the individual processor. Tissue ------------Long fiber permanent type, 6 1/2 pounds per ream of five hundred sheets. These sheets may be cut to size needed. 12 Cellulose Acetate Lamination Film ---88/10,000 inch in thickness. These sheets may also be cut to necessary size. Cotton wool------- Unsterile cotton may be used in this process. Acetone----------- Pure type is necessary here. Cement----------- Cellulose acetate film is dissolved in acetone. Patching Material--This. material is obtained by laminating one sheet of acetate film "sandwiched" between two sheets of tissue. These three layers of laminated material produce a sheet suitable for inlaying holes or missing portions of documents. It is also possible to use a fine grade of bond paper for this purpose. Binding margin---- When placing two or more pages together in booklet form it is necessary to use 9 pound bond, 100% rag paper. Should the pages be over 11 inches in width, the requirements would be for 12 or 13 pound paper. However, it shou.ld be remembered that hand lamination is primarily intended for single documents and not entire books. Sandwiching------- A "sandwich" should be composed of cellulose acetate one inch larger in circumference than the document and of laminating tissue one-half inch larger in circumference than the cellulose acetate. The flattened document is placed between these sheets in the following order: tissue, film, document, film, tissue. The actual process involved in hand lamination is simplicity itself. IT SHOULD BE NOTED HERE THAT ACETONE IS HIGHLY TOXIC AND INFLAMMABLE AND THAT THE PRECAUTIONS CONCERNING OPEN FIRE AND GOOD VENTILATION MUST BE OBSERVED WITH ALL USES OF ACETONE. A "sandwich" of the document is prepared exactly as for heat lamination and laid flat upon a smooth glass plate. Acetone then is applied gently all over the document-sandwich with a 13 cotton-wool swab. The cellulose acetate foil, softened by the acetone, swells and acts as an adhesive to join the tissue paper to the document. Care must be taken to see that the acetone applied is only enough to swell the cellulose acetate. After the application, the "sandwich" is allowed to dry for a minute or so, during which time almost all of the acetone will evaporate. The "sandwich" is then carefully turned upside down and the other side is treated to the same procedure. The newly repaired document then is placed between sheets of wax paper and placed under pressure using a screw-type press for a duration of two or three hours. This process of hand limination requires no expensive technical equipment and, as has been stated previously, is within the means and ability of those libraries, archival institutions and private individuals who wish to preserve documents on an infrequent basis. The final step in this method of preservation of documents consists of trimming the individual laminated documents one-sixteenth of an inch from the edge of the document. This procedure leaves a very narrow margin keeping the seal of the film intact. Should a hand trimmer not be available, a straight-edged metal ruler may be used on the outer edge of the document, which edge than is sliced with a sharp knife or razor blade. More pressure should be exerted upon the ruler than upon the knife or razor blade in order to avoid slipping. Should the edges of the sheet be irregular after cutting, they may be trimmed with scissors. As a final procedure the pages should be checked for proper order after trimming the individual sheets. 14 APPENDIX I - SOLVENTS AND THEIR USE WARNING: THE FOLLOWING SOLVENTS ARE HIGHLY TOXIC -AN-D INFLAMMABLE -AN-D SHOULD B- E -US- ED -ON-L-Y U-N-DE-R -VE-R-Y WELL-VENTILATED CONDITIONS! The greatest possible care should be taken in the use of the following solutions. No open fire such as cigarettes, matches, etc., should be allowed near solutions such as combinations of benzene and toluene. Well-ventilated work areas, utilizing fans and open windows, are of extreme importance, particularly in the use of such solutions over long periods of time. Materials to be removed Solution Adhesive Tape Chloruthene Nu & Benzene Plastic adhesives Acetone Duco cement Acetone Glue and/or linen or glossy tape ..... Warm water Lacquer Tape Acetone Oil Chloruthene Nu & Benzene Paint Mixture of Alcohol & Benzene Paste Water Rubber Cement Benzene with Toluene or Chloruthene Nu Scotch Tape Benzene with Toluene or Chloruthene Nu Shellac and Varnishes Ethyl (wood) Alcohol Wax Mixture of Benzene & Toluene No. 810 3-M ("Magic Mending") Tape. Acetone or Ethlene Dichloride or Metholene Chloride or Chloruthene Nu 15 Many of the above-mentioned materials need to be soaked for an hour or more in solutions, e. g., adhesive tapes, stains, oils, shellacs and varnishes. For rubber cement and Scotch tape, the document containing these materials needs to be placed in a closed metal container for several minutes. After this time, it will be found that the tape easily can be lifted off the document with the use of a surgical knife. In all cases the document should be sponged on both sides with a cotton swab which has been saturated in the solution. This procedure is necessary in order to remove any adhesive material left on the document. It will be noted that unfortunately it is impossible (by any known procedure at the time of this writing) to remove the stains caused by adhesive tapes which have been left on documents for ten years or more. [For additional information concerning the removal of various extraneous materials from documents, the reader is directed to the very fine work of Adelaide E. Minogue, "The Repair and Preservation of Records", U.S. National Archives, Bulletin No.5, September 1943, pp. 22-26.7 16 APPENDIX II - RESTORING INKS Papers that are disfigured by ink stains are better left alone because any treatment that will remove the ink will at the same time weaken the paper. It is often difficult, if not impossible, to determine the kind of ink used in some modern manuscripts and it is therefore difficult to select the proper treatment for each case. It is safe to say, however, that in very old papers on which the ink is very black, a carbon or India ink has been used. In more recent times the common ink has been made on an iron-gall base and generally fades from black to brown or even yellow with the passage of time. The India ink is the more permanent and is generally resistant to all reagents. It may sometimes be eradicated, however, by washing with a fairly concentrated solution of ammonium hydroxide if the paper has a firm hard surface. The iron-gall ink residues may be bleached with a 3-percent solution of oxalic acid. The reagents must be thoroughly washed away with clean, preferably distilled, water before the paper is dried and ironed in order to prevent future deterioration from the residual chemicals. The modern, water-soluble dye inks usually yield to a mild bleach such as sodium hypochlorite, although some black inks with an aniline base are extremely resistant to any treatment that can be used on paper. Old sealing wax can be removed only by careful scraping away with a sharp knife after the wax has been moistened by pressing between wet blotters. New wax can be removed largely with a knife and the last vestiges melted out by pressing the paper between white blotters with a heated iron. Inks that have faded from age, oxidation, and exposure to light and water cannot be safely restored to their early brilliance by chemical means without seriously jeopardizing the strength of the paper and the ultimate permanence of the writing itself. Carbon inks do not fade but the others are not as permanent. The ordinary iron-gall ink may become almost illegible as it becomes yellow and blends with the paper itself. The original iron remains, however, and may be brought out visibly by exposure to ultraviolet light. . The iron residue fluoresces and appears' black under this illumination so that although originally the paper and ink 17 appeared to be the same color, under the ultraviolet light there will be considerable contrast. The brief exposure required to examine the document will not damage the paper. The most satisfactory source of ultraviolet light is a quartz mercury-vapor-arc lamp, which is filtered with a Corning No. 587 or similar glass filter that permits the passage of a large proportion of the short ultraviolet rays while cutting off practically all visible light. The apparatus must be operated in a completely dark room for satisfactory results. Dye inks that have faded leave no residue and hence cannot be rendered visible. Satisfactory reproductions of documents on which the ink has faded to a very pale hue may sometimes be made, however, by photographing the document in conjunction with a suitable filter to provide the maximum contrast. 1. 1. Minogue, Adelaide E. "The Repair and Preservation of Records" U. S. National Archives, Bulletin No.5, Division of Information and Publications, the National Archives, Washington, D. C., pp. 25-27. 18 APPENDIX III - MATERIALS NEEDED IN RESTORING AND PRESERVING BOOKS, DOCUMENTS, AND MANUSCRIPTS N. B. None of the following companies are personally endorsed by the Georgia Department of Archives and History. However, the products of all companies mentioned herein are used in the Restoration Department of the Georgia Department of Archives and History. Materials Source of Materials Chlorothene Nu Dow Chemical Company 618 Fulton National Bank Bldg. Atlanta, Ga. 30303 Acetone Local Chemical Supply Company Benzene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . " " " " Toluene ............................." " " " Ethyl Alcohol........................" " " " Magnesium Carbonate ................" " " " Athylene Dicholoride ................." " " " Metholene Chloride..................." " " " Carbon Dioxide....................... Local Medical Supply House Cotton WooL ......................... Local Surgical Supply House Surgical Knife and Blades ............. " (#4 Handle & #23 Blade) """ Brush #1 ............................ Local Paint Dealer Book Brush ......................... " " " Cellulose Acetate Film (88/10,000 inch thickness) (DuPont Numbering: CA-148 Gauge 88) (Cel-anese Numbering: P-911-Clear Gauge 88) E. I. DuPont de Nemours Co. Film Department Wilmington, Delaware or Celanese Plastics Co. 180 Madison Avenue New York 16, N. Y. Bond Paper 100% Rag (9 lb. & 13 lb. ).... Local Paper Dealer 19 Materials Source of Materials Laminating Tissue (Troya--6 1/2 lb.) Nelson-Whitehead Paper Corp. 7 Laight Street New York 13, New York Wallpaper Cleaner................... Local Paint Store (Non-crumbly type) or Absorene Manufacturing Co. 1609 North 14th Street St. Louis 6, Missouri 20 MATERIALS USED IN RESTORINGPRESERVING OF DOCUMENTS, BOOKS, AND MANUSCRIPTS. Library Book Brush No.1 Brush Wallpaper Cleaner (Non-Crumbly Type) BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. American Library Association, Library Technology Project. Permanence and Durability of Library Catalog Cards. A study conducted by W. J. Barrow for the Library Technology Project. (LTP Publications, No.3.) 2. Barrow, W. J. "The Barrow Method of Laminating Documents." Journal of Documentary Reproduction, 2: 147-151. June 1939. 3. Barrow, W. J. "Restoration Methods." American Archivist, 6: 151-154. July 1943. 4. Barrow, W. J. "An Evaluation of Document Restoration Processes. " American Documentation, 4: 50-54. Spring (April) 1953. 5. Barrow, W. J. "New Device Tests Performance of Library Bindings. " Book Production, 79: 60-62. March 1964. 6. Barrow, W. J. "Deacidification and Lamination of Deteriorated Documents, 1938-63." American Archivist, 28: 285-290. April 1965. 7. Barrow, (W. J.) Research Laboratory. "Permanence/ Durability of the Book-II, Test Data of Naturally Aged Papers." Richmond, 1964. (W. J. Barrow Research Laboratory Publications, No.2.) 8. Barrow (W. J.) Research Laboratory. "Permanence/Durability of the Book-III, Spray Deacidification." Richmond, 1964. (W. J. Barrow Research Laboratory Publications, No.3.) 9. Barrow (W. J.) Research Laboratory. "Permanence/Durability of the Book-IV, Polyvinyl Acetate (PVA) Adhesives for use in Library Book-binding." Richmond, 1965. (W. J. Barrow Research Laboratory Publications, No.4.) 10. Barrow (W. J.) Research Laboratory. "Permanence/Durability of the Book-V (In Preparation)." This is a detailed report of the material found in item 6- "Deacidification and Lamination of Deteriorated Documents, 1938-63." 11. Belov, G. A. ''New Techniques, New Materials and New Experiences Concerning Restoration of Documents and Seals, Preservation of Maps and Plans and Photography since 1950, " Archivum, 10: 72-80. 1960. 22 12. Chakravorti, S. "A Review of the Lamination Process." Indian Archives, 1: 304-312. October 1947. 13. Collection of Materials on the Preservation of Library Resources. (Translation of Sbornik materialov po sokhrannosti knizhnykh fondov) No. 2 ed. by L. G. Petrova, Moscow, 1953; No. 3 ed.. by L. A. Belyekova and O. V. Kozulina, Moscow, 1958. Jerusalem, Israel Program for Scientific Translations, 1964. (Published by the Israel Program for Scientific Translations pursuant to an agreement with the National Science Foundation and The Council on Library Resources. Available from the Office of Technical Services, U. S. Dept. of Commerce, Washington, D. C. ) 14. Gear, J. L. "Lamination Mter 30 Years: Record and Prospect." American Archivist, 28: 293-297. April 1965. 15. Hummel, Ray 0., Jr. and Barrow, W. J. "Lamination and Other Methods of Restoration." Library Trends, 4: 259-268. January 1956. 16. India, Imperial Record Department, New Delhi. ''Notes on Preservation of Records." Simla, Government of India Press, 1941. 17. Kimberly, A. E. "Repair and Preservation in the National Archives." American Archivist, 1: 111-117. July 1938. 18. Marwick, Claire S. "An Historical Study of Paper Document Restoration Methods." 1964. (Unpublished Master's Thesis, The American University.) 19. Minogue, Adelaide, E. "The Repair and Preservation of Records." (U. S. National Archives, Bulletin No.5, September 1943.) 20. Nixon, H. M. "Lamination of Paper Documents with Cellulose Acetate Foil." Archives, the Journal of the British Records Association, No.2: 32-36. Michaelmas 1949. 21. Scribner, B. W. "Protection of Documents with Cellulose Acetate Sheeting." (U. S. National Bureau of Standards, Miscellaneous Publication M168, December 1940.) 22. Smith, L. H. "Manuscripts Repair in European Archives. " American Archivist, 1: 1-22, 51-77. January-April 1938. 23 23. Turner, R. S. "To Repair or Despair?" American Archivist, 20: 319-329. October 1957. 24. U. S. Library of Congress, Division of Maps. "Maps, Their Care, Repair and Preservation in Libraries," by Clara Egli LeGear. Washington, 1949. 25. Waters, Campbell E. Inks. (U. S. National Bureau of Standards, Circular C426, August 7, 1940.) 26. Werner, Anthony E. "The Preservation of Archives." Journal of the Society of Archivists, 1: 282-288. October 1959. 27. Werner, A. E. "The Lamination of Documents," Journal of Documentation, 20: 25-31. March 1964. 28. Zimmerman, Elmer W., Weber, Charles G. and Kimberly, Arthur E. ''Relation of Ink to the Preservation of Written Records." (U. S. National Bureau of Standards, Research Paper RP799, April 1935.) 24