There are a number of
university scrapbooks that have become unusable in their current brittle condition. This particular volume is from 1936. Notice the overlapping - it is impossible to read the articles without bending/breaking the weak newsprint. This is how we
disassemble them in Preservation Services so a digital copy can be produced and saved in the University Archives.
Luckily, the adhesive is water-
soluble so we can soak the pages in the sink...
...and then gently lift the clippings off with a metal lifting spatula...
...and spread them out on blotter paper to dry.
There are a number of university scrapbooks that have become unusable in their current brittle condition. This particular volume is from 1936. Notice the overlapping - it is impossible to read the articles without bending/breaking the weak newsprint. This is how we disassemble them in Preservation Services so a digital copy can be produced and saved in the University Archives.
Luckily, the adhesive is water-soluble so we can soak the pages in the sink...
...and then gently lift the clippings off with a metal lifting spatula...
...and spread them out on blotter paper to dry. 