On Exhibit in Jackson Library

We have shared some examples of the variety of problems we encounter here in Preservation Services, as our books are returned to the Access Services desk, or in some cases, hidden in the stacks, we are always prepared for the unexpected.

Bugs like Books.

The Library offers FREE scanning for your digital convenience.  It is so appalling to find books with sections of pages violently torn from its spine.  Simply scan those wanted pages.

 Markers, highlighters, pencil, colored pencil, post-it stickie notes, paper clips, blue ink pens, red ink pens, black ink pens, fountain pens, crayons, pastels, charcoal.

These marking implements cause irreparable damage to books.  Because it is not your personal copy, please don't mark in library materials.

Use your notebook.

 DOGS

REALLY

DON'T

READ.

REALLY.

We have the proof.

Tape of any kind is not kind to books.

It leaves a sticky residue

(just like post-it notes, but worse).

Masking, Strapping, First-Aid, Electrical, Scotch, Duct, Mending,  Paper, 

to name a few of the tapes that have arrived on our books. Sometimes we are unable to undo the damage created by the tape that was meant to fix, yet really did more damage in the end.

Please handle drinks and food with
care if you must eat or drink around library materials.
Accidents can happen so quickly.

P a t r o n R E P A I R S

We appreciate the thought and, sometimes, we marvel at the ingenuity patrons employ in order to avoid what they feel might be a fine-worthy imperfection on an item from the library stacks charged to their account.

We do not charge patrons for normal wear and the subsequent tears and damages books suffer simply from being used a lot by our students and researchers.  It is our job to happily repair these items using archival materials.

• Tape is bad.

• Duct tape is especially bad.

• Duct tape printed with big red smootchy lips is....amusing... but bad none the less.

OH THE IRONY

In pursuit of Preservation information, a recent patron applied tape to the pages in order to then underline what they deemed significant passages.

TAPE.

Was this to protect the paper?  We don't know.  We do appreciate they did not want to actually write on the page itself, it not being their personal book, but tape is just as harmful to the printed page, if not more damaging.





Pressure sensitive adhesive materials leave a residue and cause the deterioration of the fibers in paper.  These include all variety of sticky notes and every kind of tape, even if the manufacturer has marketed it as a repair material.

Tape is tape is tape...
and will ultimately cause harm to those special materials you are trying to preserve.
(We recommend using thin Japanese paper and rice starch or wheat starch paste to repair torn pages.)

Luckily, after some careful use of tools, we were able to remove this harmful material from the book's pages.  This time...

Please Don't Fix It Yourself...

...we have the proper materials

(which does not include tape... BTW)