Mass Deacidification, Preservation Production Group, University of Maryland Libraries



Technical Services > Preservation Department > Brittle Materials, Reformatting, & Deacidification Mass Deacidification Initiative Table of Contents Introduction Target Collections Process Selection Criteria How Do We Know that a Book has been Deacidified? For Further Information Shipment Schedule FY2004 Mass Deacidification Photo Album INTRODUCTION Many books published between 1830 and 1980 have acidic paper and may deteriorate beyond usability within a few years. UM Libraries' Preservation Department is acting to solve the problem of acidic paper by treating books in a mass deacidification program. Everyone sees the effects of acidic paper on their own book shelves in the form of yellowed and brittle paper. Obviously this poses a threat to the University Libraries' collections. Surveys reveal that 75% of the books in our library collections have acidic paper, and of those, approximately 16% have paper which is already brittle and therefore beyond repair. In the Bookkeeper mass deacidification process, books are treated with chemicals which neutralize the acids in paper, thus significantly slowing the deterioration of the paper. Yet the treatment causes no change in the appearance of the book, its binding or any of the library's labels and stamps. As the process below will explain, we have done everything we can to minimize the disruption to research and teaching at the University of Maryland while we accomplish the deacidification program. TARGET COLLECTIONS Having completed a successful pilot project in Spring 1998 during which we deacidified Communication, Journalism, and Broadcasting collections, we continued by deacidifying American, English, and foreign language literature books in the "P" classifications. We have also completed projects in Russian and Slavic history (DJK-DK); terrorism (HV6430-HV6433); political institutions and publication administration, Middle East/Arab countries/Islamic countries (JQ1758-1852); African-American studies (E185); economic history/development/sustainability (HC31-HC79); Latin American studies (F1200-end of F); and general agriculture, crops, forestry, animals, and fisheries/aquaculture (S, SB, SD, SF, SH). We are currently working on classic physics (QC171-QC197 and QC350-QC798). We now seek our next collections for mass deacidification and will be acting on the advice of the Preservation Committee and the Collection Management Team. The criteria for targeting specific collections are simple: Deacidify books in disciplines of importance to the University of Maryland mission. Deacidify books which will be needed in the original format for the foreseeable future. PROCESS We have developed a routine for quick turnaround and responsiveness to the researcher. The steps include the following: Send only a few books at a time from any one part of the collection. Select only acidic books with a sound structure for treatment. We leave duplicate copies, books with alkaline paper, and brittle books on the shelves, so that we pull only about 50% of the books from the targeted area. See selection criteria for more detail. Charge the books out so that the online public access catalog shows a due date. Quick turnaround. The books return from the vendor and go back to the shelf in a little over one week. Rush interlibrary loan service while materials are being treated. Signs in stacks alerting researchers that some "Books in this Section have been Temporarily Removed for Deacidification." Up-to-date information on current shipments under Shipment Schedule. SELECTION CRITERIA Do Select Acidic paper Stable text blocks No larger than 11 1/2 X 9 X 2 1/2 inches Best condition copy if there are multiple copies Do not Select Unstable text blocks Visibly brittle paper High percentage of coated paper or super calendared paper Unbound Duplicates - poor condition Pre-1850 imprints Rare materials Larger than 11 1/2 X 9 X 2 1/2 inches. HOW DO WE KNOW THAT A BOOK HAS BEEN DEACIDIFIED? The pages are alkaline. Staff note in the item record that the book is deacidified. Vendor's white dot on the spine of the book. Vendor's sticker near the tail and inner margin of the paste down. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Preservation Production Group staff will be happy to answer your questions about this process, to show you samples of treated books, and to share our enthusiasm about deacidifying targeted collections in the University of Maryland Libraries. SHIPMENT SCHEDULE FY2004 FY2004 Shipment No. 4 March 9 - March 29 Call Number Ranges F2242.R6 to F 2321.S59 S1.A1C65 to S471.A35C6 SB1.B3 to SB268.N6A46 SD45.S28 to SD411.W46 FY2004 Shipment No. 5 March 16 - April 6 Call Number Ranges F2321.3.C9V383 to F2810.G4 S494.5.C57 to S561.S77 SD555.B57 to SD657.B93B78 SF1.E8 to SF375.S59 FY2004 Shipment No. 6 March 31 - April 14 Call Number Ranges F2510.B825 to F3444.G33 S533.P47 to S964.R9F5 SB269.H3 to SB389.P55 FY2004 Shipment No. 7 April 7 - April 21 Call Number Ranges F3444.G4 to F3799.N4W49 SB389.P6 to SB950.3.S65I58 SF375.5.A8B3 to SF768.G76 SH3.W67 to SH328.K49 FY2004 Shipment No. 8 April 21 - May 5 Call Number Ranges F2.3.H3 to F3736.R6 S71.A2 to S133.A382 SB951.C67 to SB999.A8R6 SD87.P8 to SD93.W5 SF768.N3 to SF997.5.R2F4 SH11.M373 to SH687.T73 SK9.T73 to SK606.O48 return to top


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