2. Book Handling Guidelines - General

Watson Library, Sherman Fairchild Center for Book Conservation

Guidelines for Book Handling and Personal Safety

Understanding the Physicality of Books

These guidelines are meant to be of assistance to any person responsible for handling books and archives. Books have artistic and artifactual value; they are three-dimensional objects which have mechanically functioning or, in many cases, non-functioning parts. Anyone responsible for handling Museum Library collections should have an understanding of the book as an object.

Materials in art research libraries are often physically complex, made from incompatible materials, oversized, and in various states of deterioration. These factors can make them difficult or risky to handle. Follow the guidelines below to develop good handling habits, and to minimize damage to the collection.

Identify the object:

What type of object is it? (E.g., codex, scroll, oriental binding, album.) Develop an understanding of the physical types of materials in the collection, and familiarize yourself with the terminology of bookbinding and book making.

Identify the object’s materials/structural characteristics:

What materials is the object made from, and how is it constructed? The ability to identify the type of materials that the items are made of (e.g., paper, vellum, leather, bookcloth, fabric, plastic), and the structural characteristics of each item, is necessary for the proper care of a collection. Each material and binding structure has inherent weakness which must be taken into considera­tion when handling. This is important when the object is in both good and poor condition. Appro­priate decisions cannot be made unless you understand all of the materials and structures which confront you. Each binding type, no matter how ordinary, has predictable problems which are symptomatic of their structure.

Determine the object’s ability to function:

What is the general condition of the object? Is it functioning as it was originally meant to? Which areas of the item are not functioning properly, or are beginning to weaken?

Identify the object’s fragilities:

Library materials may have suffered a certain amount of deterioration and/or may be inherently weak, and all materials should be handled with this in mind. Books and archival materials often have predictable weak points, and some may require conservation treatment or triage (boxing, protective covers) in order to stand safely on the shelf. The following examples describe areas of predictable fragility commonly found in our collection:

• Methods and condition of leaf attachment, or the way the pages of a book are kept together, are one determining factor in how a book will open. Many books do not open well, but covers and text blocks should not be forced open; book supports should be used (cradles, foam supports). Examples of leaf attachment are sewing through the fold, over-sewing, stab-sewing, perfect binding, double-fan adhesive binding, post-binding, and spiral binding.
• The joint area and hinges of book covers usually the most fragile or vulnerable part of the book. It is not unusual for boards to break off entirely with only a minimum of handling. This is why the covers of books should never be allowed to hang down without support.
• Late nineteenth-century books will often have brittle paper and binding materials, weak sewing supports, linen cords and thread, spine lining, tipped-in illustrations, and acidic interleavings. All of these can easily be damaged from handling; special care is required.
• Parchment and vellum, because of their hygroscopic or water-loving nature, will often warp and become dry. Vellum documents and books with vellum covers and/or pages should not be forced open or closed. They would be good candidates for protective boxes.
• Fold-out pages, accordion-folded books, and ephemeral materials are normally very delicate and should receive special consideration. These should not be forced open, and are good candidates for bringing to conservation.
• Folded ephemeral materials (e.g., letters, maps, documents, sewing patterns, etc.) from any time may be weakened at the folds, and will easily tear at folds and corners. They should not be forced open.
• Large books are often problematic to handle. Their boards must be supported when open; always have a suitable book truck nearby when removing them from the shelf. Be careful not to put them down on top of anything else, such as paper clips or pencils.
• Soft-cover books such as modern paperbacks, oriental bindings, and pamphlets are vulnerable to damage; use supports.
• Bindings are sensitive to light: They will fade and become embrittled by light. Turn off lights when not in use.
• Bosses, clasps, and raised surfaces or embellishments on bindings or archival materials are vulnerable to abrasion and damage. They can also damage books that they come in contact with. These are good candidates for preservation enclosures; use supports, and bring these items to the attention of conservation.

Handling guidelines for staff and interns:

Be aware of the condition of the books you are handling. Old and new-looking books can be at risk (see guidelines above). Remember that books often need support.

Some books should receive protective covers or preservation enclosures before labeling. These include leather and vellum bindings, 19th-century publisher’s bindings, very fragile or damaged books, and books that have covers with exhibition value such as trade catalogs, exhibition catalogs, artist’s books, etc. Handlers will be trained to identify these items.

Prepare your workstation:

• Organize your book truck, table space, and book supports before you remove books from the shelves.
• Book Conservation and Circulation both have book cradles, wedges, foam, and fabric available to support books. Ask for the location of these.

Books can be dirty:

• Disposable aprons are available for your use in Book Conservation.
• Red rot is rotting leather; it permanently stains clothes and other books.
• Book Conservation can consolidate red rot and also clean surface dirt. This should be done before bar coding and labeling; books with red rot are candidates for Book Conservation.

Supporting books on shelves:

• Always use bookends (with the exception of laying folios). Use bookends of appropriate type for each size of book. Don’t leave gaps in the shelves.
• All books should stand straight/upright on shelves. Do not allow books to fall over. Leaning books become permanently distorted and damaged, and are at risk of falling off of shelves and book trucks.
• Folios: Do not stack folios too high on a truck; three books high is the maximum. Stack the largest books on the bottom and smaller, lighter ones on top.

How to remove a book from the shelf and support it at the same time:

• Never pull a book from the top of the spine (headcap). It can have disastrous results:

• Always support the book with both hands. For large, heavy books, once the book is sliding out, putting hand under it may keep it from falling, and keep you from having to grab too hard on the spine.
• Quartos: If any book is falling over—and this is particularly common in quartos—you will have to develop a technique to empty the shelf while preventing books from falling. Heavy books that are already leaning are likely to fall on the floor and/or injure you when you try to remove them from the shelf:
  • Ask for help
  • Have sturdy bookends ready
  • Have a book truck or table ready, a safe place to put books
  • Never put books on the floor, or on chairs

Books should never be shelved sideways, on their foredges or their spines. If found, these books should be reclassified or changed to a larger format location (quarto or folio).

Books in old, brittle “bonnet boards” should be rehoused before barcoding or labeling. Please give these to your project manager to route to Book Conservation for rehousing.

How to move books properly:

• Don’t carry stacks of books in your arms, always use a book truck.
• Never put books on the floor, or on chairs.
• Don’t stack books more than three-high when moving.

How to use book trucks:

• Be aware that book trucks usually move better in one direction than another, as two wheels are stable and two are pivoting.
• Book trucks can get their wheels caught in elevator-door slots; be very careful when using elevators.
• Book trucks can be top-heavy and fall over. Be sure to distribute books evenly on the truck shelves.

Writing implements:

• Always use pencils in the library.
• Ink from pens can easily get on and damage books.

Using book supports and weights:

• String weights: used to keep pages open.
• Flat foam supports: used to support the cover of a book at a 180 degree angle.
• Foam wedges: used to support books that do not want to open well and must be kept at an angle.
• Plexiglas cradles: used to support an open book, flat or at an angle.

Things to know about the application of barcode and target labels:

• Do not apply barcodes or targets over surface dirt; the books should be cleaned first.
• Do not barcode or target leather or vellum bindings, 19th century publisher’s bindings, books with decorative covers that may have exhibition value, books that need conservation treatment, unique manuscripts, rare books in original bindings, or books with artifactual value.

Personal habits:

• Start and end your work with clean, dry hands.
• Do not wear wristwatches or jewelry with sharp parts that can damage bookbindings.
• Nail polish can rub off on books; when working on book-handling projects, it should not be worn.

Personal safety:

• Wear strong-toed, protective shoes. Books sometimes fall from shelves and trucks.
• Books can be dirty/dusty; these can be cleaned by Book Conservation staff.
• Dust masks and disposable aprons are available.
• Book Conservation’s first aid kit is the one that’s closest to the Library stacks.