book conservation – Page 14 – Peachey Conservation

August 18, 2015August 17, 2015

Sobering Statistics Concerning Book Conservation

There are some sobering statistics in The FY2014 Preservation Statistics Report, by Annie Peterson, Holly Robertson, and Nick Szydlowski. Eighty-seven cultural institutions responded; primarily academic libraries. Although the authors caution about extrapolating the data since the respondents were self-selecting, I find it difficult not to view the results as roughly indicative of general trends in libraries. The most striking finding is the steady decline in the money spent for bound volumes.

Screen Shot 2015-08-17 at 8.58.13 AM — Source:http://www.ala.org/alcts/sites/ala.org.alcts/files/content/resources/preserv/presstats/FY2014/FY2014PreservationStatistics.pdf Page 10.

The treatments reported tend to be quite utilitarian, more aimed at circulating rather than special collections. For example, a Level 1 treatment takes less than 15 minutes, a Level 2 between 15 and 120 minutes, a level 3 more than 120 minutes. Most conservation treatments for special collections materials take much longer than 120 minutes.

The authors report that “from 2000 to 2014, total conservation treatment of bound volumes declined faster than commercial binding; treatment declined by 77% in that period, while commercial binding declined by only 69%.” This survey includes in-house and outsourced conservation activities: 92% of respondents had at least some type of in house conservation program, and 70% outsourced at least some treatments. In all, the survey encompasses the treatment of 1.6 million items. The only growth area is a slight—though not dramatic— increase in spending for digitizing and in reformatting of audiovisual materials.

No, the sky is not falling, but as a book conservator, it is worrisome to see these trends. Frankly, I don’t see the situation changing significantly in the coming decades, until we reach the point where the book and the text have become totally individuated. Then, hopefully, the book will experience a reappraisal.

It is well worth reading the full report: The FY2014 Preservation Statistics Report.

April 21, 2015April 20, 2015

Goldschmidt on Restoration

“There is no such thing as restoring an old binding without obliterating its entire history.”

E.P. Goldschmidt, Gothic and Renaissance Bindings I, 1928, p. 123.

April 7, 2015April 7, 2015

Throw-up and Drape

Throw-up is the degree to which the spine flexes in the opposite direction from its usual shape, or rises off the table if the book lying flat. Drape is the degree that the leaves flex. For example, a thick, small, cross grain leaf has virtually no drape, while the same paper might drape very well in a larger format when bending with the grain. Tom Conroy’s The Movement of the Book Spine discusses and illustrates these differences very well.

The above tight back book, which I rebound, was resewn onto 5 cords, laced into handmade pasteboards, and covered in calf. It exhibits high throw up and well draping leaves. In this case, the sewing, sewing structure and spine linings were carefully chosen to achieve what I consider an optimal opening. This book lies flat without strain, yet when closed there is not excessive torquing or text-block drag

Rebinding is a major, very invasive, very expensive treatment, and rarely necessary. But it is hard to deny the appeal of a new binding: well functioning, easy to handle, and you do not need cradles to consult or read it. Of course, what is lost is the context of the text, the authenticity of the book in its totality, and simply the appeal of an antique object.