Book Preservation
Record deterioration is a battle that most county offices combat. Handling, acid, light, moisture and temperature all play a role in the degradation or records over time. You may notice this from the loosening of the binding, pages separating from records, or discoloration and brittleness of pages. We use advanced processes, recommended by the Library of Congress, to stop deterioration and preserve documents from further damage, protecting records for generations to come.
Disassembly/Page Preparation
- Books can be first scanned so that images are available while the originals are in the preservation process
- Pages are separated from binding
- Artifacts such as non-archival tape, metal fasteners and leather used for binding are removed from page
- Glued pages are separated
- Pages adhered to one another from liquid damage are separated
- Dust and debris are removed from paper
- Blank pages can be removed to preserve space and reduce cost. Any blank pages removed are returned in separate packaging
- Pages missing at time of preservation will be noted
- Pages are scanned at the end of page preparation to provide highest quality possible
Deacidification and Encapsulation
- Pages are sprayed with a specialized formula to stop acid deterioration and yellowing
- Pages are placed in archival grade acid free sleeves protecting records from oils, dirt and harmful UV light
- Archival sleeves are open on one side allowing critical airflow to prevent moisture build up that causes mold and deterioration
Final Product
- Sleeves are placed into new acid-free record binders
- Record Binders are labeled to match previous binder according to customer specifications
- Index tabs are replaced with new tabs or index sheets as needed
- High quality digital images are provided with the final product
- A education sheet is placed in each newly preserved book, unless otherwise requested, crediting official responsible for the preservation of records