VOLUME 12

NO.1

EVERY PRESERVATION DEPARTMENT

gets those calls—the ones fromlost-sounding but hopeful people

looking for help in handling a family heirloom, such as a bible, diploma, or photograph. One has to wonder how longthey have been looking for answers in all the wrong places. When they finallytrack down a trained professional in apreservation department, they often soundlike they cannot believe their luck. At the Preservation Office of the University of Tennessee Libraries, we get our fair share of questions from people in the community who want some help in saving a priceless personal treasure. It is often as simple as airing the volumeout and then putting it in a bin with kitty litter for a couple of days, but tothem, it is advice beyond value.

While some people manage to locate thePreservation Office on their own, it is safeto say that most people do not know theuniversity has such expertise. Some of the

library’s own staff are at times unaware ofthe Preservation Office’s capabilities andthey have sentimental items at home theywant to preserve as well. In an effort tocombine a user and staff education activitywith public relations and community outreach, we began an annual “BookDoctor Clinic” in the fall of 2000 at theUniversity’s Hodges Library. The clinic hasgained in popularity and visibility over thelast four years and each year people fromthe community, university and library

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NEWSThe Book Doctor: Community Service, Public Relations and Preservation Education by Mary Ellen Starmer

At thePreservationOffice of theUniversity of TennesseeLibraries, weget our fairshare of ques-tions from people in thecommunity who want somehelp in saving a priceless per-sonal treasure.

Helping a patron at the clinic.

bring in their deteriorating volumes fromhome for “diagnosis,” “treatment” or “referral to a specialist.”

The BeginningsThe idea for the Book Doctor Clinicsprang from a University of TennesseeLibraries Friends event held several yearsago. The reinvention of that event began asa way to introduce the growing preserva-tion program to the campus community.In the mid 1990’s, Don Etherington of theEtherington Conservation Center spoke atan evening program held by the UniversityLibraries Friends Committee. As part ofthe program, Etherington offered to exam-ine attendees’ books from home and makerecommendations for their treatment. Theprogram was very popular and many of thelibrary staff were still discussing it when thefirst preservation librarian came on-boardin early 2000. Inspired by DonEtherington’s program, the Preservationstaff decided to adapt the idea to a new usein the fall of 2000.

For three hours on two days in the mid-dle of the fall semester, library staff,patrons, university personnel, students andthe public were welcomed to bring in theirpersonal treasures. The clinic was staffedwith the preservation librarian and a stu-dent assistant. We used a large folding tableand a book truck for supplies and workspace. If a book could be repaired in lessthan 20 minutes, we invited patrons to stayand watch the repair or return for theirbook later. If the repair was more compli-cated or was outside of our capabilities, wegave the client a list of commercialbinderies and conservation centers.Although the patrons we helped weregrateful, traffic was relatively light that firstyear. The event was not widely publicizedand the clinic was set up in a poor locationinside the library.

ImprovementsWe learned important lessons that first yearand the event has grown in popularitysince then. The improvements began witha change in location. From 2001 forward,we established a heavily traveled corridoroutside of Current Periodicals as the venuefor the event. Crowds of students and fac-ulty pass by this location every day, espe-cially between classes and it is within sightof the library’s Starbucks store and abranch of the University Book Store.While very visible, this location avoids creating a traffic jam.

Publication of the event has also

T H E B O O K D O C T O R – c o n t i n u e d

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For three hourson two days inthe middle ofthe fall semester,library staff,patrons, univer-sity personnel,students and the public werewelcomed tobring in theirpersonal treas-ures. The clinicwas staffed withthe preservationlibrarian and a student assistant.

Repairing books at the clinic.

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improved since that first year. The library’sOutreach Department advertises the BookDoctor Clinic through the university’sNational Public Radio station, the dailycampus announcement email and posters,as well as internal library announcements.In 2003 and 2004, the press release writtenby Outreach resulted in an article in TheBeacon, the University ofTennessee’s student-run news-paper. In 2004, the pressrelease attracted the attentionof the local NBC affiliate, andboth the preservation programand the upcoming BookDoctor Clinic were featuredon the five o’clock news program.

All of these publicationefforts and the change in location led toincreased interest in the event. Not onlyhave there been more customers in the lasttwo years, but also people from outside ofKnoxville who could not attend the cliniccalled in with questions. The statistics forthe 2004 Book Doctor Clinic were:

General or specific questions about preservation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Repaired materials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Referrals/Consultations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

The number of staff needed for the clin-ic has also grown from two to four. In2004 the staff consisted of the preservationlibrarian, two preservation staff trained inbook repair and one Information Sciencesgraduate student trained in book repair.Two other student assistants also helpedwith the set up and clean up and were “oncall” to bring down extra supplies from theconservation lab. The clinic has grownfrom one large folding table to two tablesand two book trucks. Typically, the clinicreceives more passing questions the first

day and more in-depth business the secondday. In spite of all the efforts to advertise,the event seems to register more with peo-ple when they see it with their own eyes.

Materials and Services The Book Doctor Clinic attracts peoplewith all types of books needing repair.

Every year a couple of stu-dents will bring their wornout text books for repair inorder to sell them back to thebookstore. These are not thetype of books we prefer toattract with the event, buthelping a student with a textbook still informs him or herabout preservation and is apublic service. Family Bibles

and Nineteenth Century bindings are verypopular items at the BookDoctor Clinic and professorsoften bring in texts that areno longer in print yet valuableto their field. We have alsoseen a hand-written journal much treasured by the author’s descendent, aNineteenth Century medicalvolume written by the currentowner’s grandfather, belovedchildhood books and a dissertation written by awoman’s late husband over 60 years ago.

The services we offerpatrons attending the BookDoctor Clinic range fromrepair on-the-spot to passingout informational handouts.It is still the rule that if anitem can be repaired in 20minutes or less, we will do therepair and return the item tothe patron that day. When

T H E B O O K D O C T O R – c o n t i n u e d

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business is light, we can even invitethe patron to watch us repair thebook, but when the clinic is busy,we usually ask the patron to returnin an hour or two for the repairedbook. Types of repairs we performinclude hinge tightenings, tip-ins,page mends and hinge mends withwheat paste and Japanese tissue orFilmoplast® and we have evenreplaced a couple of spines on oth-erwise stable volumes. We refer afew people every year to commer-cial binderies when the book is notbrittle and has a broken text blockor is otherwise beyond our 20minute repair limit. We usuallyrefer people with books that arebrittle to conservators and if some-one wants to keep the book in itsoriginal condition, we recommendthey either have an enclosure madefor it at a bindery or conservationlab or send it to a conservator forrestoration.

One type of expertise we havenot offered is rare book appraisal.While the university has a SpecialCollections Library that includes aRare Book Collection, we have notincorporated Special Collectionsstaff into the event. Each year wedo get a couple of questions aboutthe rarity of a volume and whilethe Preservation staff cannot pro-vide an appraisal, we do give thesepatrons contact information for anappraiser used by the SpecialCollections Library. In the future,we may invite a rare book appraiseror the Head of Special Collectionsto come to part of the BookDoctor Clinic event and offeradvice to patrons.

A Successful ProgramIn most cases, people attending theBook Doctor Clinic event are interestedin preservation and very appreciativeof whatever repairs, tips, advice orother information we can offer them.They are usually delighted that theyhave found help for their books andit makes the clinic a very rewardingevent every year. There are those, ofcourse, who expect a magical wave ofthe wand to clean up stains from cof-fee spilled on their book or who can-not understand why we cannot fixthe brittle, leather-bound book onthe spot. We provide these patrons asmuch explanation as possible aboutthe intricacies of conservation andrefer them to websites for more infor-mation. The happy customers alwaysfar outnumber the frustrated onesand the Dean of Libraries even hearsfrom a few of those who are thrilledwith the help they receive.

The Book Doctor Clinic at theUniversity of Tennessee Librarieshas become a popular annual event.While it is certainly not the onlyevent of its kind held at universitylibraries, it is an example of a pro-gram that a new or developingpreservation department can host.This type of event not only providesa useful community service, butalso serves the purpose of staff anduser preservation education. Peoplewho wondered for years what to dowith their great-grandmother’sbooks receive expert advice abouttheir heirlooms and often learnsomething about how to handletheir newer books in the process.

Mary Ellen Starmer is Preservation Coordinator atthe University of Tennessee-Knoxville Library. Shecan be reached at 865-974-5226 or starmer@utk.edu.

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T H E B O O K D O C T O R – c o n t i n u e d

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5

In the PamphletBinding/BookRepair sectionof the Library’sConservationDepartment,since 1990, wehave handledan average ofmore than11,000 pam-phlets a year.

Preserving and Conserving Pamphletsby Norma Linton

WHILE SOME PEOPLE MAY

think of pamphlets as theprosaic members of a collec-

tion community, others have discoveredthe poetry lurking within their unpreten-tious covers. How can we not be intriguedby titles like those stacked on my work-bench: Beekeepers: Don’t Transport ImportedFire Ants; ‘Sakakawea’ Silver Buffaloberry;Look Out for the Pink Hibiscus Mealybug;Marine Recreation… Euphoria-TensionManagement and Not all Alien Invaders AreFrom Outer Space? This article describeshow pamphlets, like all other library mate-rials, benefit when brought under the twinumbrellas of preservation and conservation.1

I Generalities: The Way We Are Volume & WorkflowAmong the more than ten million itemsowned by the Library of the University ofIllinois at Urbana-Champaign, it is hard tosay how many pamphlets there are. I esti-mate, using the technical term: a lot. In thePamphlet Binding/Book Repair section ofthe Library’s Conservation Department,since 1990, we have handled an average ofmore than 11,000 pamphlets a year.Special projects aside, though, we typicallytreat about 5-6,000 pamphlets per year.2

Our 42 Departmental Libraries each havetheir own historical criteria by which theysend their pamphlet materials to ourdepartment for treatment and we do notimpose workflow quotas. Thus, we regular-ly face an exhilarating ‘feast or famine’ sce-nario. In times of pamphlet famine, ourstaff simply shifts its focus to more bookrepairs.3 Although it takes about five min-utes to staple-bind a trouble-free pamphlet,about 50% of incoming pamphlets need

repairs that increase handling time. Nearlyone quarter of the pamphlets we processedin FY 03/04 required multiple treatmentsthat took more than 15 minutes. In eleveninstances, more than two hours wererequired. Our turn around time for pro-cessing pamphlets is one to two weeks.

Definition & Treatment At one time, a classic pamphlet was a vol-ume of 49 or fewer pages, folded into asingle signature. Our unit does not haveformat or size requirements for identifyinga “pamphlet.” All damaged materials arefiltered through the ConservationDepartment and we do not need to makerigid distinctions between ‘pamphlets’ and‘books.’ Soft-sided materials, which forsome practitioners spells “pamphlet,” canrange from one, to hundreds of pages. Onthe other hand, hard cover items, typicallycalled “books,” may be thinner than mostpamphlets. It may even be possible forthese two entities to trade identities whilein our department. We might decide toconstruct a hard cover around a thick, soft-sided tome.Contrariwise, anaging, slim volumemight shed its deteri-orating hard shell and become a proudpamphlet.

My point is that wetreat books and pam-phlets with a widerange of conservationtreatments, such as:dis-binding, repairs,flattening, humidification, sewing, restora-tion, photocopying and rebinding.

This 47 page, hard-covered item is really a pamphlet disguised asa book.

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II Specifics: Format Foibles TypesPractitioners often separate pamphlets intotwo types based on their binding formatsand challenges: Type 1.) center attachments: those withpages arranged in a single signature. Ittakes slightly longer to bind them thanType 2 pamphlets because we reinforcetheir center pages before stapling or sewingthem.

Type 2.) side attach-ments: those with loosepages that are heldtogether in some fash-ion (glue, tape, staples)along their left (or“gutter,”) sides. These

pamphlets are easy to bind; just put themin a binder and staple through their sides.

In addition to these two types, I identi-fy a third type of pamphlet, which has ahybrid format, halfway between a bookand a pamphlet: Type 3.) multi-signature pamphlets:those items that have more than one signa-ture (like a book) but are soft-sided (like apamphlet). Their original binding is either

•side-stapled through all signatures or •the signatures are sewn to each other through their center folds; the aggregate is typically glued into a paper cover.

Multi-signature pamphlets present aninteresting challenge for an in-house binding process, as I shall describe.

Functionality1.) The classic, single-signature pamphlet

(Type 1) is relatively thin and has aspine shaped likea “V” whenopened. Thus, itfits easily into abinder and overthe platen of ourwire stitcher,

where it is stapled through its center.This allows its pages to lie flat whenopened, which provides optimal read-ability and use.

2.) By contrast, the side-attachment type ofpamphlet (Type 2) with loose or gluedpages, has a flattened, squarish shape toits spine and is often much thicker thana Type 1 pamphlet. When stapled atthe side, it can never lie flat when openedand therefore, often compromises read-ability/usability. When it is stapled yetagain, into a binder, its page margins,along with its readability, may be further decreased.

3.) The multiple signature(Type 3) pamphlethas, like the side-attachment type, a squarish-shapedspine that is thickerthan the classic pamphlet format.Because of its widerspine, greater bulkand lack of a singlesignature/center, many practitionerstreat it like a Type 2 pamphlet and sta-ple it into a binder through its side.This is a quick and easy solution andseemingly justifiable for those pam-phlets that were originally stapledtogether. But, doing this to those pam-phlets whose signatures were originallysewn together through their folds createsthe problems inherent in the side-attachment type: reduced margins andimpaired readability.

Format Conversion & Resolution I suggest that in both instances just described,treating multi-signature pamphlets likeside-attachment formats constitutes anopportunity lost. A pamphlet that is com-prised of several signatures offers the readerthe best of all worlds—a lightweight yet

P R E S E R V I N G A N D C O N S E R V I N G PA M P H L E T S – c o n t i n u e d

Type 1 format above Yellowstone.

Square spines of Type 2& 3 formats.

A pamphletthat is com-prised of severalsignatures offersthe reader thebest of allworlds: a light-weight yet sub-stantial infor-mation vehiclethat is easilylaid open, reador photocopied.

substantialinformationvehicle that iseasily laid open,read or photo-copied. Whynot retain andenhance thesefeatures? If we

were to side staple the multi-signaturebooklet, Yellowstone, visual informationfrom the many color plates that cover itspages would be lost. We can prevent thisloss by sewing this volume into a binderthrough its signature folds.4

Multi-signature pamphlets that wereoriginally stapled together can also be sewninto a binder, through a process of formatconversion illustrated, to the left. Weremove the staples and sew each of the sig-natures into a binder; the external threadsare protected with a coat of glue. The pam-phlet then swings freely inside its binderand its pages will lie flat when opened, dra-matically increasing readability.

Format Creation & RestorationThere are thousands of old pamphlets inour library with Type 1 and Type 3 for-mats. Many of them were hastily side-sta-pled into binders. Not only was readabilitythereby reduced, but also considerabledamage was caused by side attachmentmethods such as stapling and glued bindertapes, when aging paper cracked over the

tape edges. Whenever paper conditionsallow, we restore these pamphlets to theiroriginal formats.

In additionto restoring for-mats, we createnew formatidentities—amulti-signaturevolume consti-tuted from agroup of individual pamphlets. This occurswhen a library asks us to bind together ashort pamphlet series or the final issues of aserial title. We create this multi-signaturevolume either by sewing or by stapling thepamphlets into a single binder throughtheir center folds.

Solutions & CompromisesThe issue of paper reinforcement is trou-blesome. If not protected, paper is easilyscarred and torn up by staples. If pages arenot reinforced under the staples or threadswith which they are bound, the paper cantear out around them, as happened to thecenter page inthe pamphleton Mr. VanPelt’s cows. Wereinforce thepages wherewe intend topierce the paper byapplying tabs of Tyvek®

or Filmoplast® tape.Although we occasional-ly reinforce very fragilepaper with loose guards(lengths of Japanese

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P R E S E R V I N G A N D C O N S E R V I N G PA M P H L E T S – c o n t i n u e d

One bird’s bill would be pinched inthe gutter with side stapling.

Converted & restored pamphlets.Tape tabs oversewing holes.

multiple signaturesstapled through theside

FormattConversion

reduced readabilitydue to side stapling

1st step in conver-sion: remove staples

sew each signatureinto binder

sewn pages swingfreely in binding

outside threadsencased in coat ofglue

pages lie flat for ptimal readability

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tissue laid into a page’s center fold), wefind guards problematic due to their addedbulk for multiple signatures, labor andmaterials’ intensivity and quality of extra-neousness. Like poking holes with needlesand staples, we wish we could avoid apply-ing adhesives to paper. It is only today’sbest solution while we search for morefelicitous methods.

III Ruminations Our unit’s title proclaims that we bindpamphlets, which, to be sure, is an act ofpreservation. In the course of this preserv-ing, we perform many vital acts of conser-vation as well. Whether we are treatingpamphlets or books, we strive to incorpo-rate into the care of our collection, theconcepts of best practice, flexibility andcontinuing research on methods and mate-

rials. Our reality is one of a perpetual nego-tiation between the ideal and the feasible.

FOOTNOTES

1. Stated briefly, preservation is accomplished through bind-ing/protecting items for eventual shelving. Conservationentails treating/improving the condition of individual items.

2. In addition to the work of the Pamphlet Binding section perse, other Library staff and sections process pamphlets formicrofilming and remote storage, for example. I do not includeany of these projects in my discussion.

3. There are other sections/staff of the ConservationDepartment who do book repairs and other conservationtreatments. For more information on the structure of ourDepartment, please see:http://www.library.uiuc.edu/prescons/index.htm

4. For more detailed illustrations, see this section at our website at: http://www.library.uiuc.edu/preserve/multisew1.html

Norma Linton directs the Pamphlet Binding and Book Repairsection of the Conservation Dept. at the University of Illinoisat Urbana-Champaign. She is a doctoral candidate at GSLISat UIUC.

Whether we aretreating pam-phlets or books,we strive toincorporate intothe care of ourcollection, theconcepts of bestpractice, flexi-bility and con-tinuing researchon methods andmaterials.

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