VOLUME 11

NO.1

What is a ‘Phase Box’?

A“PHASE BOX” IS A SIMPLE, low-cost enclosure that isdesigned to protect brittle and

deteriorated books from damage duringstorage and transport. Books with missingor disconnected cover boards or spines,fragile or damaged covers, and unboundjournal runs (especially those short-livedtitles that are not considered for routinecommercial binding) are all excellent candi-dates for boxing. When constructed of highquality materials and properly fitted, aphase box can prevent further damage byproviding additional physical support andkeeping loose parts from becoming separat-ed. Boxes constructed of solid fiber “box-ing” board (rather than corrugated or folderstock) can also reduce the risk of fire dam-age by obstructing and slowing the move-ment of heat and flame into the container.

The phase box gets its name from theconcept of “phased conservation”, firstintroduced at the Library of Congress by

Conservation Officer Peter Waters in themid-1970s. The strategy was to treat itemsor collections in stages (i.e., phases) overtime, with an emphasis on large treatmentand rehousing projects. Phased conserva-tion can include rehousing, upgrading thestorage environment, improving storageand handling practices, disaster mitigation,or treatment, depending on identifiedneeds and priorities. A custom enclosure,

A “phase box” is a simple, low-cost enclo-sure that isdesigned to pro-tect brittle anddeterioratedbooks fromdamage duringstorage andtransport.

Archival Products

NEWSUsing Spreadsheets for the Phase Boxing of Books by Karen E.K. Brown

Figure 1. The Phase Box Maker easily creases solid fiber board.

however, may be the only attention givento a majority of holdings at the item level.

This article describes the use of spread-sheets to improve the efficiency and costeffectiveness of in-house custom phase-boxconstruction. Here at the University atAlbany we implemented the use of a sim-ple worksheet to calculate the dimensionsof the boards to be cut, as well as the loca-tion of all creases, based on the size of thebook and the thickness of the board stock.While a certain amount of dexterity andattention to detail is essential, we found wespent less time doing math, had fewermathematical errors, and made fewer mis-takes in the cutting and folding (hence lesswaste). Our cost per item is about $10.00for the average size book (including stu-dent labor, board, and other materials).Last year student assistants constructedalmost 300 phase boxes; we expect to con-tinue working at about this level of outputin the immediate future.

After almost two years of trial and error,testing, rearranging, rethinking, and revamp-ing our boxing program, we have achieved aproductivity level of approximately one com-plete box per hour, producing twice our pro-ductivity rate from when we first offered theservice. I thought it might be useful to pro-vide some background on our project, aswell as the details of the spreadsheet formula,to assist others with analyzing and improvingtheir boxing processes.

Project BackgroundThe Preservation Department moved intonew lab space in the fall of 1999, morethan doubling our workspace to just over2600 square feet. This allowed us toexpand the range of preservation servicesthat the department could offer to theUniversity Libraries.

One of the first new services was phasebox construction. Specialty equipment was

purchased, including a Phase Box Maker#20000 from Hollinger Corporation($1995; Figure 1); without this there is noeasy way to fold solid fiber board on thisscale of production. In addition, we pur-chased a MEASUREpHASETM to helpobtain quick, accurate measurements of thebooks, a Model 20 Corner Rounder® fromLassco Products, Inc., to improve theappearance of the final product (Figure 2),and a rivet fastening machine and suppliesfor the box closures.

In the fall of 2001 we were set to begin.Without too much trouble we were gener-ating high-quality boxes, but the produc-tivity rate was low (2 hours/box). Toincrease our rate, a few simple changeswere made to the process, including re-organizing the lab space to keep relatedtools/equipment within easy reach; wrap-ping oversize bricks and “stacking” com-pleted boxes to dry (thus using our tabletop space more efficiently); and purchasinga small hand drill to make holes for the riv-ets (rather than using a punch to get itstarted). Items of the same approximatesize were batched for processing; each stepof the process was completed for all booksbefore moving to the next step. We weremoving a little faster (1.75 hours/box based

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After almosttwo years oftrial and error, testing,rearranging,rethinking, and revampingour boxing pro-gram, we haveachieved a productivitylevel of approxi-mately onecomplete boxper hour, twiceour productivityrate from whenwe first offeredthe service.

Figure 2. The MEASUREpHASE TM gives quick, accuratebook measurements and the Corner Rounder improves the appearance of the final product.

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on monthly statistics and hours workedjust making boxes), but there was stillmuch room for improvement.

The next change was the type of closure.The use of rivets and linen thread is sturdy(great for book drops), but required 5 to10 minutes per box for drilling holes,attaching rivets, cutting and attaching thestring. These steps also delayed the work-flow. Furthermore, Circulation staff foundtying and untying cumbersome. We testedthe use of Velcro® buttons or magnets andeliminated the foredge flap from our design(the closure is now between the third andfourth flaps). Both Velcro® and magnetswork fine when attached with PVA (ratherthan relying on the pressure sensitive adhe-sive). We prefer the use of magnetic strip-ping, even though the cost is slightly high-er than other options: they are strong, aes-thetically pleasing, and the closed box canbe shifted slightly to more perfectly fit theenclosed volume. The closure is attachedwhen the box is complete, rather than inseveral steps during construction. We esti-

mated the time per box was down byanother 15 minutes to 1.5 hours/box.

It was then that I recognized the nextand most obvious obstacle to improvingproductivity: basic math. Students have tomeasure, add, subtract, estimate, eyeball,and practice to get up to speed makingphase boxes. Mistakes are common.Besides being a “re-do” (which costs in stafftime), folds in the wrong location can alsomean discarding long strips of board stock(with increased cost to our supplies budg-et). It was serendipitous that at the sametime we were figuring out our phase boxproject, I was learning about using aspreadsheet to manage the department’sbudget. A bell went off: why couldn’t weuse a spreadsheet to do the calculations forus? No reason that I could see, except frac-tions, of course. However, using metricmeasurements, rather than the English sys-tem, would allow use of a spreadsheet todo the calculations. The student whoworked through the first part of this proj-ect was, like the department head (me),

U S I N G S P R E A D S H E E T S F O R T H E P H A S E B O X I N G O F B O O K S – c o n t i n u e d

It was then thatI recognized thenext and mostobvious obstacleto improvingproductivity:basic math.Students haveto measure,add, subtract,estimate, eye-ball, and prac-tice to get up tospeed makingphase boxes.

Figure 3. A simple spreadsheet calculates board dimensions and creases.

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used to thinking in metric, so thiswas not a problem. We went towork setting up and testing theworksheet.

Setting Up Your SpreadsheetThe spreadsheet that we developedis based on the fundamental con-cepts of custom phase-box con-struction. We determine 1) thedimensions to cut each sheet ofboard stock, and 2) the exact loca-tion of each fold based on the sizeof the book and the thickness ofthe board stock. We measure ourbooks to the nearest millimeter(rounding up, rather than down)using the MEASUREpHASETM fit-ted with a metric ruler. The thick-ness of the board stock is mostaccurately determined using apocket thickness gauge (0.01mm-10mm from Mitutoyo), althoughmeasuring with a ruler can workjust fine.1 These measurements areentered into the spreadsheet to gen-erate the results, based on the fol-lowing calculation formulae. Referto Figure 3 to follow our example(the letter designation is the x-axisof the spreadsheet; the number isthe y-axis):

Vertical Board Folds

Fold 1 Book height minus 1 board thickness (C12-C11)

Fold 2 Book thickness plus 1 board thickness (C14+C11)

Fold 3 Book height plus 1 board thickness (C12+C11)

Fold 4 Book thickness plus 2 board thicknesses C14+(2*C11)

Cut 5 Book height divided by two (C12/2)

Horizontal Board Folds

Fold 1 Book width plus 1 board thickness (C13+C11)

Fold 2 Book thickness plus 4 board thicknesses plus the thick-ness of your closureC14+(4*C11)+0.295 (in ourexample 0.295 cm is thethickness of two magnets)

Fold 3 Book width plus 2 board thicknesses C13+(2*C11)

Fold 4 Book thickness plus 4 board thicknesses C14+(4*C11)

Cut 5 Book width minus 1 board thickness (C13-C11)

The boards are cut according tothe following calculation formulas,based in part on the results, above:

Vertical Board SizeThe height (H) of the board is the width of the book minus 0.2cm; we subtract this small amountto keep the fit nice and tight (C13-0.2).

The length (L) of the board iscalculated by adding the measure-ments of vertical board folds 1-4plus Cut 5, with an additional centimeter to allow trimming to the exact size before gluing:(C18+C19+C20+C21+C22+1).

Horizontal Board Size

The height (H) of the board is theheight of the book plus 0.3 cm(C12+0.3).

The length (L) of the board,again, is calculated by adding measurements for the series ofHorizontal Board Folds 1-4, plusCut 5, plus an extra centimeter:(C27+C28+C29+C30+C31+1).

U S I N G S P R E A D S H E E T S F O R T H E P H A S E B O X I N G O F B O O K S – c o n t i n u e d

ArchivalProducts Update

Archival Products occasionallyreceives orders for materials

that are meant for another vendorand we immediately notify the purchaser. After receiving an inquiryabout the shipping status of an order,we sometimes learn that ordersintended to come to us have beensent to another vendor. Please checkto see that your orders are beingsubmitted to the company you wantto fulfill your order and contact uswith your suggestions to help this situation.

Archival ProductsA Division of Library Binding ServiceP.O. Box 1413Des Moines, IA 50305-1413800-526-5640, fax 888-220-2397info@archival.com http://www.archival.com

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In addition toconstructingphase boxes for“standard” sizebooks (under31 cm), oversizeboxes are madeby reinforcingthe inside basewith a secondsheet of boardstock; the calculation isincreased byadding thatextra boardthickness to thethickness of thebook itself(C14+C11 iswhat is enteredas the measure-ment for C14).

Final ConstructionAfter generating the results using thespreadsheet, each set of boards is cut andinscribed with its associated call number.The location of each fold is marked (work-ing left to right), the boards are creased,and the fit is checked to the book at hand.The box should fold comfortably, withoutforcing, so the corners easily “nest” intoone another. Any gaps at the cornersshould be minimal, and the book shouldnot shift inside its enclosure. After trim-ming any excess from the length of eachboard, the corners are rounded and the twoboards are attached to each other by gluingout the back base (center) of the verticalboard (Figure 4), positioning it on top ofthe horizontal board, and weighting untildry. Finally, Fold First, Second, Third, Last,and “Please Keep Book Stored In This BoxAt All Times” labels are prepared (using aword processor) and adhered, pencil marksare erased, and the closure is glued intoplace. The finished stack is weighted for anhour or so to make sure the closure stickswell before routing for the shelf.

Time per box: approximately one hour.By using the spreadsheet we shaved anaverage of 15-30 minutes per box off ofour production time with less waste.

In addition to constructing phase boxesfor “standard” size books (under 31 cm),oversize boxes are made by reinforcing theinside base with a second sheet of boardstock; the calculation is increased byadding that extra board thickness to thethickness of the book itself (C14+C11 iswhat is entered as the measurement forC14). Two magnetic strips are used for theclosure on larger phase boxes. TheUniversity at Albany also boxes someundersize books into larger phase boxes (15x 20 cm) so they can be shelved along withour regular holdings. The excess spaceinside the box is filled with rolled boxingboard “tubes” adhered along the bottomand left sides of the base. This keeps thebook from shifting inside its box, reducingthe risk of damage during handling andtransport. These options take slightlylonger to construct but are still less expen-sive to build in-house than purchasingthem from a commercial service.

Are There Other Options?There are many options for creating enclosures in-house, depending on the sizeand scope of your preservation program,and what you have that would benefitfrom being placed inside an enclosure.Commercial library binders and others can

U S I N G S P R E A D S H E E T S F O R T H E P H A S E B O X I N G O F B O O K S – c o n t i n u e d

Figure 4. Applying adhesive to the center of the verticalboard.

Figure 5. Shelved books are neatly boxed, clearly labeledand protected from damage.

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be contracted to create cus-tom-made boxes, includingdrop-spine and phaseboxes. Their base price for aphase box from solid fiberboard for books up to 12"in height and 2" in widthstarts at around $15.00.Another alternative, espe-cially for volumes with noor low-circulation rates, arelightweight, sturdy boxesmade of corrugated board.These can be purchased instandard sizes from a reli-able preservation supplieror custom-sized from acommercial vendor. As withphase boxes ordered from alibrary binder it is usual forthe institution to measurethe books themselves andsupply the dimensions tothe vendor. Styles can vary,but the “clamshell” designis most common. The pat-terns for these corrugatedboxes are stamped out witha die and creased whereneeded; they will requireassembly in-house. Labelscan be ordered, but you willstill need to adhere them.

The use of a simplespreadsheet can improvethe practicality of con-structing phase boxes in-house. Like basic repair,reformatting, or otherpreservation services, theoutput must be high quali-ty and cost effective if it isto compete with commer-cially available products and

services. Our approach mayserve as a useful model forother small- or medium-sized preservation programsthat currently offer, or wishto offer, this preservationservice option.

FURTHER RESOURCES

Carlson, Lage, John Bertonaschi,Margot Healey, et al, comps. Boxes forthe Protection of Books: Their Designand Construction. Washington, D.C.:Library of Congress, 1994.

Clark Morrow, Carolyn, and Carole Dyal.Conservation Treatment Procedures: AManual of Step-by-step Procedures forthe Maintenance and Repair of LibraryMaterials. 2nd ed. Littleton, CO: LibrariesUnlimited, Inc., 1986.

Jones, Maralyn, comp. CollectionConservation Treatment. Berkeley, CA:University of California, Berkeley, 1993.

Kulka, Edward. Archival Enclosures: AGuide. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Council ofArchives, 1995.

Zeier, Franz. Books, Boxes andPortfolios. New York, NY: Design Press,1990.

ENDNOTE

1. I thought a few notes about best useof a hand-held micrometer would beuseful. Be sure to “zero” the dial andclean the contacts before measuring.Insert a small (3 cm square) sample ofyour board stock between the contacts.Do not hold the sample with your oppo-site hand. To be accurate one shouldtake 4-5 measurements and use theaverage as the board thickness. We usethe highest measurement plus 0.10 mm,converting to centimeters for use in ourspreadsheet (1.55 mm plus 0.10 mm for atotal of 1.65 mm or 0.165 cm).

Karen Brown is Preservation Librarianat the University at Albany Libraries,1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY12222, phone 518-437-3923,kebrown@uamail.albany.edu

U S I N G S P R E A D S H E E T S F O R T H E P H A S E B O X I N G O F B O O K S – c o n t i n u e d

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With the diver-sification oflibrary services,reading andresearch practicesare continuouslyevolving andmultiplyingwhich placesgreater demandson preservationprograms andthe care of non-book media.

In the fall of 1987, LBS/ArchivalProducts sponsored a conference inDes Moines entitled The Lessons in

History and Experience in the Design ofConservation Bindings. We are now proudto co-sponsor a similar conference at theUniversity of Iowa (UI) Libraries, UICenter for the Book for their 2005 confer-ence celebrating the legacy and future ofbook conservation. The conference namedPreservation of the Changing Book, AnExposition of the Field of Book Conservationwill take place in Iowa City, IA July 22through 25, 2005. This gathering ofaccomplished book conservators, conservationeducators, researchers and specialists willinteract with students, practitioners andthe wider audience of those interested inpreservation and the persistence of the traditional book.

Scheduled Exhibits• “Master Book Builder; the Craft and Art

of Bill Anthony” at the University of Iowa Museum of Art, curated by Larry Yerkes. A publication; Master Book Builder: the Craft and Art of Bill Anthony,will provide a comprehensive catalog of the retrospective exhibit.

• “Bookbinding Across Culture and History” at the Main Library will include a binding model collection and equivalent exemplars from Special Collections, curated by Gary Frost and Kristin Baum.

• “The James’ Collection and other relatedcollections at the UIL” at the University of Iowa Special Collections, produced by Special Collections.

• “Student Show”, University of Iowa Center for the Book exhibit, North Hall, produced by the University of Iowa Center for the Book.

With the diversification of library services,reading and research practices are continu-ously evolving and multiplying whichplaces greater demands on preservationprograms and the care of nonbook media.Within this context, the specialty of bookconservation is being realigned within alarger field of preservation, yet continues to develop its own agendas and programs.The conference proceedings will provide anopportunity too review and examine bookconservation practice in terms of its ownprospects, and with an eye toward thefuture and persistence of the book.

Conference speakers will provide per-spective to illustrate trends in the develop-ment of the field. They will suggest prospectsfor those beginning their careers and exam-ine opportunities for continuing training.They will also discuss the continuing rele-vance of the specialty and their own hopesand visions for the future of book conser-vation practice. The current speakers’ listtentatively includes:

Lynn Amlie, Director and Paper Specialistfor the University of Iowa Center for the Book’s Research and Production Paper Facility, Iowa City, IA

Jim Canary, Conservator for the Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN

Chris Clarkson, Conservator and Lecturer, United Kingdom, John Dean,

LBS/Archival Products Sponsors University of Iowa Libraries Conference

LBS/Archival Products1801 Thompson Ave.P.O. Box 1413Des Moines, Iowa 50305-14131-800-526-5640515-262-3191Fax 888-220-2397custserv@archival.com

archival.com

Director, Preservation & Conservation, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

Katherine Hayles, Author and Professor of English, University of California, Los Angeles, CA

Chela Metzger, Consultant, Conservationand Treatment of Books, Austin, TX

Bill Minter, Book and Paper Conservator,Woodbury, PA

Roberta Pilette, Chief Preservation Officer, Yale University, New Haven, CT

Pamela Spitzmueller, Chief Conservator,Weissman Preservation Center, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

Optional Pre/Post Conference Day-tripsLibrary Binding Service tour,

Des Moines, IAMuseum of Typesetting Technology,

Denmark, IATour of local binderies and book stores

University of Iowa Center for the Book facilities

The University of Iowa Libraries is calling

for presentations and technical demonstra-tions. If you would like to submit a proposalfor a presentation or demonstration, pleaseforward your application and contact infor-mation to gary-frost@uiowa.edu.

Plan to join us in Iowa July 2005 for a distinguished program and an enjoyablereunion with friends! For further information view the conference websitewww.lib.uiowa.edu/preservation/pages/news/Event2005.htm.

Millie Knee, Archival ProductsAccount Representative,retired January 16 after working

closely with customers for 10 years tohelp find solutions and ensure accuratedelivery of orders. We wish Millie a funand fulfilling retirement.

Vicki Howell from our administrativeoffices filled in temporarily during oursearch for a permanent replacement. MelindaSinnott began as your new Archival ProductsAccount Representative on March 8. Melinda,a recent graduate from Iowa State Universitywith a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Advertisingand a minor in English, brings her previousmarketing, public relations and sales expe-rience with her and is ready to discuss yourpreservation needs with you. We welcomeMelinda to our team.

Retirement

L B S / A R C H I V A L P R O D U C T S S P O N S O R S

U N I V E R S I T Y O F I O WA L I B R A R I E S – c o n t i n u e d