ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


COLLEGE & RESEARC 
LIBRARIES NEWS

Association of College & Research Libraries

H

J u n e  1 9 8 3
V o l . 4 4 ,  N o . 6

Photos by F. Peter Weil, Newbery Library

C aref ul handling of  ra re research m aterials is a m ajor concern. 
N ote the cra d le, b o o k sn a k e, an d  use o f  pencil.

Special Collections Desk Duty: 
Preventing Damage

A nthony J . A m od eo 
C a rb o n d a le, Illinois

The desk attendant in a special collections, rare book, or archives reading room is in a unique position 
regarding the conservation of the collections. Both surveillance for the prevention of theft and monitor­
ing the physical treatment of materials are obviously important responsibilities. An additional contribu­
tion which deserves attention is the desk attendant’s attitude toward the collections and their handling, 
which is picked up by both patrons and staff. The following suggestions have been drawn up as a sample 
of the kinds of concerns that should be addressed in the training of special collections desk attendants.

(continued on p. 180)



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Ju n e 1983 /  179

COLLEGE & RESEARCH 
LIBRARIES NEWS

J u n e  198 3  
V o lu m e  4 4  
N u m b e r  6

CONTENTS

Sp ecial C o llectio n s D esk D u ty : P rev en ting  D am ag e
A n t h o n y  J .  A m o d e o … 177

L e tt e r … 182

C u rre n t B I L iaiso n  A ctiv ity : C a n  You H elp?
C a r o ly n  K i r k e n d a l l … 184

T h e  L egislativ e Process
K a r e n  T . G r a v e s … 185

A Sp ecial P u b lic R elation s O p p o rtu n ity  for A cad em ic L ib ra rie s
J o n  E l d r e d g e … 188

Se a ttle  ’8 4 … 192

News fro m  th e F i e l d … 195

P e o p l e … 197

T ra in in g  P lan s a t B erkeley
P a t r ic ia  D a v is o n  &  L e e  J a f f e e … 202

P u b l i c a t io n s … 2 0 4

C a le n d a r … 208

C lassified  A d v e r tis in g … 209

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180 /  C &RL News

D esk D u ty , c o n t’d

Every reading room has its own rules and proce­
dures, but the nature of the materials stored and 
used in special reading rooms dictates a universal 
approach.

M a t e r i a l s

A printed list of rules and suggestions should be 
available for distribution to readers. These rules 
can be read while materials are being paged. The 
list might be written so as to encourage the patron 
to point out damage, uncut pages, and possible 
conservation needs to the desk attendant, thus giv­
ing the reader a conscious stake in the well-being of 
the collections. The printed rules can also serve as a 
useful, authoritative “backup” to which the desk 
attendant can point when a patron exhibits indif­
ference to suggestions regarding safe handling of 
materials.

Some notification regarding the checking of 
coats, briefcases, large handbags, newspapers, 
etc. ‚ prior to entry into the special collections room 
should be clearly posted at or near the entry door; 
those who enter carrying such items should be po­
litely but promptly dispatched to the checking 
area.

See that pencils rather than any sort of ink pens 
are used by readers and staff (including yourself) in 
the reading room. Ink that transfers to fingers will 
transfer to paper; modern inks are complex and 
very difficult to remove.

Keep an adequate supply of decent pencils on 
hand for patron use. Display them prominently 
and inform patrons of the no-ink policy verbally as 
a matter of course when they register.

Do your best to prevent accidents before they 
happen. Be conscious of situations which may lead 
to damage or mishandling and watch for them. 
Prevent pile-ups of materials. Piles of more than 
three or four books can lead to spills and may sub­
ject the bottom books to pressure and abrasion. Be 
sure to place all fragile items on the reading table 
separately, not in (or especially at the bottom of) 
piles of books.

In general it is preferable to limit the amount of 
material or number of volumes a reader may use at 
once for safe handling and security. When those 
special cases arise which require simultaneous use 
of much material or many volumes, use bookends, 
bookcarts, and so forth to accommodate materials 
safely.

Prevent materials from hanging over the edges of 
tables, where they will be knocked about by pass- 
ersby or leaned on by the patron. In this regard, 
very large books and flat, oversized paper (e.g., 
maps and blueprints) are very susceptible to dam­
age. Reserve an oversized table or two for such 
items if possible.

Do not allow patrons to write on paper laid over

library materials, whether open or closed. A vari­
ety of problems, from paper damage to the damag­
ing of binding structures, may result. A piece of 
thick book board should be made available for pa­
trons having no table space upon which to write.

Tracing library materials should not, in general, 
be allowed. If  an exception is made, tracing (in 
pencil only, of course) should be done in such a way 
that no damage, including impressions from the 
tracing tool, be done to the original. A piece of stiff 
mylar intervening between the original and trac­
ing layers may help prevent damage; but if the pa­
per is brittle, this precaution itself may cause dam­
age.

Have a supply of acid-free paper strips available 
for patrons to use as bookmarks. This can help pre­
vent such harmful practices as “dog-earing,” the 
use of pencils or other objects as bookmarks, or the 
laying of open books face down. Be sure that the 
strips you supply are taller than the books used. 
When dealing with materials that might scratch, 
chip, or flake (e.g., illuminated manuscripts), use 
acid-free tissue paper cut in fairly wide strips if 
bookmarks are necessary.

If you notice that an item about to be given out is 
so fragile that any use might cause damage, have 
the curator, conservator, or other senior staff per­
son examine the item before it is delivered to the 
patron. Also, seek approval before opening any un­
cut pages in books or pamphlets, in case the uncut 
state is bibliographically significant. Often a sec­
ond, service copy is available that will satisfy the 
patron.

Have a sufficient number of cradles, stands, or 
other supportive structures available for reader use 
and see that they are used when necessary. Bring­
ing a stand and booksnake to a patron who is hold­
ing a book in the air by one cover while taking notes 
is both damage-preventive and tactful, especially 
in the case of patrons with bad sight. Or better yet, 
anticipate the need and supply a cradle before the 
item is given out.

A rolled-up piece of felt or piece of plastic foam 
wrapped in a stable covering (felt or mylar) pro­
vides good support for heavy book covers, espe­
cially when they would otherwise flex beyond a 
180-degree opening.

Some books (e.g., “perfect-bound” paperbacks) 
may be better off held in the hands rather than flat­
tened on a table. However, be sure that both sides 
of the open book are supported at all times.

If a book has special bosses or other potentially 
harmful features, be sure to keep it separate from 
other materials. A piece of felt or binders’ board 
placed under such a book would be appropriate.

A t t i t u d e

When bringing out materials to a reader, the 
desk attendant or page sets the example in the han­
dling of the materials. Therefore, p la c e materials 
carefully on the reading table or bookstand as if 
they were bowls of hot soup. Do not slide, toss,



Ju n e 1983 / 181

P roper su p p ort is im p ortan t to p rev en t unnecessary stress to bindings. Show n h ere, le ft to right, a re a 
cra d le, bo o k sta n d , an d  supporting ro ll o f  fe lt .

throw down, fling or otherwise roughly handle li­
brary materials, many of which have value as arti­
facts.

I f  a book or pamphlet comes in a drop-spine (so- 
lander) box or a folder, take the entire package to 
the patron’s table, and open and remove the item 
carefully in front of the patron. This helps to gar­
ner respect for the materials, which are probably in 
a container for reasons of fragility or value. When 
the item has been delivered to the patron, be sure to 
take the box, folder, or other container back to the 
staff desk or holding area. Items housed in slipcases 
or other non-conservation containers (especially 
those which make removal difficult) are best taken 
out where none can see the shameful deed.

If  you know that an item is fragile, tightly 
bound, or brittle, be sure to tell the patron so. In 
many cases it is appropriate to give suggestions as to 
its handling, such as: “This book is tightly bound. 
Could you please refrain from opening it more 
than about ninety degrees?” Or, “This paper is 
somewhat brittle. Could you be sure to turn the 
pages slowly and carefully without bending the 
corners?”

A patron using boxes of manuscripts, multiple 
folders or other unbound m aterials should be 
shown an appropriate method for maintaining the 
strict order in which these materials are found. 
Separation of individual sheets for photocopy or­
ders and the like should be discouraged in advance, 
and the patron supplied with acid-free slips for in­
dication of such copying needs.

Above all, if a patron is mishandling an item

don’t be shy about correcting the situation. Use 
tact, but be persistent. Remember, you are the 
guardian of the collections in the reading room. No 
amount of money or environmental control will 
prevent damage to the collections unless you do 
your part at the time of use. Be polite and courte­
ous, be fair and reasonable by all means. But when 
it comes to the physical well-being of the collec­
tions, be firm and resolute— if the collections are to 
last for coming generations, then you must do your 
job. A hundred years from now it w ill matter.

T r a i n i n g

Desk attendants are often students or interns, 
perhaps not used to correcting their elders (or pro­
fessors) . Therefore, the initial training in conserva­
tion awareness is very important. Ideally this train­
ing should be performed by a senior staff member, 
curator or conservator/conservation librarian. In 
any case, awareness is best raised by setting a good 
and consistent example.

I f  the librarian or paraprofessional doing the 
training handles a variety of problematic situations 
over the course of a week or more with the trainee 
in tow, and if the trainee is taught to respect the 
materials being used by the example of careful han­
dling of materials and attention to detail set by the 
instructor and other reading room staff, then the 
level and tone of awareness will in all probability 
become part of the trainee’s day-to-day work.

Once “converted” and given proper support (es­
pecially with problem patrons) most students or in­
terns will respond with a high level of proficiency



182 /  C & R L News

in damage prevention. On the other hand (need it 
be said?), abandoning the new attendant after a 
few hours’ training, and careless handling of li­
brary materials by staff, will guarantee future 
problems. ■  ■

Letter
Moving Collections

To the Editor:
Mr. Amodeo’s comments regarding the need for 

lots of care and plenty of supervision when it comes 
to moving books are well taken. Documenting the 
details of the move is another excellent idea. Many 
library staff members are so happy to dispose of an 
unpleasant job they are ready to forget it ever hap­
pened. In fact, one of the reasons why some library 
book moving projects go so badly is that they are 
planned from scratch by people who choose to ig­
nore the state of the art in terms of current practice 
and instead have a tendency to reinvent the wheel. 
Investing in a consultant or, at the very least, a lit­
erature search for relevant guidelines and time- 
tested techniques could produce money-saving so­
lu tio n s. T h a t is one reason w hy we still see 
examples of students lined up in a human book 
chain as well as similar quick and dirty approaches 
to handling millions of dollars worth of books.

One of the biggest problems in a move of any size 
is the book truck. T he commercial models avail­
able today are acceptable for shelving purposes, 
but if they are going to be heavily loaded, moved 
over a variety of uneven surfaces and wheeled on 
and off trucks, they present a whole range of seri­
ous problems. Many libraries commonly purchase 
book trucks with swivel casters on all four wheels 
because they are easy to push. They are also impos­
sible to steer accurately and will upset at the slight­
est provocation. An upset on a carpeted floor is bad 
enough, but when the accident occurs during a 
move between buildings while the load is being 
maneuvered across a metal ramp onto a truck 
body, the books may end up in a street which is not 
carpeted and often in the rain. Book spines which 
project beyond the edge of the book truck shelf are 
easily scuffed and frequently removed entirely 
when careless or accidental handling brings them 
into contact with brick walls, door jam bs, and 
other stationary objects. To correct the four-wheel 
swivel stability problem it is possible to have a local 
welding shop tack weld two swivel casters on one 
end of each truck. Thus with two fixed and two 
swivel casters the tracking will be improved dra­
matically and the potential for upsets will be re­
duced.

To handle the big moves safely and economically 
takes a heavy-duty, industrial-type book truck. Be­
cause such a truck is not available commerically it 
has to be custom designed and fabricated locally.

That sounds expensive and beyond the realm of 
most moving budgets, but it can be a cost-effective 
alternative if approached sensibly. Most colleges 
and universities have m aintenance crews popu­
lated with innovators who can create a book truck 
from inexpensive materials. Such a book truck can 
be designed to protect the books from almost all of 
the usual moving abuse, navigate easily over all 
sorts of uneven surfaces, remain upright under al­
most all circumstances, and have an anticipated 
life expectancy of at least fifteen years under nor­
mal use. At today’s prices the materials and labor 
needed to produce such a super book truck with a 
capacity of between 100 and 150 books will run in 
the neighborhood of $400 a unit. T h at’s a small 
price to pay for a piece of equipment which will 
serve such a vital role. For plans and a photo con­
sult “A Utility Book Truck Designed for Moving L i­
brary Collections,” L ib r a r y  A cquisitions: P ractice 
an d  T h eory  3 (1979):33-37.

When it comes to moving materials within the 
library, “super” book truck does an admirable job. 
More often than not those moves also result in relo­
cating and rearranging the steel stacks themselves. 
When that happens the traditional approach has 
been to take the stacks apart, bolt by bolt, and reas­
semble the structure in a new location. This is a 
time-consuming, expensive job especially when 
union labor rates are involved. In worst case situa­
tions stack ranges have been dragged by brute 
force, tearing carpets and damaging the stack 
structure.

Another relatively inexpensive, homemade de­
vice will allow a whole range of steel stacks to be 
rolled easily from one location to another without 
removing so much as one bolt. This device is simple 
to use, requiring little or no technical skills, special 
physical endurance, or expensive labor. The basic 
device is fabricated from scrap steel and recrea­
tional vehicle jacks which are designed to roll on 
six-inch casters. Once again, the innovative main­
tenance crew can easily fabricate the stack-moving 
device from commercially available components 
and scrap steel. A typical unit would cost roughly 
$400 to manufacture in this manner, and four such 
units will easily handle most stack-moving jobs. 
For plans and photographs consult “Moving Steel 
Stacks W ith a Special D o lly ,” L ib r a r y  A cq u isi­
tions: P ra ctice a n d  T h eory 6 (1982): 2 53-57.

As a profession we tend to give little attention to 
the m echanics of m aterials handling. W e fre­
quently tend to ignore the fine points of moving 
and often at the last minute give the chore to a com- 
merical mover or, worse yet, a fraternity in need of 
a fund-raising project. I f  we take time to consider 
the value of the collections we possess we will easily 
recognize the need to devote more effort to devel- 
oping safer and less costly methods when it comes 
to moving our stock in trade.— Brian A lley, Uni­
versity L ib ra r ia n  an d  A ssociate D ean  f o r  L ib ra r y  
Instru ctional Services, S angam on S tate University, 
S prin gfield, Illinois. ■  ■