Putting It Into Practice

Managing Conservation Treatment

Selecting Collections for Treatment

General Collections Conservation

Because library collections conservation programs handle a larger volume of material, and because these programs focus on general circulating collections, all staff must have a role in identifying collections in need of treatment. Circulation staff, shelvers, and interlibrary loan staff should all be trained to identify damaged volumes (e.g., loose hinges, torn or detached pages, broken spines, damaged corners).

Depending on whether the book is worth keeping (a bibliographer's opinion may be needed), whether the book is needed by patrons, whether there are other copies available, and whether the needed repair is simple or complex, repair may not be the best option. Alternatives include ordering a replacement copy, sending the book for commercial binding, reformatting the book, and/or rehousing the volume.

As books are flagged for repair, damaged items should be sorted into groups by type of repair (e.g., pamphlet binding, hinge tightening, page mending, etc.) for efficiency.

Special Collections Treatment

Deciding which special collections merit treatment by a conservator can be challenging. There may be a variety of reasons for undertaking conservation treatment: if an item is fragile and must be frequently handled; if a reproduction cannot substitute for the original deteriorated item (e.g., when physical characteristics of the item such as the binding or ink may have meaning for researchers); if the item has special characteristics such as color illustrations or foldouts that preclude reformatting; and/or if it is necessary to repair the effects of past damaging treatments.

Treatment methods for individual items must be decided in consultation with a conservator experienced with paper collections (or books or photographs, as appropriate). The choice of a particular treatment will depend on the value of the object in its original form, the importance of the information it contains, the condition of the object, the potential for treatment to cause additional damage, and—realistically—the funds available for conservation.

For any item, there are usually several possible levels of treatment. When a conservator examines an object, he or she will provide a treatment proposal that sets out these options and their varying costs.

See Choosing and Working with a Conservator for more information on managing conservation treatment projects.