Care, Preservation, and Display of Rare Books and Printed Materials

Proper shelving and storage of books and printed materials is essential for preservation. A major source of deterioration is caused by acid migration due to contact with acidic housing and storage containers. It is important to make sure that printed collections do not have contact with acidic and chemically unstable folders, boxes and bookshelves. In selecting shelving materials, a metal bookshelf with a baked enamel coating is the optimal choice, as it will prevent acid migration which can occur with wooden bookshelves. If this option is not available, shelves should be lined with acid-free shelf lining. Acid-free materials have a ph value of 7.0 or higher, which prevents the deterioration caused by acid over time⁷. They are often buffered to counteract acids that may develop with age as a result of bleaching and sizing, or to be introduced through acid migration of atmospheric pollution. Acid-free enclosures may not be acidic when you buy them, but may develop damaging acids relatively quickly. ⁸In all cases, particleboard should not be used as shelving as this emits noxious fumes that will create chemical instability and ultimately destroy paper. Shelving should stand at least three inches from the walls to ensure proper air circulation.

Books on shelves should stand upright and should be evenly supported by properly sized bookends to keep the spine straight. Books should be placed together not so tightly that they are difficult to remove, but close enough so that surrounding books provide support. Books should be arranged by size to avoid warping. If certain titles need to remain physically together for the sake of classification, then insert a book block in the space where the object should go. A book block is a sturdy book form made from archival materials⁹. Large books over 18” high or with a spine wider than 3”should lie flat, with no more than three stacked high.

Pamphlets and ephemera may be stored in boxes made of 10 or 20-point lignin-free card stock. If cost is an issue, these can easily be made by hand (see Suppliers below). The Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) provides instructional pamphlets on archival quality box construction (see Professional Organizations below). “Archival quality” refers to the physical properties of printed materials, which make them suitable for permanent storage. For example, paper must be free of contaminates such as chemicals and mildew and have a ph of 7 or higher. Another option is to store pamphlets of the same size spine down in acid-free folders that provide enough support and backing such as archival-quality document storage boxes or hanging folders.

⁷ Joan M. Reitz. ODLIS: Online Dictionary of Library and Information Science, 2002.
⁸ “NEDCC Offers Hints for Preserving Family Collections” in Preservation of Library and Archival Materials: A Manual., 3^rd ed. Sherelyn Ogden, ed. (Andover, MA: Northeast Document Conservation Center).
⁹ David Nathanson, “Care and Security of Rare Books” Conservogram, 19/2, (July 1993).