Grand Lodge of Manitoba, A.F. & A.M.
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How to Care for your Books at Home
1] The best temperature to store books at is 68 F (+/-2 degrees). Attics are the worst place to store books in due to the extreme summer heat.
2] The second worst place to store books in the home is in the basement. This is due to the high humidity levels found in basements, and the potential for floods, sewer back-ups, burst pipes, and washing machine accidents. Remember, the best range for RH (relative humidity) is 45-50%.
3] Watch for mildew and mould in your collection. One mouldy book can contaminate a whole bookshelf within 72 hours if the conditions are right [i.e. high temperature with an RH >60%]. Place mouldy items in a sealed plastic bag immediately, and isolate them from your collection. Contact a conservator to treat the items.
4] Books should be kept away from windows and out of direct sunlight. Keep in mind how quickly a newspaper will yellow if left on the seat of your car.
5] Good housekeeping around books is a must. Dirt and dust will damage paper, leather and cloth bindings. Eating food around books will attract insects and roaches. Also, tobacco smoke damages and discolours leather and paper.
6] Never use rubber bands or paper clips in books. Rubber bands will rot over time and will release sulphur emissions into the paper. Use coton tape in place of rubber bands. Paper clips tend to rust and will stain paper. Instead, consider using plastic paper clips.
7] Scotch tape should never be used for book repair or for mending a torn page. When weakened, the sharp edge of the tape may tear or break the page if the paper is brittle. The adhesive in the tape will also stain the paper and will bleed into the surrounding pages. "Post-it" notes will also cause damage to paper by leaving a sticky residue on the page.
8] When introducing newspaper clippings into a book, place the matter into an acid-free barrier (i.e. mylar enclosure or acid-free tissue) so that the acid from the clipping doesn't migrate into the pages of the book. If left in long enough, a newspaper clipping will stain the pag of a book. This called acid migration. Never glue these items into a book with ordinary glue; use a glue with the correct PH balance (i.e., a UHU glue stick).
9] When removing a book from a shelf, push back the volumes on either side of the one you want and grasp it in the middle. This action will prevent the tearing of the headband found at the top of the spine of the book.
10] Keep books shelved in the upright position and use bookends. Books should never be shelved on their front edges-- this will cause the text block to tear away form the cover. If necessary, shelve the item on its spine.
11] Books should be stored no more than 2-3 items deep when lying flat on top of each other. This will prevent undue stress to the lower item(s).
Some resources:
Care, Handling and Storage of Books
An eBook for downloading-- The Care of Books by John Willis Clark
Website of images-- J.W. Clark and The Care of Books
A page of links on book repair from the Tippecanoe County Public Library
2] The second worst place to store books in the home is in the basement. This is due to the high humidity levels found in basements, and the potential for floods, sewer back-ups, burst pipes, and washing machine accidents. Remember, the best range for RH (relative humidity) is 45-50%.
3] Watch for mildew and mould in your collection. One mouldy book can contaminate a whole bookshelf within 72 hours if the conditions are right [i.e. high temperature with an RH >60%]. Place mouldy items in a sealed plastic bag immediately, and isolate them from your collection. Contact a conservator to treat the items.
4] Books should be kept away from windows and out of direct sunlight. Keep in mind how quickly a newspaper will yellow if left on the seat of your car.
5] Good housekeeping around books is a must. Dirt and dust will damage paper, leather and cloth bindings. Eating food around books will attract insects and roaches. Also, tobacco smoke damages and discolours leather and paper.
6] Never use rubber bands or paper clips in books. Rubber bands will rot over time and will release sulphur emissions into the paper. Use coton tape in place of rubber bands. Paper clips tend to rust and will stain paper. Instead, consider using plastic paper clips.
7] Scotch tape should never be used for book repair or for mending a torn page. When weakened, the sharp edge of the tape may tear or break the page if the paper is brittle. The adhesive in the tape will also stain the paper and will bleed into the surrounding pages. "Post-it" notes will also cause damage to paper by leaving a sticky residue on the page.
8] When introducing newspaper clippings into a book, place the matter into an acid-free barrier (i.e. mylar enclosure or acid-free tissue) so that the acid from the clipping doesn't migrate into the pages of the book. If left in long enough, a newspaper clipping will stain the pag of a book. This called acid migration. Never glue these items into a book with ordinary glue; use a glue with the correct PH balance (i.e., a UHU glue stick).
9] When removing a book from a shelf, push back the volumes on either side of the one you want and grasp it in the middle. This action will prevent the tearing of the headband found at the top of the spine of the book.
10] Keep books shelved in the upright position and use bookends. Books should never be shelved on their front edges-- this will cause the text block to tear away form the cover. If necessary, shelve the item on its spine.
11] Books should be stored no more than 2-3 items deep when lying flat on top of each other. This will prevent undue stress to the lower item(s).
Some resources:
Care, Handling and Storage of Books
An eBook for downloading-- The Care of Books by John Willis Clark
Website of images-- J.W. Clark and The Care of Books
A page of links on book repair from the Tippecanoe County Public Library
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