Call for volunteers and donations

[Pete Merrill-Oldham <pete@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Call for volunteers and donations for a demonstration of three basic book
repair techniques at the next ALA midwinter and/or the next ALA Annual
meeting.

A little history.

At ALA midwinter in 1996 in San Antonio, the idea of demonstrating basic
book repair techniques at ALA was kicked around at I believe the Small to
Medium Libraries Preservation Discussion Group.  The idea was to find some
forum where staff (not necessarily preservation or conservation folks) of
small to medium sized libraries, both academic and public, could come and
learn some very basic, no-fault book repair techniques.  The subject was
brought up again at the PARS All Committee Meeting in New York City in July
1996.  Finally at ALA Midwinter a plan was developed by Barbara Burger of
Cornell and Pete Merrill-Oldham of Acme Bookbinding to try and provide a
demonstration of three basic book repair techniques at a poster session in
San Francisco at the 1997 Annual Meeting.  

If approved, the poster session would consist of a bulletin board with
enlarged photographs of Carol Dye, Collections Conservator at the
University of Connecticut, demonstrating tipping in pages and two types of
joint repair.  A handout including these photographs along with text would
be given out.  On site demonstrations and hands-on repairs by visiting
librarians would be performed and overseen by several collections
conservators who graciously volunteered their time.  

The poster session for "Basic Book Repair".  at ALA in SF was rejected by
the reviewers. They stated that "the poster session was found unacceptable?
 The reviewers questioned ?whether anything innovative would be shown to
attendees and that the intention of a poster session is not to be a
hands-on demonstration".

Undaunted by the short sighted Poster Police, the rejection of the poster
session was reported to the Education Committee for PARS at ALA Annual in
San Francisco this June.  Everyone feeling that it was still a good idea to
get some basic book repair knowledge into the minds and hands of North
America?s librarians, it was decided to go for bigger game and try to
present the demonstration at a rented both in the exhibit hall at either or
both the next Midwinter or Annual ALA meetings.  If the demonstration
proved successful, there would be an effort to have these demonstrations at
future ALA meetings.

Here is what is needed:

1. Volunteers to demonstrate the three techniques.    Depending on the
number of volunteers and the time they are available, demonstrations will
take place at specified times with the times posted at the booth.

2. Books for the demonstrations.  Library discards that either require
joint tightening, or books that we can distress into the desired condition.

3. Equipment and supplies.  While we will try to show how these repairs can
be done on the cheap, using low cost materials like knitting needles, PVA
adhesive, boards, and covered brick weights, it might also be useful to
have on loan a small press or two and metal edged boards.

4. Money!  A 10x10 booth costs $1,325.  A corner booth which would allow
more participants and better viewing, costs an additional $150 per open
corner.  We don?t have the prices for furniture yet, but probably an
additional $300 would pay for several tables and a rug.  For the
photographic display, hanging foam core panels from the back of the display
would probably be the cheapest and most effective way of using the space.
This material could be purchased from the exhibit coordinators.  Printing
costs for 1,000 to 2,000 eight page b&w handouts with 24 half tones would
cost around $2,500.  Supplies and shipping costs would finish off the
requirements.  In total probably something around $4,500 to $5,000.
 
A list of all donators would be printed on the handout, and also listed in
large bold type on the display.

All those persons, libraries, and companies willing to participate can
contact Pete Merrill-Oldham at Acme Bookbinding:  pete@xxxxxxxxxxxx, 617
242-1100  fax: 617 242-3764, P.O. Box 699 Charlestown, MA 02129-0004.