Literature

Bookbinder: Journal of the Society of Bookbinders and Book Restorers vol. 2, 1988. The first six articles in this 87-page, attractively produced, acid-free issue are:

Profile: Bernard Chester Middleton M.B.E.
Collecting Decorated Papers
The Book Wonderful [a history of Sangorski & Sutcliffe]
The Development of a Stable Bookbinding Leather [by Haines & Calnan]
A Photograph Album [cf the Frost and Waters designs in AN April 1980, which also even out bulk]
From Gold Leaf to Holograms [a history of the Whiley firm]

International Preservation News No. 2, Jan. 1988, opens with a three-page article by Mark Roosa on the manufacture and use of permanent paper in the U.S. It has articles on preservation initiatives in Scandinavia, Latin America and Russia; and it reports on four meetings: directors of Western European libraries, IFLA 1987, the newspaper preservation symposium in 1987, and the 6th IADA Congress in Berlin. IPN is available without charge to interested institutions. Call 202/287-1840 or write the National Preservation Program Office (see Useful Addresses).

CAN No. 33, April 1988. The guest editorial is by Sally A. Buchanan, entitled "The Third Decade: Directions for Preservation/Conservation." She sees three main challenges: education, integration of preservation with other library functions, and collaboration (stronger than cooperation), especially between large and small institutions.

John N. DePew, "A Statewide Disaster Preparedness and Recovery Program for Florida Libraries." A funded, well-conceived plan whose goal is to see that each participating library has a plan; the great majority of Florida libraries will probably participate.

Sandra Nyberg, guest editor for the column "Out of the Question" this time, gives a very thorough answer to the questions "How effective is ortho-phenyl phenol? How toxic is it? Is it practical for use...

Studies in Conservation 33(1) Feb. 1988:

E. Rene de la Rie, "Polymer Stabilizers. A Survey with Reference to Possible Applications in the Conservation Field." Surveys hindered phenols (radical scavengers and antioxidants), aromatic amines and sulfur compounds (both antioxidants), chelates, UT absorbers and more.
Paul Whitmore and Glen Cass. "The Ozone Fading of Traditional Japanese Colorants."

"Institute of Fine Binding & Conservation, Austin, Texas, USA. Summer 1987," by Priscilla Spitler. Designer Bookbinders Newsletter No. 62, Spring 1988. An illustrated report.

"Preservation Initiatives in the Federal Republic of Germany," by Helmut Bansa. Int. Pres. News No. 3, May 1988. An organization called the Deutsches Bibliotheksinstitut (OBI), which may do work comparable to ARL or CLR, has set up a Committee on Preservation to do something about the condition of books in West German libraries. The goals the Committee has set are six:

1) a mass deacidification plant, 2) research on strengthening of paper, 3) a survey on the condition of books in research libraries, 4) a survey of storage conditions, 5) a primer on preservation in research libraries, and 6) promotion of preservation microfilming.

Their work toward their first goal was helped considerably by a study of existing deacidification systems in use in the U.S., Canada and France, by the Battelle Institute. The study was commissioned by two other agencies, but the committee acted as the advisory body, and recommended that it focus on Wei T'o and DEZ. The study is now complete. It advises waiting a few years to see how DEZ goes, and maybe trying to improve the Wei T'o system.

The German Institute for Standardization is currently working on standards for permanent paper, but cannot agree whether to copy the ANSI standard or to rely on accelerated aging and to assign tested paper to categories of higher or lower permanence and durability, like the ASTM standards do.

Our Memory at Risk: Preserving New York's Unique Research Resources. New York Document Conservation Advisory Council, 1988. 56 pp. Free from Connie Brooks, Division of Library Development, 10-C-47 Cultural Education Center, Albany, NY 12230 (518/474-6971). This is a "report and recommendations to the citizens of New York," a blunt and well-written report, fortunately, because its message is hard: historical records and unique printed materials in New York are at risk of being lost track of, wearing out and deteriorating beyond use. Everyone must help--not just the state with its money. There are no wishy washy statements in this book like "We all should do as much as we can." It is the best summary of the problem and the action that must be taken, probably, that has ever appeared in print. Recommendations for action are grouped under nine headings (e.g., "Local and Statewide Public Awareness") and are followed by 5 "priorities for action." Like the ARL/OMS' s Preservation Planning Program reports, every recommendation is followed by the name of the agency or official who is supposed to take it, and by the source of funds necessary for carrying it out. This project was carried out with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, as the last part of a multi-year "New York Document Conservation Administration Training and Planning Project," by the state archives and library cooperatively, with input from conservators and other professionals.

ICOM Committee for Conservation. 8th Triennial Meeting, Sydney, Australia, 6-11 September, 1987. Preprints. 3 v. $100 plus postage and handling from J. Paul Getty Bookstore, 17985 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA 90265 (213/459-2306). Papers from 26 working groups are presented in an economical but attractive and well-illustrated form in 1230 pages. Working groups with papers that look interesting for book and paper people are:

Scientific Examination of Works of Art (a paper on seals)
Ethnographic Materials (a paper on ethylene oxide)
Documentation (computers, photography, classification)
Textiles (weighted silk, cellulose aging)
Theory & History of Restoration (isolation, ethics)
Graphic & Photographic Documents (all 17 papers)
Lighting & Climate Control (all 16 papers)
...Leathercraft... (CO2 fumigation, waterlogged leather)
Training... (all 5 papers)
...Biodeterioration (all 9 papers, including one on the fungi that cause foxing)

Boletim ABRACOR (Associação Brasileira de Conservadores-Restauradores de Bens Culturais). This Bulletin, founded in 1980, was at first issued only once a year, but now appears to be quarterly. ABRACOR corresponds to the AIC, but was founded independently of IIC. Members are discussing the possibility of establishing a Brazilian school of conservation. They have regional chapters, report on f conventions attended by members, receive foreign visitors (Bernard Middleton, James Reilly, Grant Romer, and people from France, Portugal and Belgium), discuss professional questions of ethics, organizational goals and so on, and in general do what conservation associations do the world over. For more information write ABRACOR, c/o Edna May Duvivier; Rua Senador Pedro Velho, 255; Cosine Velho; Cep 22.241; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

First National Conference of Craft Bookbinders, Australia, November 1984. Kingston, Australia: Craft Bookbinders' Guild, 1988. 87 pp. (Price not known.) A unique source of information and instructions on bookbinding, with diagrams, bibliographies and photographs of all the speakers. Of the 28 talks, perhaps the pithiest is the keynote address by Edgar Mansfield, most of which is an intriguing combination of the eternal verities of good craftsmanship and very specific pointed advice on details, all of which makes sense. Speakers include Anthony Cams, John Davies, Sün Evrard, Brian Hawke, Hugo Peller and others. Write to Craft Bookbinders' Guild, P0 Box 322, Kingston, ACT, 2604, Australia.

"Report on the Manufacture of Book Cloth and Buckram," by Lynn Jones. New Library Scene 7(1), Feb. 1988, p. 1, 5-6.

A report based on information presented at the Library Binding Discussion Group at ALA Midwinter meeting, January 1988.

In the same issue: "New Softcover Binding Technology: OTABIND is Coming to North America," by Werner Rebsamen, p. 11-15. A description of a method that combines economical mass production with permanence, durability and ease of use.

During fiscal year 1987, the Government Printing Office (GPO) conducted tests of photocopy machines for the National Archives to determine methods of monitoring the quality of images produced by xerography. Ms. Sylvia Subt, Chief, Paper and Physical Testing, Quality Control and Technical Dept., GPO, first reported on her findings at the second annual preservation conference, December 9, 1986. The proceedings of that conference were published in Restaurator (Vol. 8 #1, 1987) and announced in the February 1988 issue of this Newsletter. The final report of this study was presented to the National Archives in August 1987, and is available at cost from the Abbey Newsletter office for $2.00 (5�/page plus postage).

The conference papers and the GPO report represent the first efforts to recognize xerography as a preservation process. The papers and report recommend guidelines for selecting photocopying as a means of making preservation copies of endangered documents and specify criteria for determining whether a photocopy machine is in proper operating condition to produce permanent copies. The National Park Service has issued guidelines, based on these studies, to all park managers on the use of machines for creation of permanent records.

"A Visit to Art on Paper Conservation Workshops in Moscow and Leningrad," a four-page technical note by Jane McAusland in the December 1987 Paper Conservation News, gives a great deal of information of all sorts, including three photographs, one chemical formula, references to four publications that she and Catherine Rickman brought back with then, and 14 addresses, 13 of which are in Russia.

"Criteria for Treatment: Reversibility," by Barbara Appelbaum. Journal of the AIC 26(2) Fall 1987, p. 65-73. A nice analysis. Introduces the concept of "re-treatability."

The American Association for the Advancement of Science's new newsletter, the Professional Ethics Report, has proved so popular that they ran out of copies, but they will send a photocopy if you write to the Office of Scientific Freedom and Responsibility, AAAS, 1333 H St., MW, Washington, DC 20005. Free; quarterly.

Standing the Test of Time: Quality Assurance for State and Local Government Records Microfilming. By Linda James. Minnesota Historical Society, 1986. 70 pp. ISBN 87351-214-6. Order from Association for Information and Image Management, 1100 Wayne Ave., Suite 1100, Silver Spring, MD 20910 (301/587-8202). This is the report of a survey done with NHPRC support, which found that conditions were pretty bad: Officials in many, if not most, states are failing to assure the adequacy of microfilm that is destined to serve as the security or replacement copy of valuable state and local records.... A great deal of taxpayers money probably is spent on ill-advised filming.... Unfortunately, the administering agency often is not aware of what microfilming is taking place throughout the state, much less whether it is being done properly.

It is widely recognized that microfilming is only archival if it is prepared, processed, stored and used properly; and that hardly anybody does it this way. This report documents the situation in state and local governments, and makes recommendations pertaining to comprehensive legislation, dissemination of information, and compliance verification.

Biodeterioration Research Vol. 1. Gerald C. Llewellyn and Charles E. O'Rear, eds. Plenum Publishing Co., New York, 1988. 388 + 18 pp. ISBN 0306-427648. $69.50 + postage & handling. (To order, call 800-221-9369). This is the proceedings of the first meeting of the Pan-American Biodeterioration Society, held in Washington, DC in July 1986.

"Analyzing the Data: Summary Findings from Database Inquiries of the 1986 ICA/IFLA Conservation Questionnaire Responses," by Marie Allen, National Archives and Records Administration. In 1986, 850 libraries and archives around the world were surveyed, and a little less than half returned the questionnaires. This is a preliminary and partial analysis of the survey results, focussing on data analysis, using an IBM PC AT microcomputer and the rbase 5000 database management system and Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheets. Data is analyzed by geographical area and type of institution as well as by preservation problems and procedures, equipment, policies and cooperative relations with other institutions. There are 77 spread sheets. One or more surveys of this sort are planned for the future. Copies are probably available in each country from the ICA delegate. In the U.S. it is Kenneth E. Harris, Preservation Policy and Services Division, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC 20408. Readers in other countries can find the distribution source by calling their national archives or by writing to the Executive Secretary of ICA, Charles Kecskemeti, at 60, rue des Francs Bourgeois, F-75003 Paris, France.

Indoor Pollution News is a biweekly newsletter (24 issues per year) that costs $367 a year for anyone who wants to keep from being sued for high levels of radon, formaldehyde, asbestos, NO2, lead and so on in their buildings. This includes owners and managers of office buildings, architects and builders, product manufacturers, and real estate agents. It is available from Buraff Publications, Inc., 2445 M St., MW, Suite 275, Washington, DC 20077-6745.

"The Documentation Strategy Process: A Model and a Case Study," by Larry J. Hackman and Joan Warnow-Blewett (Amer. Archivist vol. 50, Winter 1987, p. 12-47) was recommended by Nancy Schrock for announcement in this section, despite the fact that it is not about preservation, because of its importance. It has potential for redefining archival work in a way that would affect all aspects of it, including preservation. Briefly, the authors argue that archivists should take a more proactive role: instead of passively taking care of whatever the outside world brings to the archive, they should use their expertise to figure out what documents will be needed to support research and reference work in each field in the future, and then to go out and get them--i.e., to identify them and shepherd them toward a suitable repository before they get thrown out with the trash. This is a well-thought-out and detailed plan, with a good example of archival "documentation" already carried out by the American Institute of Physics.

"Supplément à International Preservation News, No. 2, Jan. 1988" is a single sheet giving the international preservation news for French-speaking countries, and issued from the Bibliothèque Nationale's Sablé center, which is one of IFLA's a four regional centers for preservation and conservation. The others are: Library of Congress, Deutsche Bücherei (Leipzig) and the Venezuela National Library. The mass deacidification station installed at the Sablé Center has successfully undergone preliminary tests; larger scale tests are planned. They have acquired a microwave dryer for wet paper, and will be using it in as many applications as possible. This little newsletter has sections on meetings, publications, workshops and organizational news. French-speaking subscribers should find it useful. Write Centre régional PAC, Bibliothèque Nationale, Centre de conservation, Château de Sablé, F-72300 Sablé-sur-Sarthe, France.

The National Archives has instituted a new series of publications entitled "Technical Information Papers" (TIPs). The first three titles are:

Digital Raster Scanning, Optical Character Recognition, Speech Pattern Recognition (TIP-0l)
MARC/Life Cycle Tracking of Archival Records (TIP-02)
Specifications for Cold Storage of Color Film Materials (TIP-03)

All are available for purchase in printed form or microform from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS), Department of Commerce, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161 (703/377-0365).

"The Use of the Lascaux Humidification Chamber in the Treatment of Works on Paper," by Olivier Masson and Westby Percivat-Prescott, Paper Conservation News No. 43, Sept. 1987, p. 4-7. The chamber allows uniform and precise humidification, with an ultrasonic humidifier as the source of the moisture.

"Preservation of Herbarium Specimens, an Archive Conservator's Approach," by Susie Clark. Library Conservation News No. 19, April 1988, p. 4-6. Originally published in a professional botanical journal; includes recommendations.

Book Preservation Technologies. U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment. (OTA-0-375) May 1988. Available through the USGPO, Supt. Docs, Washington, DC, 20402-9325, for $5.00. GPO stock #: 052-003-01103-4. (202/783-3238)

The title is misleading, because this report covers only deacidification technology. The following paragraphs are from the OTA's summary:

The process that the Library of Congress is planning to use to preserve the millions of books and papers in its collection has a high potential for success, according to a report released [May 12] by the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment (OTA).

The Library of Congress' s chemists invented a process that uses diethylzinc (DEZ) vapors to deacidify books. Because this process presents some new engineering and safety concerns, the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations requested that OTA review the Library's system and other available or potential processes.

Questions have been raised primarily because DEZ spontaneously ignites if it cones in contact with air. The first DEZ pilot plant, built under contract for the Library, was destroyed after an accidental DEZ fire. The second pilot plant is now operating successfully outside Houston at Texas Alkyls, Inc. OTA finds that careful attention to safety has been followed with this plant, but cautions the Library that the full-scale plant, if built, will need equal or greater engineering attention.

Since the decision to pursue the DEZ process was made, very little work has been done by the Library to encourage the development of other, emerging technologies, OTA reports. Two processes merit some consideration as alternatives to DEZ--Bookkeeper and Wei T'o. Without some independent tests with standard procedures, however, comparisons of alternative processes will be uncertain.

"Poor Condition: Procedures for Identifying and Treating Materials before Adding to the Collections," by Marion T. Reid and Marsha J. Hamilton. RTSD Newsletter 13(2), 1988, p. 19-22. The first major article on this subject. "The decision [at Ohio State University] to make identification and referral the responsibility of all technical services personnel meant a lot of training was necessary but it is expected to produce a greater systemwide commitment to preservation of the collections. The procedure and flow will be re-evaluated after more information, especially on volume of materials handled and cost of reformatting or replacement of texts, is available."

Between Two Earthquakes: Cultural Property in Seismic Zones, by Bernard Feilden. A joint publication of ICCROM and the Getty Conservation Institute. 1987. $10.00 from Getty Conservation Institute, 4503 Glencoe Ave., Marina del Rey, CA 90292-6537. Mainly about buildings and monuments, but includes much of general value.

"Building Use Policies," ARL SPEC Kit #144, covers food, drinking and smoking in ARL libraries, and reprints documents gathered as part of a 1986 survey on building use. A SPEC kit later this year will cover building security and personal safety issues, including emergencies. $20.00

"Catalogues & Monographs: Fine Hand Bookbinding Catalogues," Fine Print, April 1988, lists and describes (with ordering information) 14 recent catalogs.

International Directory of Book Collectors (not a new publication, but recommended by Richard-Gabriel Rummonds; revised periodically). Collectors are identified by interest in the index. For information write: Roger and Judith Sheppard, Trigon Press, 117 Kent House Road, Beckenham, Kent BR3 1JJ, England.

The Guild of Master Craftsmen has just published a new edition of the Guide to Restoration Experts, which includes bookbinders. Copies, price �9.50 (about $18), from GMC Publications Ltd., 166 High St., Lewes, East Sussex BN7 lYE, England. For members of Designer Bookbinders, it is only �5.10.

Eleven videotapes are now available from Istor Productions (7549 N. Fenwick, Portland, OR 97217) on topics relating to museum and library conservation. They can be ordered in ½" or 3/4" format. Prices range from $50 to $165. Brochure gives details, and also lists the Guild of Bookworkers videotapes distributed from the sane office.

NTIS Published Searches, 1987. U.S. Dept. of Commerce, National Technical Information Service, 5285 Port Royal Rd., Springfield, VA 22161. 129 pp. Every time NTIS does a computer search of its own or somebody else's database for someone, it keeps a copy of all the references they found, and makes it available for other people through this catalog. All titles are $45 in North America, and are available in softcover. This catalog lists about 2500 subjects alphabetically, with searches listed under each subject. Since the scope is so broad, it is like looking for a needle in a haystack to find anything relevant to conservation in this, but the payoff may be very great if something is found. A few of the searches found as a result of scanning these pages for a half hour or so are: 1) Cellulose and Lignin: Biodeterioration, 1978-Nov. 1985, 2) Air Pollution Effects on Materials, 1970-Oct. 1985, and 3) Oriented Films in Packaging, 1982-June 1986.

ASTM Directory of Testing Laboratories, 1988 edition, can be ordered for $50 (nonmembers) from ASTM 1916 Race St., Philadelphia, PA 19103-1187 (215/299-5400). No shipping charge for prepaid orders. Includes paper testing labs in this country and Canada, and some from other countries. They can be found by geographical area, subject and name.

A surprising variety of preservation books are carried by Light Impressions and by the Association for Information and Image Management, and listed in their catalogs, with two prices, one for members and one for nonmembers. Light Impressions is at 439 Monroe Ave., Rochester, NY 14607-3717, and AIIM is at 1100 Wayne Ave., Suite 1100, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

The Museum Bookshop, Ltd., 36 Great Russell St., London WC1, England (01-580 4086) will send its Museology and Conservation Catalogue on demand. Books can be ordered on American Express cards and others. The Spring 1988 catalog lists 39 or so titles of interest to book and paper conservators, most of which are either classics and/or have been announced in these pages.

Catalogue 100 of Oak Knoll Books (214 Delaware St., New Castle, DE 19720, 302/328-7232) has 675 items on paper and papermaking, including scientific, historical, commercial and popular writings, mostly in English.

Two publications of the PLMS Education Committee are available from RTSD Publications, 50 E. Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611, both $5.00 ($4.50 for RTSD members):

Preservation Education Directory, 1988 ed. Compiled by Susan Swartzburg. 30 pp. Lists accredited library schools offering courses on the preservation of library and archival materials; and gives information on the conservation training programs in North America, and other organizations offering training.

A Core Collection in Preservation. Compiled by Lisa L. Fox. 15 pp. An annotated bibliography of books, reports, periodicals, and articles covering library and archival preservation.

Four items on the subject of photo albums were sent to the Newsletter office in the last few months.

1. "Scrapbooks and Albums: Their Care and Conservation," an article written by Barbara Zucker of the Illinois Cooperative Conservation Program for the Congress of Illinois Historical Societies and Museums, with NMA funding. 4 pp.

2) "Photo Albums Fit for the Video Age," from the Sydney Daily Mirror, about a new service offered by Kodak in Australia: they will clean and videotape the photographs in your album, or your home movies, or your slides, for a price: 25 photos, 40 slides or 100 feet of movie film for about $30.

3) "Fading memories: Albums Damage Photos," New York Times, Style section, Oct. 3, 1987. By Glenn Collins. Quite detailed and well-written; Mr. Collins interviewed James Reilly, Judith Fortson, Doug Severson, John W. Brooks (a maker of nondamaging albums, Holson Co. in Connecticut), Dennis Inch of Light Impressions and John Boral of University Products. A sidebar is entitled "To Protect Pictures, Keep Then Cool and Dry"; it gives sound advice and the numbers of manufacturers of archival storage products.

4) Glamour, of all things, had on p. 99 of its March issue, in its "How-to-do-Anything-Better-Guide," a short item called "Give Photos a Longer Life," which also gives sound advice. James Reilly and Judith Fortson are quoted, and the telephone number of Light Impressions is given, as a source of safe albums.

The Economist, a British journal, has had two articles on preservation-related topics lately. The first one, from February or March 1987, reports the National Library of Medicine hearing on permanent paper: "Ye Twentieth Century Booke Plague." It is notable for its low degree of accuracy--e.g., Champion is given as a company that makes acid-free paper meeting the ANSI standards, and acid-free paper is said to be heavier and more expensive.

The other article is from February, 1988: "A Book of Verse, a Jug of Polymers.. ." It reports progress on developing a paper strengthening process for the British Library, and says the granting of a British patent was expected in February. The introductory paragraphs on the problem of brittle paper are just as bad as the 1987 article. One would expect a journal as respected as the Economist to be at least as accurate as Glamour is on semi-technical topics like brittle paper and preservation of photographs, but apparently one can't.

"Caring for Your Historic Records" is a good brochure put out by the Australian Bicentennial Historic Records Search in association with the Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Material. It is short, fitting on two sides of 8½" x 11" paper; aptly illustrated; and organized under the following headings: Caring for your historic records, What not to do, How to store your collection, How to handle and display your records, How to preserve your records, Further reading, Where to seek advice, and Checklist for action. A photocopy will be sent on request from the Newsletter office in return for a stamped self-addressed envelope.

The New York Times carried two letters to the editor in its Dec. 2, 1987 issue, both protesting the way the Times had reported a recent meeting of the Association of Research Libraries. The first was from Carolyn Harris and Roger S. Bagnall at Columbia University, and the second was from Barclay Ogden of DC Berkeley. Probably the reason the Times got it wrong is that the topic was complex and has not been well verbalized yet for either professional or for general audiences: How to decide which brittle books to microfilm first, given that they will last forever if not used (well, a long time anyhow), and given that funds are limited, and that one or two uses of a brittle book may result in loss of text for microfilming purposes, and that we cannot know with certainty which books the scholars of the future will need.

In fact, this problem will be addressed in 1988 by the Commission on Preservation and Access, with the aid of a Mellon grant (see related story).

"Warren Paper Permanence: Preservation in Original Format: The Role of Paper Quality," by Lewis H. Brown. A booklet adapted from his address at the Conference on Preservation of Library Materials, Vienna, 1986. Well illustrated with giant photomicrographs of folded brittle and sound paper, and normal-scale photos including the inevitable one of Peter Waters blowing away a crumpled brittle page. The text recounts the evolution of standards for permanent paper in the United States. On page 8 he summarizes the situation in Europe. He quotes Maximilian Laufman of Plus-Staufer AG:

1) The production of alkaline or neutral uncoated and coated paper in Western Europe had risen from virtually 0 tons in 1965 to 3 million tons by 1980.

2) This closely paralleled the consumption of CaCO₃ over the same period.

He also quotes European Paper Institute director David A. Clark as estimating that in 1984, 38% of uncoated free sheet (groundwood-free paper) in Europe was made under alkaline conditions.

"Alkaline Papermaking: What is it? and What will it Mean to You?" is a pamphlet issued earlier this year by Hammermill Papers, primarily for the use of distributors, bet well suited for giving the basic facts in question-and-answer form to any group of readers or paper consumers. It says that the time is not far off when Hammermill alkaline grades will be available for sale.

A company spokesman says the Erie plant is in the process of conversion now, one machine at a time, and should be done by early June. The Lock Haven mill should be alkaline by sometime this fall, and the Selma and Oswego mills are expected to follow in 1989. Then all Hammermill Papers' merchant grades (i.e., mill brands) will be alkaline.

Copies of the brochure can be obtained through the local Hammermill distributor. To find out which local distributors carry Hammermill papers, call 814/456-8811 (the mill in Erie, Pa.). After June 20 or so, call 901/763-7800.

"Preservation, Priorities, and Politics," by Editor-in-Chief John Berry of the Library Journal, is the testimony of a recent convert to preservation. He tells what changed his mind. In his own words, "First came Pat Battin's response when we asked her why she would leave a powerful job like vice president and university librarian at Columbia to preside over a mere commission on a special problem like preservation. Our conversion began when she spiritedly described the magnitude of the problem, the challenges in it, and the diverse solutions needed.

"Then Connecticut State Librarian Dick Akeroyd invited us to serve on the Connecticut Preservation Task Force..." where he learned a great deal from the others on the task force; saw "Slow Fires," and is now well aboard. (Cf. Philip Abelson's October 30 Science editorial.)

Norman D. Stevens, the dean of library humor and preservation science fiction ("The Man Who Saved Books," AN April 1985, p. 35), has forwarded some preservation humor he received which appeared originally in the Library Muse, an in-house humor newsletter of the University of Missouri Library. Vol. 36 No. 2 has the Don't Care Bear on the front cover, tearing a Guide to Book Preservation apart with his bare paws. The first article is "April is Book Desecration Month"; it honors the Huns, Goths and all other ravagers of libraries. The "Don't Care Quiz" shows mustard, bologna and a book and asks, "Which of these does not belong?" (answer: They all belong!) The bear is shown eating a book sandwich. The longest article is a reverent/irreverent memorial to St. Asafoetida, who devoted her life to fumigation but succumbed to a fungus in the end.

In the same vein but almost 50 years ago, Toby Anderson published his article, "How to Abstain from Bibliolatry," in Dolphin vol. 4:2, 1941, p. 121-127. In the introduction the editor says, "Toby Anderson has appointed himself President of the Pan-American Division of the International Society for the Promotion of Cruelty to Books. In this essay he sounds a rousing call for a sharp increase in the membership; and he shows how you can become a member, in a series of authentic photographs taken by himself and Ted John-stone." The photographs show tight packing on shelves, using books to keep doors ajar,. Leaving books outside in the hot sun, cutting and tearing illustrations from books, using bulky objects as place marks, using books as weights, using books as a serving tray or coaster, using paper clips as markers, doodling in books, dropping crumbs on books, and eight or nine more. Passed on by Pam Darling, who got it from Gay Walker.

To get your own copy of the facsimile edition of the Domesday Book, call Alecto Historical Editions in England at 01-937 6611 and ask for Louise Brooks. Copies of the edition are going fast; of 250 only 75 were left in England a few months ago. Price: �5750 (about $11,000).

Faith Shannon. Paper Pleasures from Basic Skills to Creative Ideas. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 10 E. 53rd St., 14th Fl., NYC 10022 (800/521-0178). 1987. ISBN 0-855-33-6536.

The Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (4615 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3796, 412/621-6941) sells audiovisual packages (color slides, audiocassette, manuscript of narration) on a number of subjects, two of which are of interest:

"Understanding and Measuring pH," 58 35-mm color slides, published in 1973. Covers, among other things, the care and maintenance of electric pH meters; probably does not cover the combination electrode. $63 to GATF members, $126 to nonmembers.

"Milestones in Papermaking," by William H. Bureau, 56 35-mm color slides, published in 1982. Covers, among other things, the basics of the soda, sulfite, and sulfate (kraft) processes. $60 to members, $120 nonmembers.