Volume 16, Number 4
Aug 1992

Editor's Page

A Thank-You to Supporters

The editor and trustees of Abbey Publications, Inc., want to express appreciation for support received from the people and organizations listed below. So far this year, $4,453 has been received.

All donations are considered as going to Abbey Publications (thus contributing to both the Abbey Newsletter and the Alkaline Paper Advocate). Donors are listed below as Benefactors ($1000+), Sponsors ($500+), Patrons ($100+), and Contributors ($25+).

Benefactors: Miami Paper Corporation, and Nancy P. Russell.

Sponsors: Acme Bookbinding Company, Inc.

Patrons: Pamela W. Darling, Terry Norris, The New York Community Trust - James Talcott Fund, Elaine R. Schlefer, University Microfilms, Inc., University Products, Inc., and William Minter Bookbinding & Conservation, Inc.

Contributors: Anchor Hand Bookbinding, Catherine Atwood, Ronald L. Becker, Wesley L. Boomgaarden, Constance L. Brooks, Sherry Byrne, Elizabeth S. Cziffra, Jane Dalrymple-Hollo, James C. Dast, Judith Fortson, Doris Hamburg, Margaret H. Johnson, George B. Kelly, Jr., Eric Mac Donald, Julia V. Miller, Kathleen M. Orlenko, Marie L. Payne, Eleanor Quandt, Cheryl A. Shackelton, Eric C. Shoaf, Willman Spawn, James G. Stephens, Ann G. Swartzell, Technical Library Service, Inc., Marcia A. Watt, Marilyn Kemp Weidner, James K Wellvang, and William K Wilson.

Correction

On page 37 of the last issue, in the report of papers given at the IPC conference in Manchester, two separate passages contain errors or omissions.

The summary of the paper by Dianne van der Reyden, Christa Hofmann and Mary Baker contained a sentence that should have been bracketed to indicate that it was an editorial comment, because the authors did not evaluate glassine as a storage material; in fact, they consider that its hygroscopicity makes it a reactive and therefore nonarchival material. That sentence would then have appeared as follows:

["Parchment," or "genuine parchment paper," is the only one for which an acid bath is used; this should calm the fears of preservation librarians who have been warned away from glassine envelopes and interleaving sheets by horror tales of acid treatments at the mill. -Ed.]

In addition the statement "The greatest degree of change in the papers was seen with immersion, the least with use of the suction table" should read instead, "The greatest change in dimensional stability occurred following humidification by immersion and drying on a suction table, the least with humidification by vapor chamber and drying in a traditional blotter press system."

The report of the paper by Elissa O'Loughlin and Linda Stiber on pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes should have said that the research was a joint effort by the National Archives and the Library of Congress. The first author is at the Archives, and the second is at the Library of Congress.

Half-Price Sale of 1991 pH Pens

The Abbey pH Pen, sold from this office and through distributors in the U.S. and abroad, was recently improved and is now so much easier to use that we are putting the earlier model on sale for half price. They were being offered at the old price ($2.95 each); they are now offered for half that, or $1.50 each. Distributors may exchange their old stock for new at no charge. The new pens are $3.50 each.

The old pens, manufactured last September, have "" after the logo; the new one have "®." Both are good, but the new one has a stronger solution that makes a darker mark.

ALA Council Resolution Commends Abbey Editor

At its January 29 meeting, the Council of the American Library Association adopted a resolution entitled "A Tribute to Ellen McCrady, Editor and Publisher." It summarizes the history of the Abbey Newsletter and the Alkaline Paper Advocate, as I gave it in "History of the Abbey Publications," which appeared in the January 1991 Library Resources and Technical Services, and later on in the Abbey Newsletter; and it concludes with the following two paragraphs:

I am very grateful to the American Library Association for this tribute, and will do what I can to continue to deserve it. I would also like to take this occasion to commend the Association for its policy of freely giving out press passes to me and other reporters, thus making it possible for us to cover its conventions, even including most of its committee meetings, regularly. Long live freedom of the press!

Preparations for Moving the Office to Austin

At press time, we are still waiting for somebody to buy the little house in Provo that I bought as a residence last year. This will provide the capital to buy a house in Austin for the office and (probably) for my living space as well. Current plans are for me to go to Austin first, keeping the subscription and pH pen work at our current address until the new place is ready. Some of the editorial work can be carried out in Austin, until then. After the office here closes, we will arrange to have telephone calls forwarded, for years if necessary, and we also hope to find a way to have mail forwarded indefinitely.

The Abbey Newsletter: Bookbinding and Conservation is issued eight times a year and has about 1250 subscribers. All subscriptions are for the calendar year. New subscribers automatically receive all issues published in the current year, unless they request otherwise. Checks may be made out in U.S. dollars or English pounds, payable to Abbey Publications; send to 320 E. Center St., Provo, UT 84606.

    Full-time students & unpaid interns   $20
    Personal subscriptions and uncomplicated
        institutional subscriptions:          $37
    Subscriptions involving numerous forms,
        claims and complications:             $45

Paid advertisements, except for job ads, are not accepted. Job announcements are billed at the rate of $50 for the heading and the first ten lines (55-60 characters per line), plus $2 per line thereafter. Any notice that is appropriate and newsworthy will be printed if there is room for it. Written contributions and bits of news are welcome. Claims for issues never received will be honored within 6 months of publication. Defective issues will be gladly replaced on request. A complete list of back issues is available.

Description., even enthusiastic descriptions of products or services in this Newsletter are not to be taken as endorsements or policy statements.

The Abbey Newsletter is selectively indexed in Art & Archaeology Technical Abstracts and the Institute of Paper Science & Technology Abstract Bulletin. All issues but v.1 #2 are in print, and each volume has its own index. Interim indexes are available on request.

The Editor encourages readers to photocopy freely from the Newsletter; but the Editor's permission must be obtained before making more than 20 copies of any part.

Abbey Publications is a nonprofit tax-exempt corporation (tax ID #87-0436104). Its other publication is the Alkaline Paper Advocate. It is the policy of Abbey Publications to use alkaline paper for both newsletters.