4 ms·

> We reprint old books after checking out copyrights Who is we? > then store the pages in a sealed plastic bag which goes in the archives; they're stored ther

> We reprint old books after checking out copyrights Who is we? > then store the pages in a sealed plastic bag which goes in the archives; they're stored there indefinitely Is that the best thing for archival storage? Like could things like chemical breakdown increase the humidity in the sealed bag or concentrate corrosive chemical vapors? I was under the impression the best environment was an actively climate-controlled environment.

ComputerPerson 3mo ago
The issue is mold. Sealed plastic bags for old books is a recipe for mold. At least they're individually stored, so they would develop mold at independent rates. (And maybe the seal allows airflow.) Most books have some mold by the time they're ~100 years old, it's just not enough to cause a serious problem. Sealed enclosures (wrappings, bags, tubs) are a nightmare situation. Even packing books too tighly on shelves accelerates mold growth to problematic levels.
- starkparker 3mo ago
  Dealing with mold in an archival environment is a nightmare, and yeah, the only thing sealing the books in plastic does is make it easier to either throw them away, or to freeze them to try to kill and then manually clean out the mold. https://www.nedcc.org/free-resources/preservation-leaflets/3.-emergency-management/3.8-emergency-salvage-of-moldy-books-and-paper https://www.nedcc.org/free-resources/preservation-leaflets/3...
  - fragmede 3mo ago
    How about irradiating them? Would kill the mold without the humidity problems.
- pfdietz 3mo ago
  If I did that I'd seal them with silica gel to keep the humidity down.
  - qingcharles 3mo ago
    I would think this totally dries the pages out and then they just turn to dust, from experience.
    - ComputerPerson 3mo ago
      A well-organized system derived from binder clips works for small/medium scale collections of debound books. It's a quick and easy, and relatively cheap, way to "rebind" them in parts. The clips even provide good surfaces for labels. Archivists recommend standard ambient conditions or a little drier for long term storage. As you've said, too dry and the pages fall apart; permanent damage. I suppose the fancy silica gels that maintain specific humidities would work in bags.
    - palmotea 3mo ago
      >> If I did that I'd seal them with silica gel to keep the humidity down. > I would think this totally dries the pages out and then they just turn to dust, from experience. They used to sell Boveda two-way humidity control packs that would keep a bag at a constant low-ish 32% humidity, but last I looked those were discontinued (it looks like they've pivoted pretty heavily to marijuana storage and higher-humidity products).
    - pfdietz 3mo ago
      My understanding is that the fibers in paper can become brittle if they are too dry. However, this doesn't cause the paper to break down, it just makes it vulnerable to damage if flexed. So storing paper dry is fine if it is then humidified before being stressed.
      - qingcharles 3mo ago
        It's possible. My only experience is with vintage newspapers that were allowed to dry out, and then when trying to open them just shatter like a carbonized volcano scroll.
        3mo ago

ComputerPerson 3mo ago

The issue is mold. Sealed plastic bags for old books is a recipe for mold. At least they're individually stored, so they would develop mold at independent rates. (And maybe the seal allows airflow.) Most books have some mold by the time they're ~100 years old, it's just not enough to cause a serious problem. Sealed enclosures (wrappings, bags, tubs) are a nightmare situation. Even packing books too tighly on shelves accelerates mold growth to problematic levels.

starkparker 3mo ago
Dealing with mold in an archival environment is a nightmare, and yeah, the only thing sealing the books in plastic does is make it easier to either throw them away, or to freeze them to try to kill and then manually clean out the mold. https://www.nedcc.org/free-resources/preservation-leaflets/3.-emergency-management/3.8-emergency-salvage-of-moldy-books-and-paper https://www.nedcc.org/free-resources/preservation-leaflets/3...
- fragmede 3mo ago
  How about irradiating them? Would kill the mold without the humidity problems.
pfdietz 3mo ago
If I did that I'd seal them with silica gel to keep the humidity down.
- qingcharles 3mo ago
  I would think this totally dries the pages out and then they just turn to dust, from experience.
  - ComputerPerson 3mo ago
    A well-organized system derived from binder clips works for small/medium scale collections of debound books. It's a quick and easy, and relatively cheap, way to "rebind" them in parts. The clips even provide good surfaces for labels. Archivists recommend standard ambient conditions or a little drier for long term storage. As you've said, too dry and the pages fall apart; permanent damage. I suppose the fancy silica gels that maintain specific humidities would work in bags.
  - palmotea 3mo ago
    >> If I did that I'd seal them with silica gel to keep the humidity down. > I would think this totally dries the pages out and then they just turn to dust, from experience. They used to sell Boveda two-way humidity control packs that would keep a bag at a constant low-ish 32% humidity, but last I looked those were discontinued (it looks like they've pivoted pretty heavily to marijuana storage and higher-humidity products).
  - pfdietz 3mo ago
    My understanding is that the fibers in paper can become brittle if they are too dry. However, this doesn't cause the paper to break down, it just makes it vulnerable to damage if flexed. So storing paper dry is fine if it is then humidified before being stressed.
    - qingcharles 3mo ago
      It's possible. My only experience is with vintage newspapers that were allowed to dry out, and then when trying to open them just shatter like a carbonized volcano scroll.
      - 3mo ago