Conservation and restoration of books, manuscripts, documents, and ephemera

The conservation and restoration of books, manuscripts, documents, and ephemera is an activity dedicated to extending the life of items of historical and personal value made primarily from paper, parchment, and leather.

[1] Book and paper conservation seeks to prevent and, in some cases, reverse damage due to handling, inherent vice, and the environment.

[5] Restoration involves returning a book or manuscript to as close to new condition as possible with the use of more invasive techniques and less retaining of original materials.

[7] Conservation often accompanies preservation strategies such as proper storage and display, environmental monitoring, handling training, reformatting and security.

[8] The main goal of modern conservation is to maintain the integrity of the original parts of the object and that any additions due to restoration must be reversible.

[10] Active conservation involves evaluating the condition of an object and treating to prevent further decay by cleaning, repairing, and restoring when necessary.

[11] Conservation incorporates the fields of bookbinding, restoration, paper chemistry, and other material technologies, as well as preservation of archival resources.

[13] Paper-based items, such as books, scrapbooks, manuscripts, letters, journals and diaries, certificates, maps, deeds, newspapers, drawings, miniatures, and postcards present distinctive concerns when it comes to care and conservation.

[16] As early as 750 BC, Old Testament prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah advised on the importance of the preservation of documents for future use.

[17] In 1627, Gabriel Naudé published Advis pour dresser une bibliothèqe, which contained a chapter discussing book preservation.

[18][19] Until the late-nineteenth century, the preferred practice was to restore objects to newer or better condition with little regard to original style or composition.

[24] Another development from the Florence floods was the study of limp vellum binding and its usefulness in conservation due to its resistance to water damage.

[25] Experienced in large scale archival disasters, Waters defined seven essential requirements for successful recovery after the flood.

[28] In the United States, the branch bindery for the Library of Congress was created in 1900 for the Government Printing Office, under Chief Clerk Arthur Kimball.

For Duke University, members of the public can "adopt" a book in need of conservation repair through their Adopt-A-Book program,[32] and helps current and future researchers have access to these materials.

[11] Agents of deterioration can include mishandling, light, fluctuating humidity, dust and pollution, fire, water, gas and heat, neglect, and pests and other vermin.

[35] In addition, paper has the natural ability to absorb and retain moisture from the atmosphere, making it prone to the growth of mold, fungi, and bacteria.

[44] Some of the most common forms of water damage to collections include leaking pipes or roofs, flooded basements, and open windows.

Since February 2024, several German libraries started to block public access to their stock of 19th century books to check for the degree of poisoning.

[51] Manuscripts and paper documents are often stored in protective archival-quality boxes and folders, made of acid-free and lignin-free materials.

Prior repairs made with water-based adhesives such as animal glue are removed in a water bath, by local application of moisture, or with poultices or steam.

Mending and filling techniques for paper include narrow strips of torn Japanese tissue adhered with a reversible non-staining adhesive such as starch paste or methyl cellulose.

[63] When extensive conservation of the object is impossible or not cost-effective, reformatting techniques are employed to minimize treatments and excessive handling.

[26] Book and paper conservators strive to ensure the integrity of the artefacts on which they work, encompassing the physical, aesthetic, historical and textual information.

In some instances, conservators may decide that it is better to store the object and make a reproduction for use rather than treat it if no treatment options are available due to financial or technological limitations.

[69] Another ethical aspect of book conservation is the detailed documentation of treatments and alterations including procedures and materials used.

[72] There have been many failed attempts to codify these "rules" because conservation requires individual application and is dependent on the goals of the museum and curator; consequently, these approaches cannot be generalized.

Methods for increasing the sustainability of book and paper conservation work include the responsible sourcing of tools and repair materials (e.g. bamboo spatulas),[73] the use of less industrial chemical solvents and safer chemical alternatives, the use of fewer animal-sourced products (e.g. replacing gelatine glues with synthetic ethylene-vinyl acetate emulsions),[74] and reducing the amount of labour and energy required in conservation activities (e.g. preventive treatment measures, using materials sparingly).

In the early 2000s, conservators determined that preservation of materials should no longer be governed by a universal standard but rather rely on a localized approach.

[75] This allows for more holistic methods determined by the regional climate, resources, historical care practices and collection types.