Conserving, Preserving, and Restoring Your Heritage. Kennis Kim

      Diagram 5: Dust removal

      Wearing white cotton gloves, begin by gently blowing away any loose surface dirt with an air bulb. Then brush lightly with a soft natural bristle brush or a soft, lint free cloth. (Old shaving brushes are great for this. Just make sure they are clean and dry.) Holding the book firmly closed, begin brushing from the spine of the book in a downward motion toward and off the open edge of the book block. Use very light pressure; the pages should not move with your brush strokes.

      Another way to remove accumulated dust is with a vacuum cleaner. Using the brush attachment, place a piece of cheesecloth between the brush attachment and the hose to prevent pieces of lose binding or paper from being sucked into the vacuum. With the same motion as used with a brush, clean the book block moving away from the spine. If small pieces are caught in the cheesecloth they should be saved in a small Melinex envelope for structural conservation in the future.

      After brushing and vacuuming to remove loose dust and debris, additional cleaning with a combination of erasers and eraser powders can reduce any remaining surface dirt and grime (see Appendix 6: Surface Cleaning Books). Once the surface dirt has been reduced, the book can be prepared for storage or display.

       Storage and Display of Books

      Storage and display of books are often one and the same. When choosing shelving for books, you should avoid uncoated wood since it emits acid gases that damage bindings and paper. Wooden shelves should be sealed with paint. Do not use Varathane or other oil-modified polyurethane varnishes or oil paint. These products release corrosive materials as they dry and age. Other products to be avoided are alkyd paints, varnishes, one-compound epoxy esters, anti-corrosive paints, alkyd baking enamels, and most wood stains. If transparency is not an issue, coat wood with acrylic or vinyl acrylic latex after sealing any knots with shellac. Allow shelving to dry for at least one month before storing books. If you desire transparency, you could line the shelves with either Melinex polyester laminate or Plexiglas acrylic sheets that may reduce acid transfer. However, there has been no long-term testing of these methods to determine if they do act as a sufficient barrier.

      Teak shelving has two drawbacks as a support for paper and other acid deteriorated artifacts.

      1. It contains Tectoquinone (ß-methyl-antraquinone), a volatile crystal that gives off tectonic acid.

      2. The same oily feel and residue that make teak a durable and long-lasting wood for outdoor use can migrate and cause staining and increased rapid deterioration of cellulose-based artifacts.