If you’ve chosen a theme or focus for your rare book collection, eventually you’ll want to move beyond only books and collect related items. These may include magazines, posters, or other paper objects. Known as ephemera, these items can add depth, interest, and value to a personal collection.
The Ephemera Society of America defines “ephemera” as everyday documents created for single or short-term use: think newspapers, flyers, bookmarks, and even matchbooks. Generally made of paper or other less expensive materials, ephemera weren’t designed to stand the test of time; they require careful preservation as part of your rare book collection.
You may discover ephemera serendipitously, among the pages of your rare books. Common finds include pressed flowers, letters, and bookmarks. If your rare book is an association copy, the ephemera could actually add more value—don’t discard it! A few suggestions for maintaining ephemera found in your rare books:
- If you find an item of ephemera in an association copy, leave it where it is if possible. Document where the item is located in the book.
- Isolate items from the book’s pages with acid-free tissue or a Mylar envelope. That will protect both items from chemical damage.
- Some items are thick enough that they may damage the book’s spine if left in place. If that’s the case, remove the item, document its location, and preserve the item as appropriate.
Meanwhile, many collectors find that they want to bring exceptional depth to their already-focused collections. For instance, if you’ve built a collection around Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan series, the 40th-anniversary issue of Argosy All-Story Weekly would complement your collection wonderfully; it features artwork and mention of Tarzan of the Apes. Just as rare books require special care, so do your ephemera.
- Store items in containers and tissue made from acid- and lignin-free materials. No plastic!
- When storing items flat, stack items largest to smallest. Place acid-free tissue between items.
- You can also use archival manuscript boxes, to store items upright in folders.
- When the manuscript box isn’t completely full, place a stabilizer in the box to keep items from leaning or slouching.
- If items are displayed, use archive-quality materials for encasement.
- Protect your ephemera from UV light, especially sunlight.
- When labeling items, use pencil and write on the acid-free paper around your item. That way no ink can bleed through.
- Larger ephemera can be rolled into an archival core and secured with string.
If you have questions about preserving your ephemera, it’s best to ask an experienced preservationist. To enhance your collection with ephemera, consider a subject-specific bibliography that includes related ephemera.
March 29th, 2012
As a collector of rare books, your goal is to keep your collection in optimum shape. You’re careful with dust jackets and protect fragile books with clamshell cases. Even the way you shelve your rare books can impact their condition. It’s important that your home library provides the support and protection that rare books need.
Umberto Eco could use a few of these tips in his personal library!
Building Your Library from the Ground Up
Serious collectors know not to let their rare books come into contact with just any old paper, as paper can contain harmful chemicals and acids. But what about the shelves themselves? We often assume that any bookshelf is fine for our books, but choosing the right shelving materials will help you preserve your books even more effectively:
- Institutional libraries don’t use metal shelves because they’re less expensive. The ideal material for shelves themselves is actually metal, coated with a baked enamel finish.
- If metal shelves aren’t an option, coat your wooden shelves with a proper sealant to prevent acids from seeping into your books from the wood. The best options are a water-based aliphatic urethane or a clear two-coat epoxy finish.
- Wood dries out as it ages, and the chemicals often used to treat wood also dissipate over time. If your books are housed in an extremely old wooden bookcase, they’re likely safe from damage.
- In locations with high humidity, consider ventilated shelving. The additional air circulation can help prevent the growth of mold and mildew.
Storing Rare Books Properly
It’s important to store rare books with care; rubbing, pulling, and pushing can all cause unnecessary damage and decrease the value of rare books and manuscripts. It’s easy to simply place books on the shelves straight up and down, but that isn’t always the best position for your books.
- Avoid letting books slouch on the shelf. Any book with a spine wider than three inches, or taller than 18 inches, should be laid flat. The bindings of these books sometimes cannot support the spine, weakening the spine, warping the covers, and damaging the pages.
- Do not stack these books more than three volumes high. Too much weight can warp the covers of the lower books.
- Give your books a little space to breathe on the shelf. They should be close enough to support each other, but not packed so tightly that the bindings are abraded when you remove a book.
- If you use bookends, make sure they are tall enough that your books don’t lean over the top of the bookends. The weight of the book against the bookend can cause damage to the cover.
- Tall books that are shelved next to short books tend to get warped and deformed over time. Shelve books by size whenever possible.
Using the right materials and shelving techniques can make all the difference in maintaining the value of your rare book collection.
Related Posts:
Win the Battle against the Bookworm
Is It More than “Old Book Smell”?
How to Prevent and Reverse Foxing in Old Books
February 15th, 2012
Mother Nature can wreak havoc on rare books. Sunning, water damage, and humidity can all cause damage to your collection. Another enemy of your books may also be lurking on your shelves: the dreaded bookworm. They’ll tunnel right into the block, riddling the book with countless gullies and channels.
Bookworms aren’t really worms—they’re actually the larvae of several species of beetles. While these insects don’t generally attack modern books, they pose a significant threat to antiquarian books. The critters seem particularly fond of the glues used on the backs of older books, particularly those of Italian provenance. From the backs of the books, the insects often move on to the block, munching right through the pages.
You may have seen the telltale signs of bookworms: fine dust falling from between the pages when you open up a favorite volume, or tiny piles of paper dust on your shelves. These insects also don’t stop munching when they’re done with your favorite tomes. They may also feast on your bookshelves. A few simple steps will help keep your library pest free:
- Keep food away from your books! I love a good snack while reading just as much as the next person, but crumbs in books attract all kinds of insects.
- Use camphor or naphthalene as a deterrent. You can soak linen in either, and place it on the bookshelf. Re-soak the fabric whenever the scent fades.
- Some experts recommend sprinkling fine pepper along the edges of the bookshelf, though Keating’s Insect Powder might be an equally effective alternative.
- Don’t use pesticide or plastic wrapping on your rare books without first consulting a professional.
- Maintain optimum humidity levels in your library. High moisture levels can attract insects.
If insects have struck your rare books, it’s important to act fast if you want to prevent further damage. To kill existing insects, place the book in a bag with a cloth soaked in ether. Repeat every two weeks for a few months to kill any other larvae that may have hatched.
If insects have damaged the boards of your book, talk to a professional book binder about your options. The boards may require replacement. This is often the best course of action, since the old boards may still contain insect eggs. A qualified book binder will be able to assess the damage and suggest multiple options for repair.
After investing in rebinding and repair, you may want to consider a clamshell case for your book. Made to precisely fit each book, clamshell cases offer extra protection from dust and moisture.
November 30th, 2011
The process of gilding has existed since ancient times, when both Greeks and Egyptians covered wooden statues in metal. The technique was picked up by book binders as a means to protect pages from the oils and dirt of human hands—in addition to making the book itself more beautiful.
Modern bookbinders use a variety of highly specialized techniques to gild books, usually with gold or silver. The gilding process has, naturally, evolved over time as technology grants more available tools and knowledge. Gilding may be applied to the cover, spine, and block of a book. If the pages are gilt, you may see rare book sellers describe the books in one of two ways:
- All edges gilt (AEG): All three sides of the block are gilt.
- Top edge gilt (TEG): Only the top edge of the block is gilt.
Individual pages within the book may also be gilt. These are described as being illuminated.
Caring for Books with Gilded Designs
Gilt edges can be susceptible to scratches and other physical damage, so they should be handled with care. Gilding on the spine and cover may be particularly vulnerable, since they have no protection. A few options are available for preservation of gilt edges, covers, and spines:
- They can be enclosed in archival mylar protection. The “plastic” can protect the gilding from wear due to rubbing.
- Like all rare books, books should be protected from sunlight. A custom made slip-case or clamshell-case are most suitable ways to protect books from sunlight and general damage.
Meanwhile, when you handle books with gilt designs and pages, it’s important to be gentle and treat the books with care. Avoid placing the book on rough surfaces and cleaning or wiping them with chemicals. Consult an expert before cleaning a gilt book.
October 26th, 2011
By Sean Richards
Byzantium Studios
When you think of conservation and preservation, you may think of the environment. But for rare book collectors, conservation and preservation are the key to maintaining—and sometimes even increasing—the value of your prized investments.
Preservation Prevents Further Damage
Although conservation and preservation may sound like they refer to the same thing, the two terms differ significantly. When a book is preserved, it is simply protected from further damage. When someone wants a book preserved, I’ll often build a box to protect the book from the sun, air, and other environmental factors that can cause deterioration. A preservationist’s priority is the same as a doctor’s: do no harm. Preservation alone doesn’t alter the book in any way.
Conservation, however, requires a little more on chemistry to stabilize a book’s condition. A conservationist might, for instance, work on deacidifying a rare book, or use pigment dyes instead of chemical dyes to color materials used in repair. Conservationists may also alter the structure of the book to protect it from further damage over the long term.
What about Restoration?
Now if you want to return a book to its former glory, you want restoration. Restoring a book means using original materials and historic techniques to make the book look like it did when it was new—even if that was 200 years ago. Not all restorationists are familiar with conservation or preservation, so it’s important to choose someone who is not only familiar with period binding methods, but also understands how to protect your investment in the future.
A period binding should preserve the bibliographical value and integrity of the book.
Does restoring, preserving, or conserving a book improve its value? That all depends on the book, and the kind of work you have done. Regardless of whether you’re looking for conservation or restoration, you’ll want to choose a book binder who is proficient in both modern techniques and those that were used during the time period and in the geographical provenance of your book. The methods used to create, say, a 15th-century exposed board binding are very different from the ones used to create an ornate Victorian binding.
Factors to Consider
Any changes to the condition of an antiquarian book can significantly impact its value. That’s why it’s critical to consider all your options before commissioning preservation, conservation, or restoration work. Before you do either, think about these factors:
- What is the book’s value as-is?
- How will the book be used?
- Will you resell the book?
Once you’ve invested in conserving and restoring your collection, it makes sense to preserve them as well. Many collectors opt for a multi-pronged approach to maintaining their collection; they may ask me to restore or rebind a book—and to create a box to protect it.
If you have questions about preserving, restoring, or conserving your rare book collection, feel free to contact me via byzantium@sbcglobal.net or 405-329-6947.
September 21st, 2011
