Deacidification Procedures

New monograph acquisitions arrive from DataCat having already been tested for acidity. The pH testing pen mark should be yellow and any borderline colors should be retested. The books are sorted by several criteria for statistical purposes. The DEACID streamers go back to DataCat.

Books with pages that are very brittle, clay coated, or calendared cannot be treated. Also, in the case of multiple copies of the same book, only one copy should be treated. Books that are acidic but cannot or should not be treated receive a "Reviewed for Acidity" stamp with the date noted inside the front cover.

Retrospective treatment of books based on defined call number areas and subject areas are sometimes included in the shipments. Binding Prep. staff are directed to test a particular range of books, marking the alkaline ones with the infinity stamp and marking the inappropriate ones with the "Reviewed for Acidity" stamp on the inside front cover. Books appropriate for mass treatment are pulled from the shelf and brought to Binding Prep.

Some circulating books that arrive for binding/repair review that fall into certain subject areas (currently Africana, Latin American, Baltic, etc.) should be tested for acidity in the same manner as the retrospective books.

The determination for treatment of books with pages that contain both acidic and non-acidic paper should be based on the test result of the majority of the pages. For instance, a book with half or more of it’s pages testing as acidic would be treated.

It is required that books which are in disrepair be properly repaired or bound prior to the mass deacidification process. These books need to be marked so that when they return from the Conservation Lab or the bindery they will be routed back to the deacidification workflow.

Books are checked-out to an internal patron. DataCat generates a packing list from Magic and puts notation in each item record regarding the treatment and date. The books are packed carefully into plastic totes. The number of books in each tote is documented by type (hardcover, softcover, retrospective, etc.) in a spreadsheet. The packing list and a form from the deacidification company are placed into tote 1-1 and the books are shipped.

The deacidification company inserts a sticker on the last page of each book indicating the date of treatment. When the shipment is returned, the books are unpacked, stamped on the top edge of the book block with a "D", checked-in and sent on to their appropriate destination.