Technical Services Procedures

Technical Services Tools - General Tools & Links: Preservation guidelines for processing materials in Acquisitions

Page Editor:Jeanne Drewes
Last Updated:March 27, 2006

1. Open Books gently, don’t bend covers back, don’t "crack" cases.
2. Place adhesive side of tattle tape strips against binding, not against the textblock of hard bound books.
3. Tattle tape only those paperback books that are to be rush processed; otherwise, skip them. For rush paperbacks, choose a page with wide margins near the center of the book whenever possible, and place the tattle tape strip deep into the gutter. Don’t tattle tape stapled, ring-bound, or spiral-bound materials.
4. Use pink ties to hold materials together. Never use rubber bands.
5. If a book is too tall to be shelved vertically, set it on its spine or lay it flat on its cover board. Fore edge shelving is UNACCEPTABLE because it can cause the body of the book to tear from its case.
6. Avoid shelving books without support: they may permanently bend or splay.
7. Use BookendS at the ends of partially filled shelves to keep the books UPRIGHT.
8. Additional Guidelines For Loading Book Trucks:
1. Place books in an UPRIGHT position on trucks because placing books on their fore edges even for a short period of time can cause the body of the book to tear away from its case.
2. Keep books vertical on partially filled shelves by using BookendS or a group of books laid flat to support the others.
3. Avoid jamming books too tightly.
4. Don’t stack additional materials on top of a row of books.
5. Place OVERSIZE books either f l a t or on their spines on the truck shelf.
6. Balance weight distribution so that book trucks will not tip over!
7. Move book trucks carefully around corners and in narrow passageways.