- Protect borrowed material from rain.
- Keep books out of the reach of pets.
- Handle books carefully, especially when photocopying.
- Notify library staff if a book needs repair.
- Return books at the Circulation Desk rather than a book drop whenever possible. Books may be damaged by landing or being landed upon in book drops.
- Guard against spine breaks and tears by removing books from library shelves by grasping them mid-spine.
- Use a bookmark. Folded corners break off, and bulky placeholders damage text blocks.
- Keep office supplies out of library materials. Sticky notes, paper clips, scotch tape and rubber bands are all destructive to books.
- Read with clean, dry hands. Skin residue can stain and quicken paper deterioration.
- Avoid book stress. Books shouldn't be forced into uncomfortable positions or beyond their own limits.
- Be especially careful with brittle or fragile materials.
- Observe the food and drink policies as posted in the library, and outside of the library keep drinks on a different work surface from books and computers.
- Don't eat and handle library materials at the same time.
- Don't use books as coasters.
- Avoid exposing books to sunlight for extended periods of time.
Information on Preserving Personal Collections:
- The Library of Congress Preservation Department's Caring For Your Collections site
- NEDCC Offers Hints for Preserving Family Collections
- Conservation/Preservation Information for the General Public from Conservation Online (CoOL)
For more information about library collections care, contact the Preservation Librarian, Andrew Hart.
Website comments or questions: ashart@email.unc.edu
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URL: http://www.lib.unc.edu/preservation/bookcaretips.html
This page was last updated Monday, July 18, 2005.