When The Library of Congress considered the undertaking the conservation and restoration of all the collections which needed immediate attention, they saw a daunting task. Lacking finds and trained staff, they determined to create an in-house Phased Preservation Boxing Program. The details, complete with in depth instructions and diagrams for building the preservation boxes can be found online at the Hathi Trust Digital Library.

The first Phased Preservation Boxing Program at the Library was designed to save a collection of about eight thousand rare European law books dating chiefly from the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth centuries, the majority of which were in un-restored, stiff-board vellum bindings. This collection, subjected for many years to an adverse environment (high temperatures and fluctuating humidity), had been shelved in the conventional manner regardless of size.

Over the years the larger volumes, which were free to move, expanded and contracted in response to changes in temperature and humidity. Severe dam-
age to book structures and bindings was the inevitable result. Other types of mechanical damage were also widespread. Some immediate form of protection was urgently needed while awaiting the time when conservation treatment could be undertaken, perhaps within a decade or two.

This prgram is target primarily for books that do not see a lot of regular use as a way to stop or retard the damage done by time and light to the rare collections. A simple adaptation of this program by book collectors could protect and preserve their collections.

The Library stresses that phased boxes, being somewhat awkward to open and close, are not suitable for frequently used collections and are designed for valuable book collections which need stabilizing but are not handled very often.

I located this valuable resource online and want to share it with you. The first part of the publication consists of very detailed instructions to build the boxes from one or at most two pieces of archival boared. Detailed diagrams can be located at the end of the publication.

I hope you will find this information useful and at the very least will serve to turn your mind towards the important topic of preserving your valuable collections. The program has been very successful for the Library.

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