Greetings Psuzannes:
You are wise to inquire about book cleaning procedures because books,
especially vintage ones, may easily be damaged during cleaning when
book-safe procedures are not observed.
This is found in an article titled "CLEANING BOOKS AND SHELVES" by
Sherelyn Ogden, Head of Conservation, Minnesota Historical Society:
"Shelves are best cleaned with a magnetic wiping cloth, which attracts
and holds dust with an electrostatic charge. This type of cloth is
sold commercially under brand names such as the Dust Bunny, the Dust
Magnet, and Preserve-It...Books should be cleaned by being held firmly
closed and wiped with one of the cloths mentioned above. The magnetic
wiping cloth is preferable because it does not contain chemicals or
other substances that could be left behind on books. If books are
covered with a heavy layer of dust, vacuuming may be advisable. A soft
brush attachment is recommended. A piece of cheesecloth or screen
should be added between the end of the hose and the brush attachment
to prevent loose fragments of deteriorated bindings from being sucked
into the vacuum. The suction of the vacuum may need to be decreased
for this reason. The vacuum should not be used directly on books of
artifactual or associational value. Instead, a soft-bristled brush
should be used to sweep dust from the book into the vacuum nozzle.
When cleaning books it is important to hold them firmly closed to
prevent dirt from slipping down between the leaves. Books should be
wiped or brushed away from the spine to avoid pushing dirt into the
endcap or down into the spine of the binding. The top of the book,
which is usually the dirtiest area, should be cleaned first and then
the rest of the book wiped or vacuumed. Dust cloths should be changed
frequently, and the cloths used to clean shelves should never be used
to clean books."
From http://www.nedcc.org/plam3/tleaf43.htm
Please read the entire article as it contains more information on
cleaning books as well as providing contacts for the purchasing of
recommended cleaning cloths.
*********
From a message board at
http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byform/mailing-lists/cdl/1994/0703.html
:
"In reply to the query about dusting books: We use 'One Wipe' dust
cloths, remove each book from the shelf, hold it firmly in one hand
with
the foreedge tipped down, and wipe the top edge from spine to front.
When the dust cloths get dirty I take a pile home and wash them in
machine. Each one can be reused many times, some of ours are still
useable after 5 or 6 washings. The dust cloths can be bought in
bundles
of 10 from several vendors including TALAS.
Dina Schoonmaker
Special Collections & Preservation
Oberlin College Library"
*********
Library Preservation Services
"If books are covered with a heavy layer of dust, vacuuming is
advisable. Use one of the mini vacuum cleaners with adjustable suction
and a soft goat-hair brush as mentioned in the Equipment page to clean
books...If it is noticed that dust has got on to the pages of a book,
as is often the case when the paper has cockled slightly and opened up
the top edge of a book, it may be brushed out very carefully, page by
page, with a soft sable brush or ponyhair fitch. Do not attempt to
hurry this work; hands must be washed frequently to avoid transferring
dirt from one book to another."
http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dept/preservation/services/housekeeping/method2.htm
*********
From http://lawlibrary.ucdavis.edu/LAWLIB/nov95/0227.html
"Others may have other ideas, but I have found that hand-held
vacuum cleaners are the best equipment for cleaning general dust and
book
dust. Wear a filter mask, though."
The wearing of a filter mask on the face was echoed in other messages
and it was mentioned that bacteria often resides in dust.
From http://lawlibrary.ucdavis.edu/LAWLIB/nov95/0203.html
"In my case, some of my people were using a feather duster and came up
with some respiratory problems. Though nothing serious, it was still
unpleasant for them. I began using a standard industrial strength
breathing mask and stopped having problems. I understand that mold and
bacteria can reside within the dust."
*********
OTHER LINKS THAT MAY PROVE USEFUL:
Cleaning moldy or sooty books (with diagram)
http://www.mbkcons.com/wkshp/disaster/disastercleanill.htm
How to clean your books safely - advice on cleaning books
http://www.litterascripta.com/bibliomania/clean.shtml
Care and Handling section of the Library Preservation and Conservation
Tutorial
http://www.librarypreservation.org/management_and_planning/care.htm
*********
Should you require clarification of any of the links or information I
have provided, please request it and I will be happy to respond, and
thank you for the opportunity to answer this interesting question!
Best regards,
journalist-ga
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