ask nedcc
Frequently Asked Questions
Does NEDCC treat all kinds of objects?
How can I get a proposal and cost estimate for treatment?
How can I get a cost estimate for reformatting of materials?
How do I pack and ship my documents to NEDCC?
Can I get a schedule for NEDCC's preservation education programs?
Does NEDCC offer internships or other formal training in conservation?
Does NEDCC appraise books or manuscript materials?
Below are some of the more frequent questions posed to NEDCC’s field service staff by telephone callers. The answers provide basic information, but it is important to remember that every situation is different. It is always best to contact a preservation professional for further advice. NEDCC’s Field Service office can be reached at (978) 470-1010 or you can contact Donia Conn, Field Service Representative, with any questions.
How can I remove the musty smell from old books?
Our basement flooded and the pages of my high school yearbook are stuck together — what can I do?
How should I store my family photographs and papers?
How long do laser-printed documents last?
I opened one of my books and saw a tiny bug crawling in it — what should I do?
Northeast Document Conservation Center is a private non-profit regional conservation center whose mission is to improve the preservation programs of libraries, archives, museums, and other historical and cultural organizations; to provide the highest quality conservation services to institutions that cannot afford in-house conservation facilities or that require specialized expertise; and to provide leadership to the preservation field. The Center provides preservation microfilming, photoduplication, and education and consulting services as well as conservation treatment. See the Conservation Services for more information.
Does NEDCC treat all kinds of objects?
NEDCC specializes in the conservation treatment of paper-based materials. These include books, documents, manuscripts, photographs, works of art on paper (prints, watercolors, etc.), wallpaper, and unusual objects such as globes. NEDCC does not treat textiles, oil paintings, furniture, sculpture, or other non-paper-based materials. See the Conservation Services for more information.
How can I get a proposal and cost estimate for treatment?
NEDCC’s conservators must examine the object to be treated before a treatment proposal and cost estimate can be given. Costs depend on the condition of the material and the type of treatment that is needed, and each object is unique. Objects can be brought to NEDCC for examination or they can be shipped. Packing and shipping instructions are available. Once an object has been examined, the conservator provides an estimate that sets out options for treatment. The course of treatment must be approved by the client before conservation treatment can begin.
How can I get a cost estimate for reformatting of materials?
Costs depend upon the condition of the material. It is always helpful to see at least a cross sample of the collection prior to providing an estimate. Non-binding estimates will be provided by the Photoduplication department and the Preservation Microfilming department after discussion with the client. Please complete the microfilm questionnaire to assist in providing a preservation microfilm estimate.
How do I pack and ship my documents to NEDCC?
Refer to NEDCC's Packing and Shipping leaflet.
Can I get a schedule for NEDCC’s preservation education programs?
Upcoming workshops, lectures, and other events are listedin the calendar at a glance. The Center does not offer a regularly scheduled series of workshops, but programs on basic preservation, disaster planning, book repair, photograph preservation, and preservation reformatting are offered periodically. Workshops on other preservation topics can be designed to meet an organization's needs. Contact Donia Conn, Field Service Representative, (978) 470-1010, ext. 220, , for more information.
Does NEDCC offer internships or other formal training in conservation?
NEDCC offers conservation technician and advanced internship positions periodically, but it does not provide a formal training program for conservators. Advanced interns normally have completed or are in the process of completing a master’s degree at one of the recognized graduate programs in conservation. Contact Walter Newman, Director of Paper Conservation, at or (978) 470-1010 for more information. There are several formal graduate training programs in conservation located throughout the country. The American Institute for Conservation has information about these programs and about conservation training in general.
Does NEDCC appraise books or manuscript materials?
NEDCC does not offer appraisal services for books or manuscripts. Sources for information about appraisal services include the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America and the Appraisers Association of America.
How can I remove the musty smell from old books?
There is no guaranteed way to remove the musty smell from old books, but there are several strategies that may be successful. A musty smell is most often noted in books that have been exposed to high relative humidity and may have been moldy or mildewed in the past.
One strategy involves creating an enclosed chamber. This is most easily done by using two plastic garbage cans, one large (with a lid) and one small. An odor-absorbing material should be placed in the bottom of the larger can. Materials that absorb odors include baking soda, charcoal briquettes (without lighter fluid), kitty litter, and Zeolites. The object to be “deodorized” should be placed in the smaller can, which is then placed inside the larger can. The lid should then be placed on the larger can, and the chamber should be left for some time. Monitor the material periodically, since the time required to reduce the odors will vary from object to object.
A second option is the use of paper containing Zeolite molecular traps. Known as MicroChamber® products, these papers have proven very effective in removing odors. Place a sheet of the lightweight, 100% cotton interleaving tissue between the front board and the endpaper, every 100 pages throughout the volume, and again between the back board and endpaper. Close the book and set it aside until the odor is reduced. It may be necessary to replace interleaving several times, putting new sheets at different locations in the book. For product information and supplies contact Conservation Resources at (800) 634-6932.
Our basement flooded, and now the pages of my high school yearbook are stuck together — what can I do?
Unfortunately, there may be little to do. Most yearbooks are printed on glossy coated paper; the same paper is used in many art books. When coated paper gets wet and then begins to dry, the coating on facing pages sticks together. Once this occurs, it generally cannot be reversed. Freezing within about six hours, followed by vacuum freeze drying, can be successful in saving this type of material. The vacuum freeze drying must be carried out by a commercial service, however, and is relatively expensive.
In many cases, the pages are only partially stuck together. If this is the case, try to gently separate the pages with a teflon-coated folder or microspatula (available from conservation suppliers). There will be some loss in areas where the pages were stuck, but other parts of the information may be salvageable. Another strategy is to locate another copy of the yearbook. If none are available for purchase, borrow a copy and have a good-quality photocopy made. The photocopy could then be bound by a library binder. Some public libraries maintain collections of local school annuals.
It is also possible to bring the item to a conservator for an evaluation. A conservator may or may not be able to improve the object’s condition. If treatment is feasible, it will likely be time-consuming and expensive, so this option should usually be limited to items with high monetary or sentimental value.
How should I store my family photographs and papers?
Family photographs and papers should be protected from excessive heat, humidity and pollution. Attics and basements are the worst storage areas because of their extreme heat and humidities. It is better to store family collections on the upper shelf of a closet in the main part of the house where temperature and relative humidity tend to be relatively stable. Photographs and papers should be protected from light. Color photographs are especially vulnerable to deterioration. Exhibited items should not be placed in direct sun or in bright areas, and it is best not to exhibit any particular photograph or document permanently.
Important materials that will be kept over the long term should be stored in archival-quality enclosures. For papers, this usually means lignin-free buffered folders and boxes. For photographs, stable polyester enclosures are usually best. Conservation suppliers offer both polyester pages with pockets for photos and polyester and paper photo corners that can be used to mount photos on neutral pH album pages. Never use polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic pages or “magnetic” photo albums. These actually hold the photos in place with adhesive that is damaging.
Videotapes are also vulnerable. They have a limited life expectancy, and should be copied onto new tape every 10–15 years. See the technical leaflets NEDCC Offers Hints for Preserving Family Collections and Care of Photographs, for further tips.
In the late 1970s, NEDCC publicized a homemade solution for deacidifying news clippings, but the Center no longer recommends this solution. If a clipping is being retained solely for informational purposes, a simple preservation strategy is to photocopy the newspaper clipping onto archival-quality paper. Newsprint paper is extremely poor quality and will continue to deteriorate even if it is nonaqueously deacidified or washed. Some inks are soluble in commercially available deacidification sprays, and some colors may change when they are alkalized. As a result, any document to be treated should be tested before it is sprayed. Photographs should never be deacidified.
How long do laser-printed documents last?
The stability of a laser-printed document depends largely on the quality of paper used and the degree to which the toner adheres to the paper. Archival-quality paper should be used; in practice, this means a paper that meets the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard for permanent paper. Among other things, this standard requires the paper to have a pH of 7.5 or above and a calcium carbonate content of over 2% calcium carbonate is a buffering material that raises the pH of the paper and fights against future acid deterioration. Many papers on the market today meet the standard. A toner with a stable pigment such as carbon black should be used, and the printer should be regularly maintained and serviced.
I opened one of my books and saw a tiny bug crawling in it — what should I do?
These may be booklice (also known as psocids) or silverfish. Booklice are extremely small, about 1–2 mm long. Silverfish are larger (up to 12.5 mm) and over time can eat holes in paper. The presence of silverfish and psocids often indicates a humidity problem in a storage area. If booklice or silverfish are noted, the first step should be to inspect collections to determine whether the problem is widespread or isolated. If only a few insects are seen, try to address the problem by reducing the humidity in the space and isolating and vacuuming the affected materials. Monitor the area for additional insect activity with sticky traps available from local hardware stores, University Products, and other suppliers. If these measures are not successful, or if the problem is widespread, additional measures may be necessary. Non-chemical measures are preferable to chemical treatments. It is best to contact a preservation professional to discuss appropriate options.
We have some old wooden bookcases in the library — how can we treat them to make them safe for our historical collection?
Many libraries have built-in wooden shelving for storing historical collections. From the perspective of preservation, it is best to store collections on metal shelving, since wood shelving can give off damaging pollutants. If wood shelving must be used, several steps can be taken to minimize damage to collections. None of these actions will provide complete protection, however. All wood shelves should be sealed; currently the best choice for sealant is a moisture-borne polyurethane. Oil-based paints and stains should be avoided. Any sealant should be tested for chemical stability before use. In addition, shelves can be lined with museum board, polyester film, glass, Plexiglas, or an inert metallic laminate material to prevent materials from coming into direct contact with the wood. If collections must be stored in closed wooden cabinets or shelving, the cabinets should be aired out several times a year to minimize buildup of damaging fumes.
I have some old leather books with dried and cracked bindings — should I put leather dressing on them?
The use of leather dressings (neatsfoot oil, lanolin, etc.) was widespread in libraries for many years, but the conservation community now recommends that it be avoided in most cases. Research and experience have shown that leather dressings can have some undesirable side effects. Damaging, disfiguring effects can include discoloration, staining, and stickiness of the leather, wicking of oil into adjoining materials including text blocks, and increased danger of mold growth on treated materials. Leather dressing can be appropriate for some objects, but it should be used very sparingly and advice should be sought from a conservator before using it.