BOXES (PROTECTIVE ENCLOSURES)
AND SHRINK PACKAGING:
RECOMMENDED PROCEDURES
The Libraries' collections require a wide variety of preservation and conservation actions which include permanent or temporary protective enclosures (boxes) and shrink packaging.
This page outlines these current options available and their recommended applications:
ENCLOSURE OPTION 1: "PHASE BOX"
Description: This is one of several types of wrappers or boxes made out of acid-free cardboard that serves as an intermediate or long-term housing for books and other materials in an early "phase" of preservation. The box serves as an action to defer conservation or replacement.
Phase Box
Recommended application: Damaged or deteriorated serial and monographic volumes, too brittle to be commercially rebound, which have received recent usage but for which replacements are not available and/or conservation is currently not possible.
Examples:
- Serial: The Magazine of Art, 1888. (FIN)
- Monograph: Loudon. An Encyclopaedia of Plants, 1829.(BPL)
Cost: $4.00 and up, with average about $5.00, depending upon the physical dimensions of the volume.
Labeling: Author, title and call number are placed on the box spine or front cover, depending upon thickness of enclosure. Volumes are stamped "boxed [date]" on the date-due slip (or last flyleaf) prior to boxing to assist in future decisions.
Recommended procedure for Oscar/Felix update:
- Update the item record's status to "r" ("at preservation")
- Insert a note into the "staff note" field to include (as approriate):
- "Box mm-dd-yy" (month-day-year sent) With sender's initials.
- Complete and insert a Collection Maintenance Streamer
- Forward the item via library delivery routines to Collection Maintenance Division, 6055 Ackerman Library.
Other procedures:
- Quotas may be set up for controlled workflow.
- Large sets may be measured on-site for fabrication of the boxes without need of the volumes to be transported. (Contact the supervisor, Collection Maintenance Division, 2-0342, for such projects.)
Subsequent action: Volumes receiving significant usage after
phase boxing should be considered for replacement, reformatting, or treatment.
ENCLOSURE OPTION 2: SHRINK PACKAGING (or SHRINK WRAPPING)
Description: Volume is wrapped in 60-gauge polyolefin, an inert clear plastic that wraps tightly around the volume.
Shrink-wrapped volume
Recommended applications is for low-use serials and monographs with brittle paper, for which rebinding is not feasible, and for which replacements are unavailable, unknown, or too expensive. Shrink wrapping provides a cheap holding action until a later date.
Other recommendations:
- It is recommended that an item has its correct bar code label attached prior to shrink wrapping.
- Volumes with cover dimensions larger than about 13 X 18 inches should be forwarded for phase boxing
Example:
- Serial: Revue de Deux Mondes, 1873. (MAI, STX)
- Monograph: Gopceric. Serbien und die Serben, 1891. (MAI, STX)
Cost: $.05 to $.30 per volume.
Recommended procedure for Oscar/Felix update:
- Update the item record's status to "r" ("at preservation")
- Insert a note into the "staff note" field to include (as appropriate):
- "Shrink-wrap mm-dd-yy" (month-day-year sent) With sender's initials.
- Complete and insert a Collection Maintenance Streamer
- Forward the item via library delivery routines to Collection Maintenance Division, 6055 Ackerman Library.
Other procedures: Quotas are set up for controlled workflow. Contact the supervisor, Collection Maintenance Division, 2-0342, for more information.
Labeling:
- Author and/or title and call number are added only when original volume's spine or cover information has been lost.
- An explanatory note to the reader is inserted within each package.
- Volumes are stamped "wrapped [date]" on the date due slip (or last flyleaf) prior to wrapping to assist in future decisions.
Subsequent action: Volumes receiving additional usage after shrink wrapping may be placed into consideration for replacement by:
a) updating the item record's status in
OSCAR to "r" ("sent to preservation for handling");
inserting a note into the staff note field to include "Search for
Replacement mm-dd-yy" (month- day-year sent) with senders initials;
and forwarding the volume to Collection Maintenance Division accompanied by a
Collection Maintenance Streamer marked "Search for Replacement,"
or
b) by sending an OSCAR printout to the Division supervisor accompanied by a
marked Collection Maintenance Streamer. Replacement searching will be done and a preservation decision sought from the
collection manager.
Volumes may be repeatedly shrink-wrapped
and reshelved after usage, if recommended by the
subject specialist.
ENCLOSURE OPTION 3. MAGNETIC AND OTHER AUDIO-VISUAL MATERIAL
Description: Computer diskettes, audio-tapes and videotapes (for example) are packaged and labeled separately to facilitate accurate patron charges and to protect the media. The practice follows public services preferences and Technical Services procedures.
Recommended application: Magnetic media are identified by Cataloging Department and public services units for protective enclosures.
Example:
- Calipr: An Automated Tool to Assess ..., 1991. [Book with set of computer diskettes]
Cost: $1.00 and up per enclosure, depending upon size and need.
Labeling: Author / title / call number, with "magnetic media" warning label.
Subsequent action: When necessary.
ENCLOSURE OPTION 4: CLAMSHELL, DROP-SPINE OR PORTFOLIO BOX
Description: Cloth-covered box made to the exact specifications of an individual rare book or artifact.
Clamshell box under its rare volume
Recommended application: Special Collections volumes or artifacts with high value in their original bindings or forms.
Example:
- Saint Antonius. Confessionale: defecerant scrutantes scrutinio, 1483. (RAR)
Cost: $50 and up per box, depending upon size and special features.
Labeling: Author, title, call number on spine.
Procedures: Contact the Book and Paper Conservator at 292-9690 or [mailto:campbell.12.osu.edu] for special arrangements for clamshell, drop-spine or portfolio box to be purchased or fabricated in-house.
Subsequent action: Box and contents are shelved until subject
specialist / curator identifies them for additional conservation treatment.
SUMMARY: Protective enclosures are a means by which individual volumes or other materials are protected and whose parts are kept together until a better, but usually more expensive, solution can be realized. The guidelines above are meant to assist subject specialists and others in choosing the most appropriate, feasible option until those volumes can be scheduled for full conservation treatment, or reviewed for reformatting to another medium, purchased replacement, or withdrawal from the collections.
Return To Collection Maintenance
Comments and suggestions may be forwarded to the Preservation Officer.
Content by Wes Boomgaarden, boomgaarden.1@osu.edu
Updated by Andrew Hang, Preservation Webmaster, June 28, 2007.
Date last revised: January 8, 2007.