Collection Conservation and Housing

Collection Conservation and Housing (CCH) is one branch of Conservation and Exhibition Services available from the Preservation Department.  CCH provides preservation and conservation services for the Library's open stack and circulating collections through a program of physical treatments.  Library materials are repaired in accordance with conservation principles acknowledged to be sound practice for circulating collections.  Collection Conservation and Housing's practices fit along a continuum of treatment with both simpler and more intensive conservation treatments.   

To send collection items to CCH, please follow these instructions.

Once received, all materials are assessed.  If treatment is the best option, the CCH Conservation Assistants will specify the treatment protocols and organize the materials by the general treatment type and then by date received.  All materials are tracked using pseudo patrons.  Materials can be recalled from CCH if needed and the required treatments will be rushed whenever possible.  For questions regarding items in CCH’s workflows, please contact the unit staff at 2-8739.  For all other inquiries, please contact the Assistant Chief Conservator, Werner Haun.

Typical treatments carried out in CCH include:

  • Tipping in publisher’s corrections and additions
  • Opening uncut pages
  • Replacing missing pages
  • Mending tears
  • Repairing bindings (Rebacking or Hinge Tightening)
  • Rebinding (Recasing)

Following treatment, some materials are routed, as appropriate, for mass deacidification before being sent on for labeling and shelving.

Materials for which treatment is not the best option or cannot be accomplished are searched and reviewed for reformatting consideration and/or boxing.  For questions about the review and assessment process, contact the Preservation Services Librarian, Tara Kennedy.  For inquiries related to reformatting decisions, contact  Head of DRMS, Robert Klingenberger.

Last modified: 
Thursday, July 31, 2014 - 3:31pm