A comparison of standard practice treatments in research library book conservation, 2007 to 2017

Abstract

In 2007, a web-based survey of book conservation practices was conducted in order to document standard-practice, moderate-use, and low-use book conservation treatments for general and special collections in research libraries in the United States. This article reports on the findings of a ten-year follow-up survey conducted in 2017, to determine whether, and how, book conservation treatment practices have changed over the last ten years. Overall, the data indicate that while general collections treatment practices have remained consistent, special collections practices continue to evolve, with many treatments newly qualifying as standard practice in the special collections context since 2007. The data also suggest areas of further research, including how demographic factors may correlate with particular treatment practices.