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Marissa Krein
NEH: Preservation Assistance Grant
December 13, 2016
Project Abstract
Rod Library Special Collections owns the important monograph collection: Monumenta
Germaniae Historica. We currently hold 100 volumes of the collection, including the two oldest
series Scriptores and Avctorvm Antiquissimorvm published between 1826 and 2009. This
publication project is important because it contains the only edited works of important Germanic
medieval histories and texts (500-1500 AD) and is many times the only place these works can be
accessed outside of the originals. This collection is uncommon in smaller research libraries like
Rod Library and because of this the library feels like it is its duty to properly preserve it in both
paper and digital forms. With funding from this grant, Special Collections would properly
preserve the older damaged editions with custom enclosures and purchase for the entire
collection preservation quality steel shelves. Special Collections would also receive training from
a specialist on how properly digitize the collection.
Narrative
A.

What activity (or activities) would the grant support?

The grant will support the purchase of powdered coated steel shelving to rehouse University of
Northern Iowas Monumenta Germaniae Historica (MGH) collection. The grant will also fund
the purchase of custom enclosures for the books in the collection still in original binding or
otherwise deteriorating conditions. The goals of this preservation project are based on
recommendations from a preservation assessment of the two oldest series, Scriptores and
Avctorvm Antiquissimorvm, performed in October 2016. In addition, grant funds will be used to
hire a consultant to educate library staff on standards and best practices for digitization, as well
as the proper care and handling of the collection during the digitization process.
B.
What are the content and size of the humanities collections that are the focus of the
project?
Iowa Rod Library Special Collections holds 100 volumes of the Monumenta Germaniae
Historica. The series is arguably one of the most important humanities publishing projects of all
time. It was started in Germany in 1819 by Karl Freiherr von Stein and was a response to the
rising of nationalist feelings in the nineteenth century. The series contains edited versions of
ancient and medieval Germanic texts and is often the only place to view these writings outside of
the original texts. It was immediately popular among historians worldwide and this popularity
allowed it to survive the chaos of wars that plagued Germany during the nineteenth and twentieth
centuries. It is still published today and continues to provide the world with in-depth primary
source analysis of ancient and medieval Europe.
This grant request will allow the library to preserve its entire Monumenta Germaniae Historica
collection. Currently, the collection contains 100 volumes, including the two oldest series,

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Scriptores (1826-2009) and Avctorvm Antiquissimorvm (1877-1905). The two series are
especially important because of the limited number of original prints that exist. Only forty-six
sets of the Scriptores series and thirty-one sets of the Avctorvm Antiquissimorvm series exist
worldwide. With such a small number of original print runs available, it is important that an
effort is made to stabilize their conditions for future generations. It is also equally important that
Rod Library Special Collections preserves their collection of the series. It is unusual for a
university the size of the University of Northern Iowa to hold the series. Big research universities
and libraries such as the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Notre
Dame hold the majority of the holdings of the series in the United States. Rod Library is also the
only university library in Iowa to hold the earliest volumes of the collection. University of Iowa
and Iowa State University both hold editions first published in the 1870s, thus making Rod
Librarys collection an important resource for the states ancient and medieval European
scholars.
In addition, scholars will also be interested in Rod Librarys holdings of the collection because of
the university's position in the Midwest. The Midwest/Great Lakes region is very prominent in
medieval studies, boasting several major programs, including the two largest institutes for
medieval studies in North America (University of Notre Dame and the University of Toronto)
and the International Congress on Medieval Studies, the worlds largest gathering of medieval
scholars that meets annually at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. With
such promising programs and gatherings in the area, it is important that Rod Library calls
attention to its holdings by properly preserving and digitizing them to be of service to scholars in
the Midwest from smaller institutions that are also part of this regional academic network.
The Monumenta Germaniae Historica series itself is important to humanities across several
major areas. The series is conceived of as history of not only Germany, but of the Germanic
peoples in general. In many cases, the collection holds the only critical editions of several texts,
particularly those that relate to a pivotal change in history during the late Roman Empire and the
transformation of Europe from the ancient to early medieval periods. From a book history
standpoint, the series represents a critical window into the publishing world of the nineteenth
century, particularly in Germany.
C.

How are these humanities collections used?

The Monumenta Germaniae Historica collection held by Rod Library is primarily used in the
Special Collections Reading Room. The collection is often requested because of the horrible
conditions of the digital surrogates. Currently, there are digital scans on Hathi Trust and Google
Book. These scans are of poor quality. Scholars have found distorted images, peoples hands in
the scan, and missing pages. The database through Brepols is equally as bad. It has all the
content, but is at least fifteen years old and often seen to be clunky by scholars. It is really only
suited for keyword searches and presenting short passages, not for in-depth engagement with the
text. The database is also missing the critical apparatus. This tool is very important to the study
of ancient and medieval texts because it shows variant readings and footnotes found in other
editions of the texts. Scholars requesting the collection at Rod Library often them use to view
this and for lengthy readings of the texts.

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The collection is used by a wide variety of scholars because it covers so much of the ancient and
medieval Germanic history from around AD 500 to 1500. The earliest texts cover and discuss
Germanic tribes' relations with the Roman Empire. Later texts describe the often-violent
transition from Roman to Germanic rule. The texts then explore the ruling of the Germanic
successor states of the Merovingians and Carolingians, including the reign of Charlemagne. The
last texts in the collection explore the Germanic states' transition into the medieval era and the
beginnings of the Renaissance.
Since the collection covers so much of ancient and medieval history and a wide variety of
subjects, the collection is a foundation series for medieval history and is used frequently used by
University of Northern Iowa professors, staff, and students. Robert L. Dise of the University of
Northern Iowa Department of History is currently using the collection to study the Late
Antiquity era. This era is the transitional period (AD 200-700) when the Roman Empire and the
Mediterranean-wide Greco-Roman gradually evolved into the distinct civilizations of Late
Christendom, Byzantium, and Islam. A student of his is using the collection for their senior
thesis on the invasion of Greece and Balkans by the Goths, a Germanic tribe. The student is
relying heavily on the Monumenta Germaniae Historica chronicle of the early history of the
Gothic peoples called the Getica by Jordanes. Professor Jay T. Lees, also of the Department of
History, frequently uses the collection to explore his interests in tenth-century canoness, poet,
and playwright Hrotsvit of Gandersheim, as well as the twelfth-century Second Crusade. David
Morris, a visiting scholar from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, used it do
research on the propaganda and rhetorical fighting that marked the conflict between the popes
and the Holy Roman emperors/kings of Germany during the eleventh and twelfth centuries. He
relied heavily on the correspondence found in the Monumenta Germaniae Historica volume
Libelli de Lite.
Lastly, the Rod Library is predicting an increased use of the Monumenta Germaniae Historica.
Rosamond McKitterick, from the University of Cambridge, will be the next visiting scholar of
the University of Northern Iowas Department of History. She will primarily be using the
collection to study the Frankish kingdoms of the eighth and ninth centuries and early medieval
Rome. She will be giving the first lecture focusing on what she uncovered in the collection at the
Phi Alpha Theta lecture series in September 2017.

D.

What is the nature and mission of your institution?

The mission of the Rod Library Special Collections is to provide access to rich information
resources and innovative services in a vibrant learning environment that inspires members of the
University and wider community to embrace, challenge, and engage in critical inquiry and
creative thought while contributing to society as responsible world citizens. The Special
Collections began as an informal collection with some rare and valuable books stored in the
Head Librarians office. The collection continued on this path until the administration decided to
change the school from Iowa States Teachers College to the University of Northern Iowa. The
Head Librarian, Donald O. Rod, understood that the collection needed to be overhauled due to
the move toward university status. With the help of the University of the Northern Iowa
Foundation, Rod began to purchase quality pieces highlighting printing history, 16th and 17th
century pieces, limited editions, and modern fine printing. It is during this time that the collection

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of Monumenta Germaniae Historica was purchased. In 1974, the Special Collections unit was
officially created and allocated a lockable space to house its collection. Recently, the unit has
been working toward collecting state and local history material to stratify research demands.
Rod Library Special Collections is governed by the University of Northern Iowa and State of
Iowa Board of Regents. The operating budget for FY 2015 was $150,000 with a small budget of
$1,000 dollars to purchase addition rare book material. Sources of major funding included the
State of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa Foundation.
Rod Library Special Collections is open Monday through Thursday from 8am-6pm, Friday 8am4pm, and Sundays 12pm-4pm year round with limited hours during university holidays and
breaks. Students, faculty, researchers, and members of the community are welcome to use most
of the Special Collections material. However, the material must be used in the Special
Collections Readings room.
The staff of Rod Library Special Collections includes three full time staff: Rachel Acheson,
Special Collections and University Archives Librarian, Dave Hoing, library associate in charge
of processing collections, and Joy Lynn, secretary. Five student assistants also work within
Special Collections, processing incoming collections and assisting patrons. Three to four
volunteers from the Department of History help with various projects and services.

E.
Has your institution ever had a preservation or conservation assessment or
consultations?
Special Collections participated in a Preservation Assessment Survey of the Monumenta
Germaniae Historicas two oldest series, Scriptores (1826-2009) and Avctorvm Antiquissimorvm
(1877-1905), in the fall of 2016. The site visit and report was prepared by Ruth Slagle, Sylvia
Rosillo, and Marissa Krein. The assessment is attached as Appendix A.
The short-term goal of moving the entire Monumenta Germaniae Historica to a stable
environment has been accomplished. In October of 2016, the collection was officially moved out
of the uncontrolled environment in basement storage to temporary shelving in our climate
controlled Special Collections heads office. The illustrations of the works have also been
protected with Japanese tissue paper.
The long-term preservations goals of purchasing custom enclosures for the eleven-damaged
edition and purchasing of preservation quality powder quoted steel shelves have not been
accomplished. It is hoped that funding for this grant will help us complete the goals and
recommendations of this survey.

F.

What is the importance of this project to your institution?

Rod Library has made the necessary changes to the environment of the Monumenta Germaniae
Historica collection. The obvious next steps are to purchase the necessary equipment, supplies,
and secure digitization training to promote the long-term care for the collection. This grant will
give Special Collections the momentum and funding to begin this long-term preservation plan.

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The long-term preservation plan will begin by focusing on stabilizing the condition of the most
damaged series, Scriptores and Avctorvm Antiquissimorvm, identified in our recent preservation
assessment. All of Monumenta Germaniae Historica has been moved to a stable environment in
the Special Collections Reading Room. This move is greatly beneficial to the entire collection.
However, it does not stabilize the damage found in the oldest volumes in the collection.To do
this, the unit needs to order eleven custom enclosures to protect the worst damaged volumes.
These enclosures will help stabilize the original prints of Monumenta Germaniae Historica
printed in the nineteenth century. These originals prints have never been properly preserved.
There was not an established preservation plan for the unit until the mid-1990s and even with the
adaption of the plan many unique collections were looked over and left in storage in the librarys
basement. With recent changes to the units preservation plan and the assessment in October
2016, the current head discovered the collections uniqueness and value. She feels the collection
is invaluable to the library and the university because such a small research library holds it. By
preserving the collection, the Special Collections head hopes to continue to attract patron use of
the collection and preserve the original prints that exist in fewer than fifty libraries worldwide for
future scholars, faculty, and students.
The second step in the long-term preservation plan is to purchase preservation quality shelving
for the entire collection. Currently, the collection is housed on wooden shelves in the Special
Collections heads office. To follow establishment preservation guidelines and to ensure longterm preservation, it is vitally important to purchase preserving grade powder steel shelving. The
shelving will allow the collection to be displayed and stored in the Special Collections Reading
Room and ensure that the shelving will not cause future preservation issues.
It is also equally important to be properly trained in care and handling of collections during
digitization. The director of Rob Library wants the library to increase its digital presence and
feels that Hathi Trust and Google Books are largely dominated by big research universities. The
director is proposing digitizing unique collections in the library and the Monumenta Germaniae
Historica is on his list to be digitized by 2019. By digitizing these collections, he and the Special
Collections head hope to draw attention from scholars of the region, preserve this irreplaceable
collection, and improve the digital surrogates by including the critical apparatus (the variant
readings). However, due to the rareness and uniqueness of the collection, Special Collections
feels it would be most beneficial to hire a professional to train the unit on both how to care for
the collections during the process and the best practices of digitization. The consultant would
hold a two-day workshop that will be attended by the entire Special Collections staff on
digitization best practices, including: selection, standards, access, and how to ensure the longterm preservation of the collection being digitized. By hiring a consultant, the collection can be
preserved for the long-term in both digital surrogates and in the original paper form and help
Special Collections achieve part of their long-term preservation goals.

G.
What are the names and qualifications of the consultant and staff involved in the
project?
Gregory Pike, C.A. holds a masters degree in library science with an archival concentration
from the University of Maryland at College Park and is a certified archivist through the

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Academy of Certified Archivists. He currently works at History Associates as an archivist

providing a wide variety of expertise for digitization projects and also serves as a digital archivist
for the Profiles in Science project at the National Library of Medicine. At the National Library of
Medicine, he assists in project planning, metadata records, digital scanning, project workflow,
and also performs quality control.
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregory-pikea208633?authType=name&authToken=qqXm&trk=prof-sb-browse_map-name

Rachel Acheson is the temporary full-time head of the Special Collections and Archives division
of Rod Library. She holds a masters degree in library science with an archival and special
collections concentration from the University of South Carolina at Columbia. Before coming to
the Special Collections, she worked as project manager for the James R. Crumley, Jr. Archives at
the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary. Before this, Acheson was a graduate assistant at
the South Carolina Librarys Office of Oral History. At this appointment, she transcribed and
summarized oral history interviews, assisted with in-person interviews, and catalogued. At Rod
Library Special Collections, Acheson is charged with the day-to-day operations of the unit and
managing the collections digital content.
H.

What is the plan for work for the project?

January 2018:

Eleven volumes from the Scriptores and Avctorvm Antiquissimorvm will be measured for
custom enclosures
Custom enclosures will be ordered from HR Group Binding
Preservation grade shelving will be ordered from Demco

February-May 2018:

Training Session lead by Gregory Pike will he held on proper handling of materials
during digitization and standards and best practices for digitization
Staff will train student workers on how to properly construct custom enclosures and label
them
o Student will construct all boxes and properly label them
Shelves will be put up in the Special Collections Reading Room and the collection will
be moved to its permanent location in the library

Applicant Organization: Rob Library Special Collections

Consultant Fees:
Name of Consultant: Gregory Pike
No. of days on project:
Daily rate of compensation:
3
$1,000

Total:
$3,000

Travel:
From/To: No. of Person Total Travel Days Subsistence costs
Washington D.C. 1
3
$150/pre day = $450
To Waterloo, IA

Transportation
$400

Total
$850

Supplies, materials, equipment, and workshop registrations fees:

Item: 11 custom KASEbok from HFGroup AcmeBinding website at $51.20 each
Item: 2 powder coated steel shelves from Demco Online at $359.00 + shipping

$563.20
$778

Item: 2 end panels for shelves from Demco Online at $90.99 + shipping

$241.98

Item: 2 canopy tops for shelves from Demco Onine at $52.99 + shipping

$165.98

Total Project cost (direct costs)

Total Request

$5,599.16
$5700

Marissa Krein
Ruth Slagle
Sylvia Rosillo
October 25, 2016
LIS 582
Monumenta Germaniae Historica
For Assignment One: Assessment of a Library or Archival Collection, Marissa Krein,
Ruth Slagle, and Sylvia Rosillo decided to establish a group. The group choose to work with
David Morris, the new director of the Classics Library. The Classics Library was founded in
1910 with a total of 5,600 items acquired from the private collection of Professor Wilhelm
Dittenberger. The next substantial donation came from the private library of Professor Johannes
Vahlen which included 10,000 items and 15,000 varying from unbound dissertations, reprints of
articles, and program publications, (University Library, About the University Library). The
University of Illinois Library is a symbol of intellectual growth of the community and the sole
custodian of 24 million items; it contains physical and digital resources which is accessible to
scholars, students, and faculty. As the University Library is one of the largest and richest public
research library collections in North America, with various rare materials it sustains a
preservation commitment, dedicating a significant budget to protect and provide treatment to
paper based collections, rare and unique objects (University Library, About the University
Library).
Although, the Classics Library has continued to grow it has been relocated many times
affecting the collections stability. Most recently the library has been moved from the fourth floor
of the Main Library, where it was its own unit complete with an independent staff. However, due
to budget cuts the library joined the Literature and Language Library on the second floor in what
was previous known as the Great Reading Room. David Morris is the first permanent librarian in
five years and started about a month ago. He is in charge of finalizing the move and informing

faculty and patrons where the new library is. For our project, he recommended the Monumenta
Germaniae Historica, one of the most important Germanic publication projects of the nineteenth
century. The collection is the leading source of German and European history from AD 500 to
1500. The Monumenta Germaniae Historica survived the chaos of both World Wars and remains
an active publication to this day. Despite the fact the series studies the history of the Roman
Empire from the 5th century AD to the Medieval Era of Germany, the collection is attributed to
the Classics because of the text written in Latin. The collection provides the world of academia
an in-depth analysis of the birth of German identity and nationalistic insight into the German
Romantic Movement.
The collection is currently scheduled to move to the Rare Books Oak Street due to the
policy that anything published before 1850 is considered rare and valuable and must be held in a
secure environment such as the Rare Books and Manuscript Library or the Rare Books Oak
Street. However, relocation of such a major resource poses, the problem of quick access and
engagement with the material. Though the Universitys intention is to make rare materials
available to the scholarly community, the transfer will compromise the accessibility of the
collection. According to Gregory Hunters Developing and Maintaining Practical Archives
access, is the authority to obtain information from or perform research using archival
materials, (Hunter 207). Thereby, scholars have the right to access rare materials and view them
as fully as possible. Regardless, of the non-circulation their present location in the main stacks
allows students to quickly refer to the collection. Nonetheless, preservation of unique resources
is the ultimate goal and can be perceived as more important than immediate needs of patrons.
Due to the move to the Oak Street Facility, the University Library must find a way to have
intellectuals easily engage with the Latin text, so David Morris suggested digitization. Thus, our

survey will record the conditions of the Monumenta Germaniae Historica Collection and provide
recommendations for future preservation.
Methodology
With the move to Rare Books Oak Street imminent, David wants to gather as much
information as he possibly can on the current condition of the Monumenta Germaniae Historica
Collection. He is deeply saddened by this move and would love to keep the collection in the
Classics Library and accessible to the public because it includes publications of German
Medieval writings that are not printed in any other book forms. The digital options available
from HathiTrust and Google do not do the writings justice. He requested that we survey the
collection in hopes to better understand the preservation needs. David perceived that the
Monumenta Germaniae Historica Collection would have many preservation needs due its high
level of use, age, and previous storage environments. The collection was first acquired by the
History and Philosophy Library in the last thirty years of the 19th century. The collection was
transferred to the Classics Library in the first half of the twentieth century and the library
continues to collect new books and series from the Monumenta Germaniae Historica as they are
printed. The collection contains the only printed copy of many German Medieval texts, for it has
been heavily used by scholars, faculty, students, and staff for over a hundred years. Besides
being heavily used, the collection is also one of the oldest collections held by a library outside of
the Rare Books and Manuscripts Library. The earliest editions were printed in the late 1820s, but
the majority of the collection was printed during the second half of the nineteenth century. This
age leads to deterioration of original cloth and leather bindings, foxed, yellow and brittle paper,
as well as many other issues. The age of the collection also means it has been stored in
environments that can seriously damage and increase deterioration in books. The collection has

never been stored in a properly climate controlled area. Air conditioning only became prevalent
in the second half of the twentieth century. Prior to that it was a novelty that only the rich could
afford. This means for the majority of the collections lifetime; it was stored in an environment
that greatly differed throughout the year. Even now it is being stored in the oldest part of the
Stacks that still are not air conditioned. The move to Rare Books Oak Street will mark the first
time the entire collection has been in a monitored climate controlled environment.
The move to Rare Books Oak Street and the collections perceived preservation needs
made it imperative that a condition assessment be conducted. David needed to know the
condition of each book and its preservation requirements. A general preservation assessment
would be useless to him because he wanted a detailed orientated assessment. He understands that
the items have been and are currently stored in area that is not conducive to the collections
needs. He has no control over their environment and hopes that the move to Rare Books Oak
Street will eliminate the environmental strain on the books. Due to these requests and his
reasonings, our group decided it would be best to do a condition assessment at an item level
basis. We agree with David that it would be best to gain valuable preservation needs about each
volume due to their age and historical significance.
Since the collection contained over 100 volumes, we felt that given the amount of time
our project allowed, we would not be able to give an accurate condition survey of each item.
After explaining this to David, he recommended we look at the two oldest series Major
Scriptores and Auctores Antiquissimi. These two series contain the oldest books from the
Monumenta Germaniae Historica held by the Classics Library and would benefit the most from
an item level condition assessment. David felt these books would allow him to see the majority
of preservation needs of the collection because both series span such a large period of time. The

earliest volumes were published in the first half of the nineteenth century while the later volumes
were acquired in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s when the series was reprinted.
Once we established which series we would assess, we created our collection condition
survey. We skimmed over the examples surveys provided by Jennifer and felt that none fit our
project perfectly. Using the Collection Condition Assessment of Central Stacks and Demo
Collection Survey as a guideline, we created a survey that best appraises our collections
condition and its needs. Our survey included the followings categories: background information,
collection, subject, language, size, binding information, external cover or case damage, cover
materials, front and back covers, extraneous material, binding repair, user damage, types,
illustrations, internal pages, extraneous materials, brittle, and treatment recommended.With the
completion for our survey, we visited the Main Library Stacks to complete our condition
assessment. Using our survey forms, we looked at each book in the series spending an average of
three to five minutes on each text. After our analysis, we made sure to recommend if the volume
needed conservation treatment or required no addition treatment. The surveys of both collections
was completed in two, hour and half visits to the Main Stacks. With the completion of our
surveys, we compiled our data into spreadsheets so it could be easily analyzed.

Data from Surveys

Going through the collection was like holding pieces of history and it is our job as future
archivists to preserve and make available these texts for present and future patrons. The data we
accumulated from our surveys had a variety of results as the collection is very unique. The
Antiquissimi series publication dates range from 1876-1905 and were printed in Berlin,
Germany. Whereas the Scriptores series varies more in years and places of publication ranging
from 1826-2009, and were primarily published in Hannover except for two in Leipzig, Germany.

Going through the data we found a few volumes which proved to extremely interesting,
Scriptores Tomni XXX Pars II was printed in Leipzig in 1934 just one year after to the Nazi Party
taking over Germany. David informed us that Nazi influence would have further affected the
publication of the Monumenta Germaniae Historica. Another volume that stands out is, Cronica
Fratris Salimbene de Adam, because it was printed in two places Hannover and Leipzig and
publication dates differ from 1905 and 1913. According to the data we collected, the majority of
the volumes were printed in Latin and newer publications include annotations in German,
making them more accessible to modern scholars not versed in Latin.
The current storage of the collection is in the Main Stacks without climate control. This is
hazardous for the collection because of the influx of temperatures and humidity changes that
occur throughout the year. The material cannot take that the stress attributed to being stored in a
non-consistent temperature environment. After conversing with Ben Riegler, Shelving
Supervisor, Main Library Bookstacks over email, he confirmed the area does not have a
permanent thermometer located. Ben states, the closest equivalent data we have is from [the 4th
floor] on 6 East. According to the last survey taken in 2012, the area is at risk for natural aging,
with accelerated rate of decay for organic materials, especially acidic wood pulp paper. Also, the
Main Stacks has a history of leaks from the tin roof which can lead to the growth of mold. The
older volumes from 1844-1856 of the Major Scriptores series have extensive mold and their
current storage is harmful to them.
The framework leading into the change of papermaking throughout the late eighteenth to
early nineteenth century laid the groundwork for the second Industrial Revolution that hit
Europe. In the 1840s there was a shift in the manufacturing of paper, from using rags to wood
pulp as the primary ingredient for making paper. The process of making paper from wood pulp

resulted in a poor quality paper, unlike rags or cotton which was stronger. Thus, wood pulp
produced volumes with brittle internal pages because of its acidic and destructive properties.
This distinct change in the quality of paper was reflected in our survey as we examined the
internal pages from volumes printed in 1839, 1844, and 1852. By conducting the fold test our
assessment indicated that nine volumes contained stable paper and forty one volumes contained
brittle paper, breaking on the first and third fold.
We also had a problem with oversize volumes. Quite a few volumes in the Major
Scriptores series are oversized putting them at greater risk. These editions were primarily older,
printed prior to 1900 and of these thirty out of the fifty volumes are oversized. Currently three
oversized volumes are resting on their spines. This is not ideal for these types of books as they
are heavy and awkward making it easier for them to fall off the shelf, which can lead to
permanent damage. There is one volume that has it original publishers cloth and leather,
unfortunately it has red rot. A few of the volumes also have inscriptions in their covers giving
them additional provence. There are six volumes published after 1980 that are in pristine
condition. Eleven books have either front and back covers detached, loose, or missing. Of these
eleven, ten are in their original publishers cloth with various publication dates. One printed in
1894 has horrible binding, astonishingly the internal pages are in relatively good condition.
Therefore, many of the books have been rebound using library bindings making the outside of
the books stronger, yet leaving the internal pages to brittle continuing to disintegrate. The
external cover also have preservation issues, primarily we were looking for: insect damage,
mold, mildew, repaired, stained, water damage, red rot, light damage, scratched, and misshapen,
to conduct our condition survey. Fortunately, we did not encounter any water or insect damage
on either the external cover or the internal pages.

The majority of the volumes are in library bindings because of the dramatic change in
bookbinding from hand sewing to machine sewing and glue binding techniques also changed.
This means that the original book bindings deteriorated at a much faster rate requiring
conservation. There are thirteen volumes with varies sorts of illustrations in them including a few
with fold outs, of which the paper is brittle. These older books are in need of conservation
because they have precious and rare illustrations in them. One volume stands out amongst the
others because it has a phase box and it is a monograph, yet it is still quite fragile being printed
in 1856 with its internal pages being brittle, stained, and yellowed as well as having dried mold
presence. It is remarkable that the collection has not had more wear and tear despite the fact that
the majority of its users are library patrons, scholars, and researchers. At one point, the collection
was in circulation and the evidence is still seen via the yellow check-out slips though now, they
are a part of the Classics Library Reference section. The absence of a Classics Librarian has been
felt, in the desolate nature of this historically significant collection.
Recommendations
In general, the collection was in good condition. Due to the age and environmental
factors most of the collection is in library bindings. The majority of the collection contains brittle
and yellow paper, with minimal to significant foxing. According to the National Park Service:
How to Preserve Acidic Wood Pulp Paper, the only care that can be applied is careful handling,
proper environmental storage, and digitization if the paper is too brittle to handle. Many of the
older volumes contained significant amount of foxing and dried mold. Kristin Masters blog on
How to Prevent and Reverse Foxing in Rare Books recommends proper storage in order prevent
initial or further foxing. The dried mold found in the volumes are a result of improper
housekeeping, temperature and humidity and poor air circulation. In order to prevent further

mold growth, the environment must be stabilized to avoid the return of active mold. As a result
of our analysis, we have developed short term and long term recommendation for our collection.
Short Term
Enclosures
Phase box, either outsourced through box company or constructed in house at
Conservation Lab

For books with loose boards and books held together by cotton string

Main Stacks Storage

Move the whole collection to compacted shelving because environment is more
controlled than where it is presently stored
In new storage area ensure that all books are stored upright
Protect Illustrations
Place Japanese tissue amongst illustrations of the collection to prevent bleeding
and transferring to other pages
Long Term
Rare Book Oak Street Facility
Move entire collection to the storage facility to prevent further deterioration and
to ensure proper environmental conditions
The collection is currently in the Main Stacks and accessible by anyone, must be
secured due to its age and monetary value and this can be ensured within Oak
Street Facility
Bindings
Library Bindings

Approximately ten older volumes have original bindings that are rapidly
deteriorating, and we recommend sending these to the Librarys binding
repair specialist for custom library bindings that will ensure longevity of
the text

Advanced Repairs for bindings

Alternatively, the ten volumes can be sent to the Conservation Lab to resew or re-glue the binding, and reattach the boards to keep the provenance
and original binding
Conclusion
This assignment allowed Marissa, Ruth, and Sylvia to learn about the principles of
conducting a collection survey. We feel that the main issue of preservation resides in a proper
environment. An uncontrolled environment leads to rapid deterioration and allows for the growth
of foxing and mold. However, there are some factors that cannot be reversed or controlled with
proper preservation treatment. In order to protect these volumes, which provide a rich history of
Germany, they must be stored in Rare Books Oak Street facility in order to safeguard and allow
them to be available for present and future scholars. Our group appreciated this project because
we gained valuable knowledge that will help us in our future endeavors.

References
Baker, Whitney, and Liz Dube. Identifying Standard Practices in Research Library Book
Conservation. Library Resources and Technical Services 54 (2009): 21-39.
Books Tell You Why. How to Prevent and Reserve Foxing in Rare Books. Accessed on
October 23, 2016. http://blog.bookstellyouwhy.com/bid/230209/How-to-Preventand-Reserve-Foxing-in-Rare-Books.
Brepolis. Monumenta Germaniae Historica. Accessed on October 19, 2016. http://www.
brepolis.net/pdf/Brepolis_MGH_EN.pdf.
Britannica. Monumenta Germaniae Historica. Accessed on October 19, 2016. http://www.
britannica.com/topic/Monumenta-Germaniae-Historica.
Hunter, Gregory S. Developing and Maintaining Practical Archives. New York: NealSchuman Publishers, Inc., 2003.
Mumford, John, David Pearson, and Alison Walker. Understanding and Caring for
Bookbindings. London: National Preservation Office, British Library, 2006.
National Park Services. How to Preserve Acidic Wood Pulp Paper. Accessed on October
23, 2016. http://www.nps.gov/musuem/publications/conserveogram/19-24.pdf
Teper, Jennifer Hein and Sarah M. Erekson. The Condition of Our Hidden Rare Books
Collections: A Conservation Survey at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Library Resources and Technical Services 50 (2006): 200-213.
University Library. About the University Library. http://www.library.illinois.edu/geninfo/
history.html#history.

Supplies:

Item: 11 custom KASEbok from HFGroup AcmeBinding website at $51.20 each
Item: 2 powder coated steel shelves from Demco Online at $359.00 + shipping

$563.20
$778

Item: 2 end panels for shelves from Demco Online at $90.99 + shipping

$241.98

Item: 2 canopy tops for shelves from Demco Onine at $52.99 + shipping

$165.98