1. Assessment
and
Recommendations
for
the
Care
of
the
Scofield
book
collection
Washington
Free
Public
Library
Brad
Ferrier
05-­2012
Background
This
report
concludes
an
assessment
of
the
collection
by
Brad
Ferrier,
graduate
student
at
the
University
of
Iowa
School
of
Library
and
Information
Science.
The
assessment
was
performed
at
the
request
of
Debbie
Stanton,
Director
of
the
Washington
Free
Public
Library,
located
in
Washington,
Iowa.
The
assessment
has
been
supervised
and
subsequent
recommendations
approved
by
Nancy
Kraft,
Preservation
Librarian
at
the
University
of
Iowa
Libraries.
The
first
section
of
this
report
provides
a
description
of
the
Scofield
book
collection,
the
physical
condition
of
these
materials,
and
their
current
storage
environment.
The
second
section
outlines
specific
recommendations
for
the
conservation
and
management
of
the
collection.
The
books
in
this
collection
were
acquired
from
the
private
library
of
a
local
Washington
lawyer
and
decorated
Civil
War
veteran,
Hiram
Scofield.
These
books
were
among
the
earliest
holdings
of
the
library
and
as
such,
represent
the
seed
from
which
the
Washington
Free
Public
Library
grew.
The
collection
that
was
assessed
contained
approximately
300
books.
It
is
unclear
whether
all
of
these
books
came
from
Scofield’s
private
library.
Many
of
the
books
contain
a
Washington
Public
Library
bookplate
indicating
that
they
were
donated
in
memory
of
Hiram
Scofield.
Others
have
what
would
appear
to
be
Scofield’s
personal
bookplate.
Still
others
had
no
markings
indicating
an
association
with
the
collection.
For
the
purposes
of
this
report
however,
all
of
the
books
assessed
are
assumed
to
belong
to
the
Scofield
book
collection.
Current
condition
and
storage
environment
The
books
have
been
divided
into
four
groups,
based
upon
their
physical
condition.
Group
1:
Approximately
half
of
these
books
appear
to
be
in
very
good
condition
in
terms
of
structure.
Although
many
of
these
books
have
evidence
of
wear,
minor
damage,
or
deterioration
apparent
on
the
covers
or
spine,
these
issues
are
superficial
and
aesthetic
and
do
not
affect
the
integrity
of
the
books’
structures.
Group
2:
Approximately
55
of
the
books
have
substantial
wear,
damage,
or
deterioration
to
the
spine
and/or
cover
materials,
including
covers
that
are
partially
or
entirely
detached
from
the
case,
and
moderately
to
severely
damaged
spine
pieces.
The
text
blocks
however,
appear
to
be
intact
and
structurally
complete,
without
loose
or
missing
pages.
Group
3:
Approximately
100
books
have
more
severe
structural
issues
including
loose
pages
and
plates,
in
addition
to
those
issues
described
in
association
with
group
2.
Group
4:
This
group
consists
of
just
a
few
books
that
have
unique
issues
including
possible
water
damage
(3
books,)
missing
covers
(4
books,)
or
issues
related
to
unique
structures
or
materials.
Finally,
there
were
a
few
issues
that
affected
most,
if
not
all
of
the
books
in
the
collection.
One
such
issue
is
foxing
(the
appearance
of
reddish-­‐brown
spots
on
the
pages)
which,
although
unattractive,

2. does
not
affect
the
physical
integrity
of
the
paper.
Another
pervasive
issue
is
the
build-­‐up
of
dirt
and
dust
upon
covers
and
pages
of
the
books.
None
of
the
books
examined
displayed
signs
of
mold.
The
books
are
currently
being
stored
in
the
basement
of
the
library.
Many
of
the
books
were
stored
either
on
a
table
or
in
cardboard
boxes
on
the
floor.
The
space
appears
clean
and
free
from
excessive
moisture.
To
gain
a
more
complete
understanding
of
the
environmental
conditions
of
the
current
storage
space,
an
preservation
environmental
monitor
(PEM)
was
left
with
the
books
for
a
period
of
approximately
two
weeks.
During
this
period,
the
PEM
recorded
temperatures
ranging
from
a
minimum
of
66.4F
to
a
maximum
of
70.5F,
for
an
average
of
67.5F,
which
is
quite
stable.
The
relative
humidity
was
far
less
stable,
fluctuating
from
a
minimum
of
17%
to
a
maximum
of
69%,
for
an
average
of
34.3%.
These
values
are
illustrated
in
the
chart
below.
Recommendations
First,
it
is
recommended
that
all
of
the
books
be
cleaned.
The
dry
cleaning
of
books
with
commercially
available
cleaning
sponges,
often
called
either
soot
sponges
or
dirt
erasers,
is
relatively
easy
and
can
be
performed
after
a
minimal
amount
of
training.
The
University
of
Iowa
Conservation
Lab
is
available
to
train
library
staff
or
community
volunteers
to
perform
the
dry-­‐
cleaning
treatment
of
books.
In
general,
the
repair
of
books
with
structural
issues
is
not
recommended
because
often
such
repairs
can
create
additional
structural
problems.
Preservation
in
the
books’
current
physical
condition
in
an
effort
to
avoid
further
deterioration
is
a
reasonable
and
attainable
goal.
It
is
a
possibility
that
those
books
with
particular
value
or
significance
could
be
sent
to
the
University
of
Iowa
Conservation
Lab
for
professional
conservation
treatment,
including
cleaning,
mending,
or
reconstruction
as
required,
or
for
the
creation
of
custom
archival
book
boxes.
There
are
fees
for

3. these
services—for
reference,
an
average
size
book
needing
cleaning
and
minor
mending
treatments
would
likely
require
two
hours
to
complete
at
$65
per
hour,
for
a
total
of
$130.
Groups
1
&
2:
Many
of
the
books,
such
as
those
from
group
1
and
those
with
minor
to
moderate
spine
and
cover
wear
from
group
2,
could
be
shelved
in
their
current
condition
with
little
or
no
concern.
Plastic
book
jackets,
a
variety
of
which
are
commercially
available,
would
help
to
protect
covers
and
spine
materials.
Group
2
&
3:
Other
books,
including
some
of
the
more
fragile
books
from
group
2
and
those
with
more
severe
structural
issues
from
group
3,
should
be
housed
in
some
type
of
enclosure.
Several
different
types
of
enclosures
exist,
from
polyvinyl
sleeves
to
custom-­‐made
book
boxes.
Many
of
these
are
also
commercially
available
and
are
customizable
to
variety
of
shapes
and
sizes.
Enclosures
would
help
to
protect
the
books
from
shelf
wear,
to
keep
them
clean,
and
to
hold
together
the
loose
pages
of
those
books
with
structural
issues.
Note
that
it
is
important
to
keep
in
mind
when
using
commercial
book
covers
that
tape
and
adhesives
should
not
be
applied
to
the
books.
Plastic
covers
and
enclosures
have
an
additional
advantage
in
that
identification
labels,
call
numbers,
etc
can
be
affixed
to
the
outside
of
the
enclosures,
rather
than
to
the
books
themselves.
For
those
books
without
plastic
covers
or
enclosures,
it
is
recommended
that
labels
be
applied
to
acid
free
slips
or
‘bookmarks’
that
can
be
placed
into
the
books
for
identification.
Again,
adhering
labels,
etc
to
the
books
is
not
recommended.
In
terms
of
environmental
conditions,
the
temperature
of
the
current
space
is
stable
and
near
the
ideal
temperature
range
of
70°F
+/-­‐
10°F.
The
relative
humidity
of
the
current
space
is
not
ideal.
A
relative
humidity
of
50%
with
less
than
10%
fluctuation
is
recommended
for
the
storage
of
books.
Ideally,
it
is
recommended
that
these
books
be
moved
to
a
more
stable
environment,
in
which
the
relative
humidity
does
not
rise
above
60%.
As
an
alternative,
the
current
space
might
be
made
more
stable
by
increasing
the
temperature
by
1°-­‐2°F.
Another
alternative
would
be
to
use
a
dehumidifier,
although
with
a
large
space
this
may
not
be
an
effective
option.
In
either
case,
it
would
be
beneficial
to
monitor
the
storage
environment
to
ensure
that
it
remains
stable
over
extended
periods
of
time,
including
different
seasons
and
during
times
of
seasonal
changes.
Small
electronic
monitors
to
measure
temperature
and
relative
humidity
are
inexpensive
and
can
be
purchased
at
most
hardware
stores.
Please
contact
the
University
of
Iowa
Preservation
Department
for
further
information,
or
to
inquire
about
services.
Feel
free
to
contact
me
personally
as
well
with
questions
about
the
information
in
this
report.
Brad
Ferrier
brad-­‐ferrier@uiowa.edu
Preservation
Department
The
University
of
Iowa
Libraries
100
Main
Library
Iowa
City,
IA
52242-­‐1420