This page contains larger images and text transcriptions of our various preservation products.
Poster: 15 Ways to Save Harvard's Collections
This is a blue poster with black text, 15" wide by 23" high. It features 15 tips for preserving the Harvard collections, each accommpanied by a simple image, arranged in a grid of four rows and four columns. In the bottom right corner is the title of the poster: "15 ways to save Harvard's collections. A guide for people who work in libraries." Each tip is numbered and they are arranged from left to right across each row. Text version below:
1.Books should stand upright on shelves. Leaning weakens bindings. After removing a volume, straighten those that remain and use a bookend that is rust free and tall enough to provide good support. [Accompanying image: four brown books sitting upright with two tan books on the right leaning against them at an angle.]
2. Leave several inches of free space on every shelf. Removing volumes from tightly packed shelves can abrade and tear their bindings. Position shelving away from poorly insulated exterior walls to reduce risk of mold growth on books. [Accompanying image: eight tan books standing upright, held by an L-shaped bookend on their right.]
3. If a book is too tall to stand upright, shelve it spine down so that the text block is supported. When books are shelved on their front edges, the weight of suspended pages can pull their bindings apart. [Accompanying image: Five green books standing upright. Between the first and second green books there is a red book with its spine down.]
4. Store very large books and folio volumes flat, even if shelf height is adequate. Tall and heavy text blocks put extra stress on bindings and make them especially vulnerable to wear and tear. [Accompanying image: side view of four tan books laying flat on top of each other.]
5. Help protect library collections from dirt and water damage. Position all shelves at least 6" above the floor. Keep materials in processing areas stored safely on shelves and work surfaces. Provide shelving, book trucks, or tables at all public photocopy machines. [Accompanying image: eight green books standing upright, held by an L-shaped bookend on their right.]
6. Remove books from the shelf with care, one at a time. Place fingertips on the text block and tip the book out rather than tugging at the spine, which can be easily torn or broken. [Accompanying image: A red book shown at an angle from slightly above, with a black dot on the top of the text block a little way in from the spine indicating where to hold the book while removing it from the shelf, and an arrow circling back to indicate the direction in which to tip the book off the shelf.]
7. When retrieving large items such as maps and posters from flat file drawers, first remove all materials above them. Paper can tear when dragged out from under heavy materials. [Accompanying image: four black horizontal lines representing items stored flat, atop which there is a red horizontal line which curves upward at the end.]
8. Handle microfilm, photographs, discs, and tapes by their edges and wear cotton gloves whenever feasible. Keep microfilm readers, tape decks, VCRs, and other reading and playblack equipment in good operating order. [Accompanying image: picture of a single white cotton glove.]
9. Use flat cotton tape to tie loose materials together or to temporarily stabilize bindings. Rubber bands crush fragile paper and board, and as they age, can leave behind stains and gummy residue. [Accompanying image: one black paper clip and two red rubber bands.]
10. Route damaged materials to preservation staff. Household tapes and glues are a quick fix but can do considerable damage over time. [Accompanying image: tan piece of paper, torn apart from the upper right to the left side near the bottom, with the pieces spaced slightly apart. A pale yellow piece of tape goes lengthwise across the tear.]
11. Use paper flags to mark pages during processing. Sticky notes leave adhesive residue that attracts dirt, and paper clips crimp and tear. Even plain paper inserts can be damaging if there are too many of them. [Accompanying image: red book shown at an angle from slightly above, with a green bookmark sticking out of the text block at the top.]
12. Bring damp, wet, and moldy materials to preservation staff promptly. The sooner such problems are addressed, the more likely the materials can be salvaged successfully. [Accompanying image: red book viewed from its top or bottom edge, with covers and pages wavy to indicate water damage.]
13. Keep library collections clean, cool and dry, and minimize exposure to light, in order to slow the chemical processes that cause paper, cloth, leather, plastic, and other materials to decay. [Accompanying image: a blue water drop on a tan background behind a "no" symbol.]
14. Provide patrons and staff with photocopy machines that permit copying from partly-open volumes and use them when copying pages from books and journals. Forcing books flat can break bindings and tear pages. [Accompanying image: a white square with a red book open at a right angle so that its pages lie flat along the top and left sides of the square.]
15. Help keep library materials clean and libraries pest free. Eat and drink only in areas designated for that purpose, and leave books behind. [Accompanying image: a blurred light brown circle left by a coffee cup, surrounded by lighter brown splashes from a coffee spill.]
Poster: Guidelines for Photocopying Books in the Harvard Collections
This is a white poster with black and red text and a red border, 7" wide by 17" high. A text transcript follows. All bold text is also red on the poster.
[In larger, red text] Guidelines for Photocopying Books in the Harvard Collections.
Please photocopy books with care.
A right-angle photocopy machine is designed for safe copying of bound volumes. Use the left edge of the platen to support the spine of the volume and copy one page at a time, especially if the book is fragile or doesn't open easily.
[Here there is a drawing showing white hands holding a light gray book open on a right-angle photocopy machine, with the spine supported on the left edge of the platen.]
When you must use a photocopier with a flat platen and are copying two pages at once, avoid pressing down hard on the spine of the volume with your hands or the copier lid.
If you are not sure a book can be copied safely, please ask library staff for assistance.
[Harvard University Library logo: three open books each printed with a syllable of "VE" "RI" "TAS" arranged atop a pattern of leaves.]
[At the bottom in black bold text on a gray background] Thank you for helping to preserve the Library's collections.
Table Tent: Make Your Mark/Eating and Drinking
This is a 4" wide by 6" table tent with a different preservation-themed message on each side. Each side is pictured above.
Above, left: blue with black text. "Make your mark in the classroom, not in Harvard's books." The words "not in" appear to be highlighted in pale yellow. In smaller underlined text at the bottom: "Make a lasting contribution to Harvard. Help preserve the library's books." Even smaller, below that: "Harvard University Library. Harvard College Library."
Above, right: green with pale yellow text. "Eating and drinking can ruin a good book." This is printed over an image in light brown of a blurred circle and splash marks as if from a coffee spill. In smaller, black, underlined text at the bottom: "Make a lasting contribution to Harvard. Help preserve the library's books." Even smaller, below that: "Harvard University Library. Harvard College Library."
Table Tent: Guidelines for Handling Manuscript Materials in the Harvard Collections
This is a table tent with red and black text on a white background, 3.5" high by 14" long. The title, in larger red text at the top, reads "Guidelines for Handling Manuscript Materials in the Harvard Collections." Below that, arranged from left to right, are the following eight guidelines. Bold text is also in red on the table tent.
Most manuscript materials are unique, and many are fragile. Handle them as little and as gently as possible. Do not rest your hand, arm, or any object on a manuscript.
Do not add or erase marks from manuscripts. Use only pencil when taking hand-written notes, and make certain that notepaper is not resting on a manuscript as you write.
Place the leaves of unbound manuscripts flat on the table for reading. If papers must be held flat, use only the special weights provided at the reading room desk.
Keep bound manuscripts in the cradles provided. The cradle should sit squarely on the table at all times. If pages must be held open, use only the special weights provided at the reading room desk.
Use only clean, acid-free strips of paper as markers. These are available from the reference attendant.
Never remove manuscripts from folders. See the reference attendant for assistance with requests for copies.
Maintain the order of the manuscripts in each folder and the folders in each box. When finished with a folder, neatly arrange the contents to prevent creasing or tearing. If you discover damaged manuscripts or folders our of sequence, please notify the reference attendant.
When leaving for a short time, close the folder or volume in your care. When leaving for a more extended period or for the day, let the reference attendant know whether you are finished with the materials that you have been consulting or would like to have them held for you.
At the bottom, in black text on a gray background, it says "Researchers who mishandle manuscripts may be denied access to the collections. Thank you for helping to preserve them for long-term use."
Magnet: Wet Books?
This is a magnet, white with black and red text, 2" wide by 3.5" tall. Text:
WET LIBRARY BOOKS?
Library Collections Emergency Team
[in red] 617-240-2500
(24-hour response)
Or call Harvard University Operations Center: 617-495-5560
Harvard University Library [with logo: syllables "VE" "RI" "TAS" printed on three open books arranged atop leaves]
Rainy Day Bags
These are clear plastic bags with reinforced handles, printed in white, 16.5" wide by 17.5" high. White raindrops are printed all over the bags. There is a different message printed on each side.
On the first side (top picture) is printed:
"Thy fate is the common fate of all;
Into each life some rain must fall."
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Below the text at the very bottom there is a white strip on which "Harvard College Library" is printed along with its logo (an open book with the letters "HCL" printed on it overlapping each other, sitting atop leaves.)
On the second side (bottom picture) is printed:
Please use this bag to protect books from inclement weather.
Below the text at the very bottom there is a white strip on which "Harvard University Library" is printed along with its logo (three open books each printed with a syllable of "VE" "RI" "TAS" arranged atop leaves.)
