INFS 423 Preservation of Information Resources Lecture 9 – Mechanical/ Physical Deterioration Lecturer: Prof. Harry Akussah & Mr. Michael Allotey , Contact Information: mallotey@ug.edu.gh, hakussah@ug.edu.gh College of Education School of Information and Communication Studies Department of Information Studies 2018/2019
Lecture Overview In this lecture, I will introduce you to the various activities of human beings that result in either intentional or unintended damage to documents. We will also discuss how we can prevent or reduce these damages to a very large extent. Slide 2
Lecture Outline The key topics to be covered are as follows: • Topic One: Defining Mechanical or Physical Deterioration • Topic Two: Causes of Mechanical or Physical Deterioration • Topic Three: Prevention of Mechanical or Physical Deterioration Slide 3
Reading List • Akussah, H. (2011). Preservation of Documents. Department of Information Studies, Legon, NAB Superior Services. • Gorman, G. E., & Shep, S. J. (2006). Preservation management for libraries, archives and museums. London: Facet Pub. • Adcock, E.P. (2000). Principles for the care of handling of Library Materials. Washington, D.C., IFAPAC. • Swartburg , S. G. (1983). “Conservation Library.” A Handbook of use and care of traditional materials. Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1983. • Feather, J. (2004). Managing preservation for libraries and archives: current practice and future developments. Aldershot, Hants, England, Ashgate Publishing. Slide 4
Topic One DEFINING MECHANICAL OR PHYSICAL DETERIORATION Slide 5
Defining Mechanical or Physical Deterioration • This can be defined as any document deterioration resulting from intentional or accidental actions of mankind. • Unfortunately, people pose the most constant and serious threats to documentary collections which can lead to the loss of valuable information. It results mostly from the activities of custodians when documents are being processed or filed, stored, retrieved or being transported. • Research has shown that custodians are the worst offenders when it comes to physical deterioration. Slide 6
Topic Two PROCESSES OF PHYSICAL DETERIORATION Slide 7
Processes of Physical Deterioration Processes of physical damages can be grouped into two: • Direct or willful damage, and • Indirect or normal wear and tear. Slide 8
Direct or Willful Damage Direct damage results from deliberate actions. The list of abusive actions is endless and includes the following: • Tearing or folding documents. • Acts of vandalism which can result from demonstrations, wars, mob actions by patrons, etc. • Indiscriminate use by patrons. • Licking or wetting fingers before turning pages. Slide 9
Direct or Willful Damage • Willful defacing of documents. • Handling documents with dirty hands. • Improper handling and inappropriate storage of oversized materials. • Mutilation by patrons due to inadequate number of materials. Slide 10
Indirect or Normal Wear and Tear. This type of damage results from the normal use of documents without the intent of causing any damage. There will be normal wear and tear so long as documents are being used. This results from the following: • Excessive photocopying – this exposes the document to light and heat and as the spine is being opened and pressed, it puts excessive pressure on the bindings and folders, and results in premature tearing and slow disintegration of the document. Slide 11
Indirect or Normal Wear and Tear. • Use of inappropriate storage equipment – Inappropriate stacking or boxing of documents. For instance maps should be stored in lateral drawers and not vertical drawers, and microforms should not be stored on open shelves. • Through handling procedures – Poor shelving and poor filing are fundamental to the damaging of documentary materials. Poor shelving or filing and retrieval practices cause materials to be torn, misfolded or damaged. For instance if a document is tightly shelved, it will result in pulling and pushing to slide it back into its place which can easily damage them. Slide 12
Indirect or Normal Wear and Tear. • Mis-management – This also falls more specifically within the realm of the custodian, and of institutional policies and programmes that endanger documentary materials through casual inattention, poor housekeeping practices, or persistent neglect of preservation needs. The lack of preservation programme that is a fully integrate aspect of document management, contributes as much to the quiet disintegration of materials as does the zealous application of inappropriate remedies. • Exhibitions – Placing materials on permanent exhibitions and exposing them to extreme conditions can cause serious damage as well as using faulty or inappropriate equipment for transporting materials from place to place. It is advisable to send surrogate copies instead of original copies. Slide 13
Indirect or Normal Wear and Tear. • Inappropriate repair methods – Inappropriate restoration treatments or mending work carried out by unqualified personnel can also cause damages and stains. For instance mending documents with cello tape, kenkey or milk bush. Restoration should be left for experts. Slide 14
Activity 1 Visit a public library or archives in your vicinity. Closely examine 20 items selected randomly. Note the various types of physical damage identified and create a score sheet indicating the frequency of each damage. Slide 15
Topic Three PREVENTION OF MECHANICAL OR PHYSICAL DETERIORATION Slide 16
Prevention of Mechanical or Physical Deterioration Preventive measures include the following: • Education – The most important preventive measure is education of both staff and patrons. – Staff should be educated formally and informally on the job concerning appropriate handling procedures when processing these documents and how to respect the materials in their care. – Awareness on how to handle materials can be created in patrons on their first visit to the information center. This could be in the form of a brochure containing the dos and don’ts. Slide 17
Prevention of Mechanical or Physical Deterioration • Displaying reading room practice notices to remind readers on the dos and don’ts’ Notices like “Stop mutilation now !”and “Someone is watching you” will scare perpetrators of such acts. Also, mutilated materials should be displayed with focus on the damages done, and how expensive it is to repair or replace. • Excessive photocopying should be avoided. • In situations where there is pressure on valuable documents, surrogate copies should be provided whiles the original is withdrawn. Slide 18
Prevention of Mechanical or Physical Deterioration • Additional copies of books on high demand should be provided to boost circulation. • Unauthorized mending of documents should be avoided. • Manuscripts and rare books require more special care than those in general circulation collection. Pens should not be permitted for use by patrons working with these collections, for ink can cause a great damage. Patrons should also wash their hands before handling such materials. Slide 19
Prevention of Mechanical or Physical Deterioration • Smoking should also be prohibited, for it is a fire hazard and the fumes are harmful to books. • There must be rigid supervision in the reading areas to put fear in readers to prevent any deviant behavior. Security cameras (CCTV) can be used. • Exhibition should also be carried out with care. If possible, original materials should not be put on display at all but surrogate copies. Documents need to be protected especially when in transit. Slide 20
Prevention of Mechanical or Physical Deterioration • Good storage practices should be adopted – – Bound materials should stand firmly on the spine and extra large materials should be stored flat. – Unbound volumes should be stored in boxes. – Heavy materials should not be piled on lighter ones. – Rare and out of print collections should be well secured in pamphlet boxes and placed in secure rooms. – Also, metal fasteners should be removed from documents before permanent storage. Slide 21
Prevention of Mechanical or Physical Deterioration • Food and drinks should be prohibited in the vicinity of documents as they can cause considerable damage to documents. • Prospective users must be screened for security concerns. Not everyone should be allowed entry into the information center. Slide 22
Activity 2 • Using results from activity 1 indicate which of the damages were done intentionally and those that occurred unconsciously through normal use by man. Slide 23
Summary You have completed lecture 9. You have learned: • Intentional damages to documents caused by man. • Damages resulting from normal use • Education and awareness programmes to reduce damages to documents, and • Steps to protect documents from abuse Slide 24
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