AIC's 51st Annual Meeting

Commercial book binding techniques have changed over the last century to include components composed of semi- or fully synthetic polymeric materials, commonly known as plastics. As identified in collection surveys at the Victoria and Albert Museum and the British Museum in the 1990s, certain plastics are known to be comparatively unstable and potentially harmful in close contact with other materials. These plastics are referred to as ‘malignant’. Two recent surveys at the New York University Library and National Library of the Czech Republic further identified common plastic types in archives and libraries, including the presence of the 4 malignant plastics. Although a recent questionnaire indicates that plastic-containing book bindings are likely found in over 90% of Australian archives, there is limited information available on the structures of plastics found in books, common deterioration concerns, and available strategies for prolonging use and stability. This knowledge gap hinders the capacity for conservators to identify and care for recent and incoming book collections in libraries, archives, and other paper-based collections.

This project aimed to formulate storage strategies for plastic-containing books in Australia. Three paper-based collections were surveyed in a collaborative project to determine the types, structures, and condition of plastics in books, namely at the South Australian Museum, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, and the Grimwade Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation at the University of Melbourne. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy with attenuated total reflection (ATR-FTIR), a non-invasive contact-based technique, was used to identify plastic polymer types. Documentation of structures and condition was achieved with a standardized template to ensure the consistency of data collection, using hierarchical fields to document relational links.

Results from 165 books dating from 1949-2019 identified 6 polymer types, including 2 malignant plastics. 36 unique binding structures were documented and summarized as 10 binding types to aid in the visual identification of plastic components. Plastics were identified in book cloth, spines, covers, jackets, and adhesives. Visible deterioration was grouped into 4 categories based on hypothesized cause, then addressed with proposed storage strategies for decreasing the probability of damage. Results are compared with and supplement existing literature on plastics conservation, book conservation, and studies on plastics in paper-based collections. Proposed strategies are low-cost, accessible techniques in line with sustainability principles.

This project recognizes the changing nature of materials used in traditional formats, framing plastics conservation within a book collection context. Results increase the current understanding of plastics in book collections, equipping conservators with possible plastic types and deterioration patterns to guide decision-making if similar materials are encountered. Identified conservation storage practices highlight the need for the continued challenging of assumptions to address novel material combinations. Overall, this project demonstrates the benefits of inter-disciplinary collaboration between specialties in managing changing collections.

Funding: This work was supported by the University of Melbourne under the Melbourne Research Scholarship; the Australian Government under the Research Training Program Scholarship; and the Australian Research Council’s Linkage Projects funding scheme under project LP160100160.