![\"item](\"http:\/\/tslacconservation.files.wordpress.com\/2012\/07\/personnel.jpg\" "\\"Personnel")
<\/a>Personnel of the Texas State Government<\/em>, 1892, before treatment<\/p><\/div>\n Full treatment<\/strong>: Extensive paper mending would be required, especially in the spine region, which must be strong enough to support sewing.\u00a0 The book would be re-sewn and re-lined, the boards would be re-attached, and a new spine covering would be created to match the boards.\u00a0 This treatment might absorb half of the contributing department\u2019s allotted conservation time for the month, with many other needy items in the queue.<\/p>\n Actual treatment<\/strong>: The most immediate concern is that paper fragments break and scatter every time this book is opened.\u00a0 Accordingly, approximately 25 of the most damaged and vulnerable leaves will be mended.\u00a0 A new box that fits the book will reduce shifting and resulting breakage.\u00a0 This treatment will take just a few hours and does not preclude more extensive work in the future.<\/p>\n Items 2 and 3<\/strong>: The Climactic Conditions of Texas<\/em>, also from 1892, is a relatively rare item existing in two copies here at TSLAC.\u00a0 Both items have been side-sewn, a sewing style that requires the paper to be extremely flexible.\u00a0 Unfortunately, this paper is brittle and acidic, and has broken where stressed.\u00a0 Additionally, both copies are bound in improvised cases made of office supplies and other low-quality materials.<\/p>\n Climactic Conditions of Texas<\/em>, 1892, two copies, before treatment<\/p><\/div>\n Full treatment<\/strong>: Both items would need to be disbound and re-sewn in a style that better distributes the book\u2019s flexing action between the paper and the sewing.\u00a0 Paper would be mended along its broken flex lines.\u00a0 The spines would be lined, and new cases would be built from acid-free materials in a style aesthetically sympathetic to bindings of the late 19th<\/sup> century.\u00a0 This treatment would take slightly more than half of the contributing department\u2019s monthly conservation time, leaving many other items waiting for attention.<\/p>\n Actual treatment<\/strong>: Having multiple copies can broaden treatment options.\u00a0 In this case, the full treatment will be pursued for Copy 2, which is in better condition and requires less paper mending.\u00a0 Copy 1 will have approximately 15 of the most damaged pages mended, and will be fitted with a box to minimize future damage.\u00a0 Rare items like this often warrant fuller treatments.\u00a0 Here, we will also have a stabilized backup copy that could be more fully treated in the future if needed.<\/p>\n Factors like condition, rarity, use, and available resources combine to determine responsible conservation decisions.\u00a0 In these examples, choosing stabilization treatments left time to treat other needy items.\u00a0 In this way, conservation can focus deeply on single item treatment or more broadly on collections care.<\/p>\n These three books will be treated with the time saved by choosing stabilization in the examples above.<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When discussing conservation, it\u2019s easy to lavish attention on flashy, full treatments that bring tattered items back from the grave.\u00a0 A far greater number of treatments, however, simply aim for basic stabilization.\u00a0 Oftentimes, restricted time and resources drive treatment compromises … Continue reading <\/a><\/a>