Change in production technology in 19th century caused a shift of pH of paper to acidic regions, which resulted in a massive decay of library and archival holdings. It is estimated that about 25% of the books in general library collections are already brittle and additional 60% endangered. In fact, if no drastic measures are taken in the near future, the majority of the paper based materials kept in libraries and archives might not survive this century.
In order to prolong the usable time of the vast quantities of original materials, paper collections may be deacidified and/or stored at appropriate conditions. While preservation options are known, lack of the competent comparative studies still leaves collection keepers hesitant of their use. The aim of PaperTreat project is develop the most cost-effective solutions for preservations of a variety of paper materials and thus enable their long-term safekeeping.
In PaperTreat project, extent of stabilisation, obtained with mass deacidification treatments will be compared to the one achieved with cold storage. In addition, model materials and methodologies will be developed that will help to evaluate the various deacidification treatments that are available to protect paper products.
The project will also:
- Provide a comprehensive comparison of new and traditional treatments
- Develop useful quality control procedures
- Address the environmental and health aspects of using deacidification treatments
- Provide costings for using the different treatments
The project supports EU policies which stress the importance of preserving and enhancing cultural heritage.
Through evaluating the environmental and health aspects of traditional and new deacidification techniques, the project will contribute to healthier environment.
PaperTreat supports the international co-operation objectives of the EU, thanks in particular to the Russian State Library’s participation in the project.