Digitization & Preservation

In 1992, the University Libraries began using shrink-wrapping as a means to protect fragile materials that there were being moved to a remote storage facility. Since then, shrink-wrapping remains an active component of our preservation program.

For more information on our shrink-wrapping experience, please see "Moving Fragile Materials: Shrink-Wrapping at Penn State," in Collection Management, volume 18, number 1 / 2 (1993), pages 117 - 128.

Equipment and supplies you will need include:

Advice: Working with small batches of items helps minimize the number of items taken out of their collections or circulation.

• Books with loose covers, spines or pages;
• Volumes with rotting leather bindings;
• Items with detached brittle pages or fragmenting yellow paper;
• Large and/or flimsy unbound materials - remember to add barrier board to the package before sealing and shrinking;
• Bundles of paperbacks or small volumes in need of additional protection.
  

Caveat: Shrink-wrapping should not be considered a replacement for long-term preservation. However, the technique serves effectively as an inexpensive method of short-term protection.

• Avero Packaging Corporation - http://www.averopackaging.com
• Stevenson Industries, Inc. - http://www.stevensonind.com
• ABC Office Solutions - http://www.abcoffice.com/packplwc.htm