Public Conservation Service Offerings

Our part-time document conservator offers limited services to help you recover or stabilize books, papers, and photographs that have been damaged by disaster or, over time, by acids, mold, or the wear and tear of use. He specializes in paper materials--such as letters, maps and books--and is available to offer advice and limited services on conservation treatments such as protective enclosures, encapsulation, book repair, and consultation. Please call to make an appointment. 

• Conservation Treatment - Chemical stabilization
  Is your paper dingy or yellow? Is it too brittle to use? If it is, like most paper, it is being destroyed from the inside by the acids it contains. We can test your paper, and in most cases stop the destruction by neutralizing the acid. When the condition of a document permits a water-based treatment, we buffer it by immersion in a neutralizing bath of calcium hydroxide, which cleans away much of the surface dirt and "refreshes" the paper fibers. When the condition of the document prohibits a water-based treatment, we neutralize the acid with a non-aqueous treatment called Bookkeeper. 
  
• Encapsulation--encasing and then sealing documents between two sheets of inert polyester film (i.e., mylar type D)--is the perfect way to protect items that are heavily used, fragile, or exhibit pieces.
  
• Book Repair--Do your favorite books need repair? We will carefully select the materials and apply the techniques best-suited to your problem.
  
• Consultation--We can give you advice on basic repairs; proper storage, care, and how to handle valuable materials; on preservation issues and techniques in general; and on disaster preplanning and recovery. If you have a book, document, or photograph that requires specialized treatment, we will help you find the conservator who best fits your needs.

Costs
When we suggest treatments, we will consider both the condition of your document and your budget. Simple rehousing--the least expensive option--can range from under $15 to $80, but it usually costs less than $25.

We will encapsulate your documents with polyester for 10 cents a square inch. We charge a rate of $25 an hour plus the cost of supplies for most other treatments. 

Work will begin only after you approve the proposed procedure and the estimated cost.