Preservation Guidelines for Smathers Library and Special Collections Items

Circulation items moved between library branches are usually requested through our cataloguing system.  When this occurs, do the following:

• Place a white paper slip (and/or the Alma work order requesting transport) inside the collection item with the requested library location labelled at the top.  Do not use an elastic and/or tape to secure the paper location slip around the collection item.
• Place the collection item in a mail bin flat or spine side down.  Mail bins should not be over filled; meaning, books should not extend above the handles on each side.  When laying items flat, place larger, heavier items on the bottom and decrease in size and weight as you pile on top.
• Contact library facilities who will transport the item from branch to branch for you.
• Library employees and facilities personnel need to always move and carry mail bins using both hands.  Do not carry mail bins with one hand.
• If the collection item is larger than a mail bin, place it in another box if possible or discuss with facilities the best way to move it from one branch to another.  Conservation has larger boxes/transportation containers if needed.

Avoid the following:

• elastic bands, paper clips and or binders, and sticky notes when transporting materials.  
• colored paper locator strips as the colorant in colored paper may bleed into collection items.
• carrying mail bins using only one hand.  Mail bins should always be carried with both hands using both hand holds on the sides of the bin.
• transporting items during a rainstorm.  Drier, early morning transports are always optimal.
• using your own private vehicle to transport items.  Use a library van or contact facilities to transport items.  The only exceptions are for our remote branches (i.e. Borland/Jacksonville and Governor's House/St. Augustine) and these exceptions should be known and approved by your library head prior to transportation.

Whenever Special Collection items are moved from one library building to another, contact the Collection Services Team for special transport of that item.  They should bring with them the appropriate transport boxes, etc. and treat the transport more like a special courier than simple library circulation transfer.

Special Collection items needing digitization and/or repair need the following to happen before being sent out to ILF:

• Fill out the digital SCIF form or the online conservation request form found on the UF Libraries' Conservation website:   https://www.conservation.uflib.ufl.edu
• Print out the finished form and give the form and the item to Michele.
• The item will be transported by Collection Services staff using the appropriately packed transportation boxes singled out for this purpose.

Avoid the same things you would avoid for circulation items (see below) and always remember that an item needs to be fully catalogued (or fully put in Archives Space if it is an archival item) before requesting digitization and conservation.  The only exception is for mold and pest related issues.

Circulation Items needing repair need to have an Alma work order in place before sending the item to conservation.  After the work order is requested, do the following:

• Fill out a conservation request form (half slip) and tuck it into the collection item.  Do not use an elastic and/or tape to secure any other location slip around the collection item.
• Place the collection item in a mail bin or box flat or spine side down.  Mail bins should not be over filled; meaning, books should not extend above the handles on each side.  When laying items flat, place larger, heavier items on the bottom and decrease in size and weight as you pile on top.
• Contact library facilities who will transport the item to ILF for you.
• Library employees and facilities personnel need to always move and carry mail bins using both hands.  Do not carry mail bins with one hand.
• If the collection item is larger than a mail bin, place it in another box if possible or discuss with facilities the best way to move it from one branch to another.  Conservation has larger boxes/transportation containers if needed and can send you an appropriately sized container prior to transport if needed.

Avoid the following:

• elastic bands, paper clips and or binders, and sticky notes when transporting materials.  
• colored paper as tags or location requests, etc. as the colorant in colored paper may bleed into collection items.
• carrying mail bins using only one hand.  Mail bins should always be carried with both hands using both hand holds on the sides of the bin.
• transporting items during a rainstorm.  Drier, early morning transports are always optimal.  Facility vans should have A/C on and high to maintain a good air flow and environment during the transportation process.
• using your own private vehicle to transport items.  Use a library van or contact facilities to transport items always.  The only exceptions are for our remote branches (i.e. Borland/Jacksonville and Governor's House/St. Augustine) and these exceptions should be known and approved by the head of the library prior to transportation.
• transporting items during a weather event--wait for the rain to stop.

Sometimes books and/or collection materials are in such disrepair that parts are falling off the book or the book itself cannot contain itself any longer.  In this instance:

• Small things falling off (like parts of the spine) can be tucked into the inside of the book and placed in a mail bin.
• An employee can choose to place the item in a separate box.
• An employee can tie up the book using 1/2" cotton twill tape.  The employee should refrain from using thin and/or red tape as this can cause more damage to the item.  Again, avoid tape and/or sticky notes to attach loose items back into/onto the book.
• If more than one piece is falling off the book, an employee can also place it in an open Ziplock bag, but the bag should be kept open for appropriate air flow.

See the Policies & Procedures for UF Library's Offsite Storage, for further information.  

Libraries should not send damaged items to the conservation lab for repair first before sending the item to offsite storage.  Only items requested from offsite for use and damaged, will be sent to conservation for repair prior to sending out the item for research.

When requesting items from ALF and/or ILF be sent to Smathers for research, contact the collection services and public services team(s) and follow the same safety protocols as noted above.