Special Collections has several dozen large volumes of books that need cleaned and inventoried. Most of these volumes are in a deteriorated condition and we have no idea what is in them apart from that they are hand-written registers and ledgers. The project involves taking the books outside, cleaning them, creating a cardboard cover/enclosure, creating a list of titles briefly describing their contents, and returning them to their shelves in our storage. The project will require 2 to 3 volunteers, with 3 being preferred.
1 cartload of books will be placed on a book cart and taken outside of the garage bay by a volunteer.
Person #1 will use a HEPA vacuum cleaner with a brush to remove loose debris from the covers and bindings.
Person #2 will write down a title of the volumes on a sheet of paper and then carry the book to Person #3.
Person #3 will create a simple cardboard cover/enclosure for the book and write the title on the spine of the new enclosure.
The books will then be returned to their shelves
The Special Collections Manager will evaluate the individual volumes, decide on how much to clean them, and decide on the title to be recorded by Person #2.
Near the end of the project day, one or more of the volunteers will clean up the workspace using cleaning rags and cleaning solution.
It will be hot and volunteers will likely sweat. The project will be dirty. There will be airborne allergens and fine particles of dust and debris of unknown makeup. The book covers are dirty, and their leather covers are both rotten and disintegrating, so the airborne allergens will at the least contain leather particles, other organic compounds, and whatever chemicals were used to prepare the leather. It is essential that the cleaning take place outside, so the project hinges on nice weather. If it rains, we can’t do the project.
The library will provide protective gowns/aprons, N-95 masks, and nitrile gloves.
Physical requirements:
The ability to stand for an extended time.
The ability to lift and carry up to perhaps 20 pounds (some of the books are pretty heavy)
The ability to move a book cart weighing perhaps 100-200 pounds
The ability to use a potentially heavy vacuum cleaner
The ability to safely use scissors or box-cutter knife to cut the cardboard enclosures
The ability to not accidentally touch the eyes, nose, or mouth with dirty hands.
