Volume 45, Issue 4

Palm leaf manuscripts may suffer from various types of damage, one of the most common types being areas of loss caused by insects or mechanical force. The conservation community has not yet found convincing methods and materials for filling areas of loss in palm leaves, and there is a lack of research on the long-term behaviour of such infills. With this publication we would like to contribute to the understanding of infill materials and their effects on palm leaf objects. Pulp made from mulberry bark paper, from palm leaf, and mixed pulp were used to fill small holes, and pieces of palm leaves were used to repair large missing parts. Our results indicate that the best way to repair small holes is to use mixed pulp. Both overlapping and insert repair techniques could be used for large missing areas. With these conservation techniques, the mechanical strength of the samples could be improved while obtaining a satisfactory visual appearance. The infills exhibited varying levels of stability during artificial aging tests. This study was the first attempt to get an overview over the properties of above-mentioned materials and conservation techniques which are in accordance with the principles of reversibility and minimal intervention. A better understanding of the applicability and behaviour of loss repair techniques and materials is essential for the long-term preservation of palm leaf manuscripts and will assist collections in preservation efforts.

Toned photographs became popular in the second half of the 19th and early 20th century, either as stand-alone photographic images or as part of representative cards such as cabinet cards or cartes de visite. Still, further research is desirable to deepen our understanding about materials and techniques that had been used to create toned photographs. This study focusses on toning processes and is based on the analysis of 16 historical photographs from that period. To understand the toning process, information was collected from historical literature, while multispectral techniques and SEM/EDS analysis were applied to the sixteen photographs. Multispectral techniques, both macroscopic and microscopic, provide valuable information on surface and texture, damage phenomena and the photograph’s stratigraphy. SEM/EDS analysis yields information on the elements found in the studied photographs and their stratigraphy. This combination of the evaluation of historical written sources and scientific analysis provided an insight into the materials and techniques used in the toning of photographs.

Arsenic-containing pigments in library materials are a source of danger for institutional staff, conservators, scientists, and users. In a research project, the Bonn University and State Library and the Cologne University of Applied Sciences analysed the handling of arsenic in library materials. Over 300 volumes with suspicious green book components were analysed using both XRF and Raman spectroscopy, with arsenic compounds being detected in around half of them. A rapid test based on bromide test strips and the MQuant ® test were then evaluated. The MQuant ® test proved to be more useful. Dust tests at various locations in the library stacks detected arsenic concentrations that were above the permissible guideline values. In addition to arsenic, other heavy metals like lead and mercury were also detected. The secondary contamination of books standing next to arsenic-containing bindings was investigated further, showing positive results for arsenic on most of the books tested. The cause of this secondary contamination could not be discerned. The results of this study show that a precise occupational safety-based risk assessment in accordance with the (S)TOP principle, the drafting of work instructions and, above all, thorough hygiene measures are necessary. The cleaning of library rooms and hygiene standards should be pursued consistently and should be taken as seriously as the detection of arsenic compounds.

This article discusses the application of a critical paradigm approach, including activism, in studies of preservation and conservation in libraries, information institutions, and local communities. Based on a literature review, it explores a variety of writing and research on the preservation and conservation of objects, focusing on social and humanities approaches and critical analysis. Different approaches in preservation and conservation in libraries and other information institutions beyond traditional practices will be discussed and activism in the context of preservation and conservation will be examined. We hope that this article will encourage research on preservation and conservation that involves critical explanations and in-depth investigations, that it will provide space for critical thinking which moves towards a constructivist paradigm and that it will generate knowledge about activism within a conservation framework. This paper is not intended to challenge researchers or scholars who have followed a more positivistic approach in their studies of preservation and conservation, but rather as a reflection to provide space to engage in critical thinking and alternative approaches.