Books & Paper
The Harold and Ebba Hoffman Book/Paper Laboratory is responsible for the care of all paper-based materials, including books, maps, manuscripts, posters, photographs, works of art, and three dimensional objects that contain paper.
Treatments range from basic stabilization to complete restoration. Many books that come into the lab are only boxed or have tears in pages repaired, while others require restoration of the binding or even rebinding. Paper items are often just surface cleaned and encapsulated in polyester film, matted, and boxed. For others, however, extensive treatment is required including procedures such as washing, deacidification, tape removal, stain reduction, and lining.
The lab does extensive exhibit preparation and framing. Lab staff oversee the storage and display of items and provide training in proper handling of artifacts.
Topics:
These topics reflect common questions received by the Minnesota Historical Society. Some have previously appeared as articles in Tech Talk. New subjects and links will be added as they are developed.
- Caring for damaged books (pdf)
- A Checklist for Preserving Your Family Letters and Paper Heirlooms
- Framing papers and photos for display and preservation (PDF)
- Preserving and Storing Government Records
- Preserving newspapers (PDF)
-
Preserving Newspapers—New
York Times Regional Newspaper article (PDF)
This article was reprinted with the permission of the New York Times Regional Newspapers.
