Preservation Programs in the New York State Library
October 17, 2011
Introduction
The New York State Library (NYSL) in Albany, New York was established as a research library in 1818 primarily as a repository for the judicial, executive, and legislative branches of state government. However over the course of the last 200 years their collections have expanded to include some historically significant treasures that reflect the unique cultural heritage of the region (New York State Library website, 2011). This paper will focus on the preservation policies and procedures of the NYSL’s collections with a special emphasis on the conservation of the documents and artifacts that comprise the special collections.
The NYSL works hard to make their collection accessible to professors, students, genealogists and other researchers who visit online, on-site or via interlibrary loan. The library’s documents of historical significance include primary sources from the colonial period as well as first person narratives of Native Americans in New York beginning with the Dutch colonization and lasting until the late 1800s. The library has also developed some wonderful online exhibits which allow for a virtual tour of some of the library’s more unique treasures. For example you can go online to read about and view Lincoln’s Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. The Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation is currently stored in a specially designed double chamber case which is continually flooded with nitrogen gas. The gas helps stabilize the temperature and humidity in this closed environment. The proclamation was hand written on good quality rag paper but experts agree that paper and ink from this time period are extremely photosensitive and so should be “exhibited for limited periods of time, even at low lighting levels, to prevent as much cumulative damage as possible. For this reason, experts recommend the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation only be on display for a maximum of 80 hours per year” (NYSL – Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation – Preservation – 2011).
Despite the library’s vast collection it is much smaller than it should be. This is because on March 29, 1911 a fire, possibly started by a stray cigar ember from a late night council meeting raced through the Capitol building and almost completely destroyed the building. Nearly 800,000 volumes and manuscripts, many of them priceless were destroyed and Senior Librarian, Paul Mercer says the loss continues to haunt the NYSL 100 years later (Grondahl, 2011). There are huge gaps in the state’s history that will never be recovered. Salvaged from the ashes were Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, General Washington’s Farewell Address and thousands of 17th century colonial Dutch records including the Van Rensselaer Manor Papers.
The current library located at 222 Madison Avenue in Albany was built in 1978 and shares space with the State Archives and the State Museum. This is a wonderful use of the space as there is a lot of collaboration and sharing of resources with the three state agencies. For example all three organizations have use of the Conservation Lab located on the third floor of the building and the State Archives stores film for the Research Library in their climate controlled vaults.
Goals and Objectives of the New York State Library’s Preservation Projects
Libraries have a challenging mission. They are responsible for providing information and knowledge to their patrons, by sharing their materials. But they must also preserve their collections for future generations. Using and preserving often work at cross purposes. “The greater challenge that these directives present is that the two mandates are antagonistic. The [library] is generally based upon a collection, or collection which must be cared for or preserved in such a way as to ensure maximum longevity of the items of the collection. At the same time, these collections must be as accessible as possible, in order to serve the educational needs of the [library] patrons. Invariably that educational service exposes the collection to elements that will hasten the degradation of the collection and therein lies the conflict (Raineri, 2008).” Libraries have a responsibility to preserve, conserve, and, if possible, restore their local history and local genealogical materials (ALA, 2005). The only way a library can meet all of these goals is if it has a strong workable mission in place. Everyone on staff has to be part of collection management and work together. “To put it colloquially, the mission statement tells you where you are going; the collection policy gives you the details of how you will get there; and the preservation policy makes sure that at least the most valuable portions of the baggage do not fall apart en route (Child, 2005).”
Types of Preservation Projects at NYSL
There are two types of preservation projects at the NYSL. The first is called preventive preservation, which focuses on protecting acquisitions as they arrive; securing loose bindings, reinforcing flimsy covers, and repackaging items for ease of use. It is the New York State Library’s main objective is to act as a repository for New York State government documents. All government publications are digitized before being added to the collection which helps to keep the originals pristine and also allows for easy online access. After digitization all government publications are stored in acid free 4 flaps in closed stacks with a controlled environment that is monitored by data loggers.
Preservation of the circulating non-government publications is a bit more problematic because they get heavier use from the public. These materials sometimes require the second type of preservation which is remedial. Remedial preservation involves repairing damaged items. At the start of each day library assistants, oftentimes library students from nearby SUNY do a morning sort of all items that were pulled from the stacks the day before. Prior to shelving the condition of all items are checked for wear and tear. If necessary, materials are re-hinged, re-backed, and tightened. Periodicals and fragile items are placed in acid free boxes or binders if appropriate. The library assistants are also responsible for shelf prep. They affix labels and make certain errata are tipped in. Every item is reviewed for “shelfability” and any items that look fragile or vulnerable or reinforced and/or protected. Sometimes remedial preservation can be quite labor intensive and costly requiring the time and skills of highly qualified experts. This type of preservation will be addressed later in the paper. Usually remedial preservation is only carried out on documents with “artifactual and evidential value”.
Preservation Environment
With the exception of the 7th floor the New York State Library is a closed stacks institution which allows for a limited amount of handling and helps to keep the documents in good condition. Researchers are allowed to use most materials on-site but nothing ever leaves the building. The library uses data loggers on each floor to maintain a temperature between 65-72 F and a relative humidity between 40-50% year round. Because only one floor is open to the public it is also much easier to maintain a constant temperature and RH.
Criteria for Preservation Projects at the New York State Library
New York State, like many states in the United States is going through severe financial stress. Budgets have been slashed as well as library staff which means criteria for choosing preservation projects has become even more stringent. Liza Duncan Principle Librarian, at the NYSL and the head of the Technical Services Department oversees the Conservation & Preservation Unit. Due to layoffs and retirement the unit has been reduced to 2.5 positions, one half the staff she had five years ago. “Ultimately, preservation is about setting priorities because not even the richest institutions are able or willing to preserve everything they have collected for all time (Child, 2005)”. In addition to cost there are other important criteria to consider. The items should relate to other documents and artifacts in the collection, enhancing and strengthening without duplicating. “A collection policy also looks outward, if only by implication. This means that it takes into consideration the holdings of other repositories, especially in subjects of relatively esoteric research interest (Child, 2005) Items to be considered for acquisition also must be in redeemable condition. “It is particularly important to look gift horses in the mouth by asking how a collection has been stored in the past and checking its current condition. A wise collection manager examines any prospective collection carefully for signs of embrittlement, defacement or physical damage, deteriorating bindings, mildew, and insect infestation (Child, 2005)”. Sometimes people gift items that are full of mold or bugs, such items are not only hazardous to conserve, but there is also the possibility they can infest other collections stored in the same area (Duncan, 2011). Another factor to consider is storage. Space is often a commodity as valuable as staff and funding. Items that require special security or challenging climate considerations need to be evaluated carefully before being accepted into a collection. Over time these items might not be worth the added expense.
Preservation Equipment, Methods and Digitization
There is an onsite conservation lab that the NYSL shares with the New York Archives. The lab has an ultrasonic welder which can be used to encapsulate large or awkwardly shaped documents in plastic sheets. There are also special sinks for washing papers and where the acidity of paper can be tested. The lab is equipped with special hoods so it is safe to work with mold, mildew, toxic chemicals and other hazardous substances that require special ventilation.
Digitization is a huge job at NYSL because all state documents must be digitized before they are added to the collection. A staff of five fulltime employees and a variety of scanners are used to get this job done. The library uses Better Light, a large format digital scanner for maps, and oversized documents. It has very high resolution and has successfully flattened the look of water damaged pages through a special digitization process. The library also uses robotic book scanners produced by Kirtas called Kabis II. These scanners can automatically turn pages, 2,000 pages an hour. The Kabis II has greatly reduced the man hours involved in the digitization process. However some documents are too fragile for normal scanning as they are too brittle or photosensitive.
Preservation Project – Van Rensselaer Manor Papers
Of all the preservation projects that have taken place at the NYSL the most important and long lasting one is that of the van Rensselaer Manor Papers. Killaen van Rensselaer was a Dutch diamond and pearl merchant who was also one of the founders and directors of the Dutch West India Company. van Rensselaer successfully settled and controlled a fiefdom called Rensselaerwyck along the Hudson River beginning in 1637 although he himself never set foot on North American soil. His agents “purchased” the land from the Mohican Indians and quickly the settlement grew to over 200 very successful farmers and traders, some of whom became key players in the development of New York State and what later became the United States. The Hudson River divided Rensselaerwyck into the East Manor and the West Manor. All of Albany County was included in the West Manor except the city of Albany, which was a military fort.
The collection “provides an extraordinary and priceless archive of the growth and history of the earliest permanently settled region in the United States.” Included in the papers are letters, contracts, land records, maps, ledgers, personal stories and “more than two hundred years of daily life, from the earliest years of America’s written history until the mid-19th century” (NYSL website, 2011).
Unfortunately a huge portion of the collection was severely damaged in the 1911 Capitol fire. Almost all of the West Manor papers were lost including a lot of the land surveys. Fortunately most of the maps and surveys, as well as many of the leases and account ledgers for East Manor survived. These maps and surveys are very accurate especially when you consider the primitive surveying tools that were used in the 1700s and also the rough terrain that was being measured. These records are frequently consulted by present day land surveyors and title abstract firms for the valuable, detailed and accurate information they contain. These records have gained the status of virtually an adjunct to land records maintained by Rensselaer County itself. Current deeds to many parcels of land in Rensselaer county contain references to original van Rensselaer leases (NYSL – van Rensselaer Manor papers, 2011).
While the leases are of interest for legal and real estate related issues, it’s the account ledgers that hold the most interest for historians interested in the cultural history of the Hudson Valley of the 1700s. These ledgers (also called rent ledgers) were used by the agents of the patrons or land owners to keep track of rent owed by their tenants. The tenants were farmers so they normally paid their rent in bushels of wheat, though the ledgers indicate that rye; oats, cider, shingles, firewood were also used. When crops failed the farmers paid their patrons by laboring for the manor or with their livestock or promissory notes.
Grants and Agencies Involved in the Preservation Project
There are drawers full of the charred remains of the van Rensselaer Manor papers waiting for the funding required for this important cleaning and restoration project. In 2009 a portion of the project was funded by The National Trust to Save America’s Treasures grant for $12,000. Matching monies were raised by The Friends of the New York State Library. The fragile work was outsourced to the Conservation Center for the Art & Historic Artifacts (CCAHA). Unfortunately the U.S. Congress did not renew federal funding for The National Trust to Save America’s Treasures for the 2010 and 2011 fiscal years. Currently grant money is coming from the New Netherlands Institute in Albany New York, an organization dedicating to preserving the history of the Dutch in the United States.
Preservation Techniques
Through the CCAHA paper conservationists have begun working on the project.
Some paper supports appeared burnt only in the margins, while others burned to their innermost areas. The manuscripts also have a lot of surface soiling and some minor water stains. Many were folded creased and torn. The paper conservationists are selectively surface cleaning each document to reduce surface dirt. They will then wash, line, humidify and flatten each document. The manuscripts will then be returned to the NYSL in polyester film L-sleeves placed in alkaline folders with folios stored open for easy access to the information (NEDCC, 2011).
Other Preservation Work at NYSL
In addition to its own preservation work, the New York State Library disperses State funding to libraries and other organizations such as museums and teaching institutions interested in preserving deteriorating library research materials. The program was established as part of the landmark 1984 library legislation and was expanded in 1986 and 1990. It is administered by the New York State Library's Division of Library Development. The purpose of the preservation program is to encourage the proper care and accessibility of research materials, to promote the use of development of guidelines and technical standards for conservation/preservation work, and to support the growth of local and cooperative activities within the context of emerging national preservation programs. (New York State Library Website, 2011)
Project #2 – Scrapbook Preservation Project with the Woody Guthrie Foundation in Mount Kisco, New York 2006 and 2009
Woody Guthrie is famous for his songwriting, most notably everyone’s favorite “This Land is Your Land” but he it turns out that he was so much more than that. “He was a documenter of American culture from the 1930s through the 1950s, he also produced a huge amount of artwork, journals, notebooks, letters, and scrapbooks full of personal memorabilia (Woody Guthrie Foundation 2011).
When he died in 1967 of Huntington’s disease, he left nearly 3,000 songs unrecorded. His widow, Marjorie Mazia Guthrie established the Woody Guthrie Foundation in 1972. Dedicated to the preservation and dissemination of information about Woody Guthrie's vast cultural legacy, the Woody Guthrie Archives houses the largest collection of Woody Guthrie material in the world. Since it's opening in 1996, the Woody Guthrie Archives has been a major success becoming an important resource for the general public, musicians, artists, scholars, and public and private cultural institutions wishing to access the research collection. (Woody Guthrie Foundation, 2011)
The Woody Guthrie Foundation received six unique scrapbooks full of photographs, clippings and personal writings of great value to researchers but not available to them because of their fragile condition. The scrapbooks were compiled by both Guthrie and family members and chronicled his musical career as he traveled the country performing and writing. Included in the scrapbook are an assortment of souvenirs, ticket stubs, playbills, postcards, and personal photos. The scrapbooks provide not only a glimpse into the musical career of Woody but also provide insight into other musicians of the 1940s and 1950s who worked alongside Guthrie. “The scrapbooks also include several rejection letters from major record labels that Guthrie saved along with everything else.” (NEDCC, 2011) Fortunately the Foundation received a grant in 2006 for $2,940 for a general preservation assessment through the New York State Library, and then in 2009 a much larger sum through the Institute of Museum and Library Services allowing them to go ahead and complete the project. In addition to the large scrapbook personal journals of Guthrie’s were approved in the project for digitization. The scrapbook conservation and journal digitization projects were awarded to the Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) in Massachusetts. They have a knowledgeable staff that specializes in paper and photograph conservation as well as digitization. The scrapbook was compiled by Guthrie while he was living in the damp swamps by Beluthatchee, Florida so photographs were covered with soot and dirt and needed to be cleaned. All of the photographs were removed from the scrapbooks allowing the conservators to make a wonderful discovery. Many of the photos had inscriptions on the back and so names of the photos’ subjects were recovered. Clippings of a 1943 press release were washed, alkalized, and tears were professionally mended. Larger photographs and more delicate scrapbook pages were encapsulated in polyester film. The conservationists were careful to enclose the document in film larger than the document so that the encapsulation could be easily reversed without any damage to the object. Once the scrapbook pages were encapsulated they were hole punched and placed in a custom made, full-cloth post-bound cover.
The journals were digitized by NEDCC’s Imaging Services Lab using flash photography which is considered to be a safer way to digitize as it exposes the document to heat for a much shorter amount of time.
This preservation project was successful in protecting the valuable materials while at the same time allowing full access to musicians and researchers and anyone else looking for inspiration from one of our country’s most beloved folksong heroes. “Nora Guthrie comments on Woody Guthrie’s artistic and musical legacy by saying “In his time he was a rolling stone. But that stone has stopped and turned into a foundation for other people to build on.”
Conclusion
Preservation becomes a bigger and bigger issue in many libraries especially as collections continue to age and the acidic paper found in many library books deteriorates. Although with digitization we have better choices in preserving our intellectual heritage we must not lose sight of the importance of conservation and preservation. Our mission as libraries is to preserve these unique and valuable manuscripts and artifacts for posterity. Better environmental controls and storing practices will certainly provide better care. “…the focus of preservation has increasingly shifted from response to prevention. It is no longer chiefly a rescue mission to save information with significant research value from imminent destruction. Today, preservation programs are wide-reaching efforts to prevent or at least slow down the deterioration of the full range of library and archival materials” (Child, 2005). Although libraries continue to face budget and staff limitations we can’t lose sight of the importance of preservation. We must continue to make it a priority.
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