TIME PLAYS THE THIEF BY SLOWLY DESTROYING TREASURED ARCHIVES.Byline: Edith Paal Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. Thieves are not the only threat to the safety of library holdings. Time also can cause the loss of irreplaceable documents. It's up to people like Bob Devan, conservator conservator n. a guardian and protector appointed by a judge to protect and manage the financial affairs and/or the person's daily life due to physical or mental limitations or old age. at the Arkansas History Commission, to stop the aging process on paper and to repair the tears in old documents. To stop the aging process, most paper items routinely undergo a deacidification process, such as a dunking Dunking is a form of torture and punishment that was applied to scolds and supposed witches. In a trial by ordeal, supposed witches were immersed into a vat of water or pond, and taken out after some time, and given the ability to confess. If she confessed, she was killed. in a bath of calcium hydroxide calcium hydroxide, Ca(OH)2, colorless crystal or white powder. It is prepared by reacting calcium oxide (lime) with water, a process called slaking, and is also known as hydrated lime or slaked lime. , followed by a dousing in calcium carbonate calcium carbonate, CaCO3, white chemical compound that is the most common nonsiliceous mineral. It occurs in two crystal forms: calcite, which is hexagonal, and aragonite, which is rhombohedral. , Devan said. ``It's like an antacid antacid, any one of several basic substances that counteract stomach acidity (see stomach). Antacids are used by physicians to treat hyperchlorhydria, i.e., the excessive production of hydrochloric acid by the parietal cells lining the stomach. for paper,'' he said. Devan uses tiny fragments of paper imported from Japan to repair tears in old books and documents. Modern conveniences such as Scotch tape and Post-It notes are high on conservators' enemies lists. They leave behind an adhesive that continues to damage documents after they're removed, conservators say. Most archives let readers inspect original documents, but will keep a close eye on patrons to make sure they're handling them properly. They may issue gloves for items that are particularly fragile. Archives also maintain their holdings at a regulated temperature and humidity to prevent damage. Fluctuations take a heavy toll on items, conservators said. Older does not necessarily mean more fragile, conservators said. Modern paper, for example, is not as sturdy as that used in some old documents, they said. When Devan was working with some Bicentennial-related documents at the National Archives National Archives, official depository for records of the U.S. federal government, established in 1934 by an act of Congress. Although displeasure concerning the method of keeping national records was voiced in Congress as early as 1810, the United States continued in the mid-1970s, his boss told him that the centuries-old paper wasn't what he should be worried about. ``I probably could have put those through the dishwasher and they would have been all right,'' he said. ``He said `You better worry about the Richard Nixon papers because Nixon wrote in felt-tip pen.' '' CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Bob Devan, conservator for the Arkansas History Comm ission, repairs holes in a tax rate chart from the years 1837-1857. Associated Press |
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