Queries and Answers: Caring for Fragile Books

Joyce asked, "I have a very old genealogy book that is falling apart. How can I preserve it? Someone suggested laminating the pages." Gosh...lamination is one of the deadliest sins of preserving items. It literally destroys materials. The combination of poor quality plastic, heat and adhesive speed deterioration. As for caring for a crumbling book, library suppliers sell an acid and lignin free enclosures like these sold by Hollinger Corp. Your local library will have product catalogs that contain other types of protective enclosures. Just make sure you buy something acid and lignin free.