How much do you know about preser-vation issues? These questions represent various areas of the field. Some are easy, some a little tricky. Go ahead. Test your preservation IQ. Maybe you know more than you think.

1. What is the best means for preserving the information in brittle books?

1. Microfilm it.
2. Digitize it.
3. Give it to Nicholson Baker.
4. All three are equally acceptable.

2. Why do books become brittle?

1. Chemicals used to produce paper may cause them to become acidic.
2. Pages are likely made from unpurified wood pulp which is weaker and more vulnerable.
3. Environmental pollutants accelerate deterioration.
4. All of the above.

3. A library preservation assessment would include:

1. Examining climate conditions in collection areas.
2. Assessing fire protection programs.
3. Interviewing those responsible for book repair.
4. Asking housekeepers what vacuum cleaners they use.
5. All of the above.
6. A through C only.

4. Mold can only grow on books when:

1. The temperature is above 70 degrees.
2. Books that already contain mold spores are introduced into the collection.
3. There is enough moisture present.
4. All of the above.

5.Standards for library binding are developed by:

1. Library Binding Institute.
2. National Bookbinding Association.
3. Northeast Document Conservation Center.
4. NEH Division of Preservation and Access.

6. You should never shelve a book:

1. On its spine.
2. On a shelf that is not as tall as the book.
3. On its fore-edge.
4. Lying flat.

7. A cardinal rule of book repair is:

1. Pressure sensitive tape is our friend.
2. It's best not to attempt repair until the book is too damaged for normal use.
3. Even the simplest procedures require a high level of formal education and training.
4. If you don't know what you're doing, it's better to do nothing.

8. To increase the life of videocassette tapes:

1. They should be stored vertically, or in an upright position.
2. They should only be rewound just before playing.
3. They should not be stored near tele-vision sets.
4. All of the above.

9. For the greatest protection to books, shelving should:

1. Be well lighted, preferably by direct sunlight.
2. Be constructed of polyurethane coated wood.
3. Allow at least a 3 inch distance from the bottom shelf to the floor.
4. All of the above.

10. The best way to break-in a new book is by:

1. Opening to the center of the book and forcing it open until it pops.
2. Opening from either end a few pages at a time and pressing along the inner margins.
3. Opening to the center, placing face down, and pressing on the spine.
4. Books should not be broken-in.

Answers:

1. A. Mr. Baker* would likely not agree, but preservation experts generally contend that reformatting is necessary to preserve the information in brittle books. Microfilming continues to be the most stable and reliable means for long-term preservation.
(* NOTE: Nicolson Baker is the author of Double Fold: Libraries and the Assault on Paper, 2001, in which he accuses librarians of exaggerating the brittle paper problem and thus destroying printed books and newspapers in an effort to reformat them.)

2. D. All three are contributors to embrittlement.**
(** NOTE: An older, but still worthy, discussion of what things cause paper to deteriorate can be found in Paper and its Preservation: Environmental Controls, Oct. 1983 (rev.). This paper was published by the Library of Congress Preservation Office as its Preservation Leaflet No. 2 and distributed through the GPO depository program.)

3. E. Once again, all of the above. A good preservation assessment examines any activity or condition that may affect the well-being of the library collection, including how housekeepers clean. Vacuum cleaners that fail to filter small particles tend to create dust problems.

4. C. This is a tricky question. The word "only" is key to the answer. Warmer temperatures are conducive to mold growth, although mold can grow in temperatures as low as 40 degrees. Mold spores can be introduced in a variety of ways, and it is highly likely they are already there waiting for enough moisture to allow them to flourish.

5. A. The Library Binding Institute was established in 1935 and works to promote high standards within the field of bookbinding.

6. C. You may have been tempted by answer B. Ideally, shelves are adjusted to accommodate taller books, but in practice, this is not always possible. It is okay in this case to shelve the book spine down, but never fore-edge down. The text block of a book on its fore-edge has no support and its weight may cause it to separate from the spine.

7. D. Many a book has been irreparably damaged by a well-meaning librarian using flawed repair techniques.

8. D. If you break all these rules in storing your personal collection, you are not alone. Nevertheless, you should avoid laying videocassettes on their sides since this may allow the tape to sag away from the hub. Tapes should never be stored half played and its best not to rewind, since playing leaves a more even tension. If you must rewind, use a machine that allows rewinding at a slow speed. Tapes should not be stored near magnetic fields, and that includes televisions.

9. C. Pipes burst. Water pools. Anything on or near the floor gets wet. A and B are wrong. Wooden shelving is not recommended because it emits harmful gases and no coating or sealant will completely block this. Well lighted shelves are people friendly but not book friendly. For more discussion of lighting and books, see the preservation column in TSLL, vol. 28, no.1/2.