Loose material in books

Loose materials are sometimes found in bound collection materials. Current Folger policy for vault items favors keeping anything relating to the history, readership, or use of materials with the materials themselves, making reasonable accommodation against damage. This article contains policy and procedures for dealing with things found in books.

Staff procedures

In case of doubt, consult supervisor, curator, or conservator

Loose items

Loose items to be kept

• Keep loose material with the book unless instructed otherwise
• Keep laid-in material where it is found, as long as it doesn't put stress on the binding
• Make a copy note, giving a summary of what and where found
• Write shelfmark and location on the item itself, using standard procedures for writing on collection materials
• If laid-in item is small, very acidic (for example, newspaper clippings), or otherwise may damage the rare material, fold buffered paper around it and keep it in place
• Add an attention flag for loose materials
• For laid-in items considered too bulky to keep in place, or in case of any doubt, consult curator

Loose items to be removed

• Accession/acquisition-based items, such as bookseller descriptions, or shipping labels
  • relating to Mr. and Mrs. Folger's purchase, remove to case file
    • if there isn't a file for that case number yet, start one
    • if the case number is unknown, remove to curatorial file
    • make a copy note with general description of the removed material; it is not necessary to indicate where the material was found
  • relating to Folger Library purchase, discard' do not make a copy note (or remove to curatorial file and make copy note?)
• Organic materials which might prove detrimental to the book, such as flowers, leaves, etc., remove to the curatorial file (unless there's evidence for mold or pests), and make copy note

Items attached or affixed

• Leave in place unless damage is actively occurring
• Insert buffered paper or ask conservation to mount Japanese paper to protect from metal pins or other rusty things, acidic paper, etc.
• If conservation staff must remove an attached item, make a copy note giving a summary of what and where

Special considerations

• Consult the curator of manuscripts about extraneous manuscript material