“Oh, phooey!” I have to wear gloves.

Safe guarding collections from any GLAMR institution involves everyone. The reader, staff, storage manager, donors, and governments. Without funding we cannot continue to keep collections in a safe place. We are very thankful to have donors to funnel additional funding and so without them, we could not have continued some of the digitising projects we have or need to do. Staff are the role models of handling and safe keeping of collection material. Staff are expected to keep abreast with current practices and share them with their peers. Patrons come in with little or no knowledge of preservation techniques, so it is up to staff to inform and demonstrate. Patrons are expected to follow guidelines for usage. This will keep and safe guard collection for generations to come.

Yet you will always come across people who will ask why we are so protective of books, when everything is on the Internet. No, that is not the case. I know that from personal and professional experience. There are still many titles, images, maps, ephemera which have never made on to the Internet. It is delusional to think so. Digital storage is not cheap and besides who is paying for it? The government? Probably, but for how long? Also, it takes a great of deal of resources to make physical items readily available on the Internet. Well, that’s another topic for another time.

Given we are talking about reality here, many patrons still have to personally visit institutions in order to view the material and access the limited licence databases. Sometimes you are given gloves, pillows, and snake weights. Then there are policies such as return item with the card board bookmark with a barcode on it; view one box at a time; and use a pencil only for notes. To digital citizens this is peculiar and now unfamiliar custom, I will attempt to explain the purpose of these customs.

These customs are an institution’s means for safe keeping their collection material. To ensure they last for many years to come and for future generations to use them. The world maybe your oyster, but these collection materials are for everyone to use, not just you. We don’t iterate such messages, as we want people to use the collection and not shy away from them. There will be times institutions want to display the material in an exhibition or loan it to another institution for a project. Therefore, it is imperative that collection material is well maintained by staff and patrons.

The ever so — why and what is that?

- The evil dog ear and sticky licking corner.

Dog ears weaken pages and destroys the integrity of the book. While saliva eats away at the already browning newspaper pages. Though it makes it easily to turn pages, it would only accelerate decay. Besides old newspapers have (maybe) never given anyone a paper cut. Also, these cannot be sterilised so you might be in contact with very old germs.

- The infamous white gloves.

The oils from our hands fade text and thin paper. Also, we can pass bacteria on to the pages. In addition, we prefer patron to not leave with red leather rot on their hands either.

- Pillows and the book that sleeps.

The pillow is to offer support and reduces the pressure placed on the book’s fragile spine. This is usually the case with rare books, large photo albums, and newspapers.

- Weight snake, say what?

Leaning your heated smartphone on a book leaves burn marks and heat does not mix with acidic paper. The weight snakes sit nicely on the opposing page, allowing you to take a photograph of the page without juggling too much and preserves the material for the next person.

- Card board bookmark with a barcode on it.

Some items and books are too delicate to have a barcode slapped on them. With the goal of preserving the book’s natural state. Hence, we ask that you hand that bookmark back with the material. Go to a bookshop if you require a bookmark.

- One box at a time.

To ensure manuscript collections are kept in order and to preserve context, most institutions only hand out one box at time. Not so much a trust issue, but human error issue. Are you good at solving rubric cubes puzzles hourly?

- Pencil only.

Pencil markings can easily be erased compared to ballpoint pens. Please graffiti elsewhere.

- No food policy.

Yeah, I know you have the munchies when you study, but the food leaves odour and stains on books, and it attracts vermin to the collection. Which causes further destruction. This is not the way to study competitively.

Now that you got an idea of how we safely protect our collection, I can hope you have developed a sense of understanding and respect for the processes and policies. They are for all of us.