Most people think a manuscript is either a stack of 8 ½" x 11" papers (the draft of a novel), a bound medieval text, or a rolled or framed parchment of some sort. Many also think that labeling and storing manuscripts would not require much effort. People assume they are skilled enough already, and can do it efficiently without needing advice: probably better than anyone else. How hard could it be to get some folders and a box and put a label on them? The trouble is that there are many unpredictable aspects to end-processing manuscript collections, and challenging logistics behind readying them for use by researchers to be continually overcome. Obstacles arise from all directions. Effort from every region of the brain is required to overcome them. Consulting a manual may help.
It is hard to describe the variety found in manuscripts. They can be bound volumes, or boxes of folders that might also contain anything from silver, coins, and clothing, to eyeglasses, matches, even a fried egg or chewing gum. Houghton Library collections include: handcuffs, swords, artwork, pressed flowers, photographs, death masks, scrapbooks, an early light bulb, medieval texts, an asbestos tile, musical scores, audio tapes, playing cards, jigsaw puzzles, and human hair, to name a few. Whatever happens to have been stored with an author's papers can make it into the library to become part of our collections. A collection can range from hundreds of boxes purchased by the library from an author's estate, to a scrapbook of autograph letters donated by some collector. A manuscript, such as a journal, or an illuminated sheet, can also arrive as a single item, independently of any collection, whether it is a gift or a purchase.
Staff and readers should be able to examine and identify material safely: one can't just let items roll around together in a box and hope for the best. Somehow, each item must go into a folder, box, or binder, no matter what the dimensions, without being damaged. Everything has to have a label. If it doesn't fit in a box, it may need to be labelled with a tag. If there's nothing to tie the tag onto, you may have to sew it on, or invent some other solution. Housing must meet preservation standards. The correct information must be on the label, having met the approval of catalogers and the public services staff. For one collection of up to 10,000 items, each with a different description, one must master software that can help get that unique information onto those labels quickly. It is necessary to estimate fairly accurately for supplies and to make use of scrap. The sequence of items must be kept whenever possible, for there is both an intellectual and a physical order to things.
When item (3) is too big and fragile to fit into the box with items (1)-(10), is it necessary to find an unconventional way to store them all together; or is it better to store them separately and annotate the finding aid? What if an item is sharp, toxic, or otherwise dangerous to handle? Will a box of typescript items be deformed if a small thick volume must be stored in the middle of the pile? Would the answer be the same if the folders were stored upright? How does one safely store a tintype that must be boxed with a stack of letters? Can an an old piece of blotting paper be discarded? What if an item smells of moth balls? Should one remove a straight pin from an Emily Dickinson manuscript; or is it considered an artifact? Is it safe to send an item to the Harvard Depository? How should we store and label an item that is restricted because of fragility or privacy issues? How should we affix a label to a bound volume to avoid covering text? Are we certain the wording of a bookplate is accurate and consistent with past practices? The questions never end.For more routine procedures, supplies, methods, consult the table of contents for Level II and III processing in this manual.
EXAMPLES
Coming up with storage solutions that align with basic preservation measures can be challenging. Having a compilation of samples can be a big help in assessing how to proceed. This manual uses specific items in Houghton's collections to illustrate solutions to difficult housing problems. Throughout the Manual, there are also slide presentations, videos, links, and verbal explanation that provide training on various routine procedures. Preservation and End-processing collaborate on many things. The End-processing manual serves as a repository for some overlapping activities, such as rolled storage. This can be helpful to anyone looking for an example of a particular type of material or housing for a lecture or seminar.
These are examples of custom solutions over the years.
AUDIOCASSETTE PRESENTATION (Vidal)
BOOK SHOE
BOXED VOLUMES
COPPER (or zinc) PLATES
CURLED PAPER STRIPS stored in MYLAR
FITTED OUT prefab
FLAG
GALLEY PROOFS
UPRIGHT SOLUTIONS
FLAT SOLUTIONS
PALM LEAVES : string
RE-HOUSING PROJECTS : labeling recommendations
SLIDES
WEIGHTS for BOXES (see PHONOGRAPH RECORD ALBUM too tall for box sent to HD - we don't do that anymore!)
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Anchor book shoe book shoe
BOOK SHOE for single volume or large record album
| book shoe | |
| book shoe |
MS Hyde 51 is shelved in a display case in the Hyde room. To allow it's attractive spine to be viewed, it was put into a book shoe rather than a box. These can be made simply in-house with 2 sheets of slightly thick folder stock folded around the volume in both directions, and then held together with double-sided tape. These can also be used for single items or volumes from a collection that need protection but have to be shelved quickly, such as during Container Management, when re-housing an oversized phonograph album from an older collection. Using the folder stock rather than archival corrugated board also allows it to fit back on its tightly filled shelve.
BOXED VOLUME COLLECTIONS
Wide (7") flip-top document box can sometimes accommodate both volumes and archival folders. MS Thr 1816 (prompt books) or any small volume collections of fairly uniform size can fit nicely sideways in a regular or wide document box. This example has sturdy inner folders with tabs, made from thin archival corrugated board (the same as the spacers that are used with this type of box, because they crease easily). These were made in-house by the end processor. There was room in this box for a legal sized folder along the right wall of the box and a corrugated spacer on the left. The inner enclosure in the front (also custom made by end processor) houses more fragile booklets. MS Thr 473 (prompt books) was mostly very thin, fragile pamphlet-like items, many of which fit into custom cut (by end processor using guillotine) archival file folders rather than corrugated board folders. There is no picture. These are at HD.
Anchor mixed upright solutions mixed upright solutions
UPRIGHT SOLUTIONS
| mixed upright solutions | |
| mixed upright solutions |
Papers, pamphlets, book (or artifact in inner box or sling) all in a single carton.
Spacers made from rolled and tied scraps of corrugated board and polyurethane
A carton filled up tight enough that the large volumes in rear don't slide during transport. Ideally, the volumes at the back would be placed in sturdier folders for added protection during transport to and from HD. Stiff dividers made of archival corrugated board could be placed between the folders containing the volumes if desired or needed.
Anchor mixed flat solutions mixed flat solutions
FLAT SOLUTIONS
Anchor copper or zinc copper or zinc
Copper (or zinc) plates
| mixed flat solutions | |
| mixed flat solutions |
| copper or zinc | |
| copper or zinc |
A collection of heavy zinc plates, each in a single prefab to be labeled individually (see also copper on wood blocks in II. End Processor's Guidelines...)
MS Typ 1343, a different collection of copper plates and proofs associated with William Blake to facilitate teaching. The end processor divided them into sizes, to fit in 3 cmi boxes that each held only a few plates, so that weight wouldn't be an issue. As it would have if all the plates were housed in a single box. Each box was the same size (the size of the prefabs) so they could be stacked on top of each other so as not to take up space on the shelf.
Anchor slides slides
SLIDES
| slides | |
| slides |
There are several housing options for slides:
- One slide: Single slide sleeve for slides shelved upright with other slides in slide boxes
- can also choose to leave large collection of slides sleeveless
- One slide : Single pocket of a photosleeve made for slides, shelved upright with collection of papers.
- single slide can also be loose inside a folder, sleeved or unsleeved
- Several slides : in photosleeves made for slides, shelved upright or flat
- Large slide collection : can go into archival boxes made for slides
- one or more small/inner slide boxes inside an outer box