Manuscript End Processing manual (first draft, 2010)

Manuscript End Processing manual

(draft)

updated, V.Denby: December 17, 2010

H:\...\End Processing -Manuscripts\Documentation\@manual\Manuscript End-processing manual.doc

Contents

Introduction

Goals in End-processing Manuscript Collections

Expectations

Use of this Manual

Large Collections and Single Item Manuscripts

COLLECTIONS

Steps for end-processing collections.

Steps for end-processing collections using simplified labels.

General Procedures for Students

Additional procedures and tips for students

COLLECTION SHELVED UPRIGHT

COLLECTION SHELVED FLAT

Tips for Catalogers

Tips for Manuscript end-processor (Student Supervisor)

LARGE COLLECTION SHELVED UPRIGHT

LARGE COLLECTION SHELVED FLAT

SINGLE ITEMS

Steps for end-processing single items

Pre-fabs

Sheets of paper in a prefab

Volume in a prefab

Other items in prefabs

Volumes

CMI boxes

Boxes

Standard boxes

Cloth boxes

Pre-existing boxes

Documents Relating to this Manual

AEON

Catchalls database

Donor plate database

Manuscript Log

Supplies slide show

Supplies database

INTRODUCTION

Most people think a manuscript is either a stack of 8 ½” x 11” papers, a bound medieval text, or a rolled or framed parchment of some sort. Many people also think that labelling and storing manuscripts would not require much effort. People often think they are skilled enough already, and could do it quickly without needing advice: probably better than anyone else. How hard could it be to get some folders and stick a label on them? The trouble is that there are many unpredictable aspects to end-processing manuscript collections, and challenging logistics behind labelling and housing them 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, & clothing, to eyeglasses, matches, even a fried egg. Houghton Library collections include: handcuffs, swords, artwork, pressed flowers, photographs, death masks, scrapbooks, a 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 a 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 stack? Would the answer be the same if the folders were stored upright? How does one safely store a tintype that occurs among papers? Can an an old piece of blotting paper be discarded? What if an item smells of moth balls? Should one go ahead and remove a straight pin from an Emily Dickinson manuscript; or is it considered an artifact? Can an item safely go to 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.

GOALS IN END-PROCESSING MANUSCRIPT COLLECTIONS

Readers and others should be able to identify and handle material safely in housing that is neat and clean. Most manuscript material is therefore housed in acid-free file folders, labelled on the upper left tab. All material is prepared for photoduplication or digitization by unfolding, and removing staples and paper clips. Unfolding the material also allows for more compact storage.

EXPECTATIONS

Food and drink are allowed only in the break room.

Water must be in screw-top container, kept closed & away from materials while working.

Don’t leave drinking water behind at end of shift.

Handle folders and manuscript material with clean hands.

Do one thing at a time and be careful of the original order that manuscripts are in.

Point out defects in supplies to the supervisor.

Proofread call number and source information on labels before attaching.

Point out errors in descriptions on labels when matching items to their call number.

Don’t discard fragments of collection material that contain text; or throw out any collection-related material (including old folders) unless instructed to do so.

Use only pencil, store pens and felt-tip markers in a drawer (felt-tip can ooze ink onto material if accidentally left open).

Leave work stations clean and organized.

Computers should be turned off before leaving for the day (unless you know someone will be using it afterwards).

USE OF THIS MANUAL

A student assistant should read this manual as an introduction to the job after they are hired. They should follow the expectations listed above, but also follow specific instructions they are given for the collection they are working on.The manual is kept by the Manuscript end-processor who supervises student assistants. It is a snapshot of procedures at a given time, and is a memory bank for handling unusual situations that could recur. There is also a small section for catalogers. The details of end-processing, specifically formatting and placement of labels, involve some personal interpretation. Small variations that turn up in the work can be acceptable, as long as there is consistency within a collection.

COLLECTIONS AND SINGLE ITEM MANUSCRIPTS

Manuscripts are cataloged either as single items or collections with many items and a finding aid on OASIS. There is a separate tracking form for each. Pre-printed tracking forms are available in a black box on the shelf in front of my desk. They can also be printed out from: GROUPS\H:\Houghton\Technical Services\Accessioning & End-Processing\End Processing - Manuscripts\Documentation\Documents used in Manual\ or accessed via control/click in the body of this document.

Catalogers fill out a tracking form, and attach a printout of the Aleph record, circling the call no. and accession no., as they (ideally) appear on one page together. This provides a quick reference for proofing work which is of great help to the end-processor. They then put the item, accompanied by the forms, on the big red truck inside the end-processing work area. If an item is too big, or there is no room, they should leave it on my chair or table. If there are many boxes, catalogers leave just the tracking form and ALEPH printout on my chair or hand me the tracking form and printout, informing the Manuscript End-processor of the location.

COLLECTIONS

Collections are housed in two different ways. Either they are in acid-free file folders with a re-inforced tab that stand upright inside legal-sized Hollinger boxes, or they are in 2-flap acid-free folders that rest flat in a box with an attached lid (called a clam-shell box) that was specially designed for ease of use in the Reading Room. Usually collections that present few special housing considerations are stored upright and sent to HD. If a collection is too fragile to go to HD, or if heavy use is expected, it may instead be kept in flat boxes on site, since Houghton shelving is adjusted to accept flat boxes about 4” high. Shelving in the Harvard Theatre Collection (HTC) and at HD can accept either upright or flat boxes. When a collection uses both flat and upright boxes, each type has an identifying prefix. Collections in the standard-size box, whether flat or upright, have the prefix “bMS”, meaning “boxed manuscript”, as part of their call number. Any flat boxes larger than the standard size are called “pfMS” boxes, for “portfolio manuscript”. Rarely, an upright box that is part of a larger collection must be kept at Houghton, and in that case it has no prefix, and is shelved with codex manuscripts, as “MS” since it will not fit on the regular boxed manuscript shelves.

Steps for end-processing collections.

Receive information about the collection from Manuscript collection tracking form.

Examine collection to assess supply, student help, and other needs.

Discuss questions with cataloger or relevant others.

Create a workable plan for completing the collection on time.

Put printout of the OASIS finding aid into 3-ring binder. Use red pen and “post-its” as tabs to note corrections.

Create label template in ACCESS (using Manuscript Folder labels database) to be proofed by the cataloger.

Follow Folder label-making instructions for large collections.

Have cataloger proof draft of first sheet of labels.

Fill out an End-processing instruction sheet for the collection and add it to notebook.

Write up a sheet of collection Guidelines for the notebook if there are special considerations.

Discuss file:///E:/@manual/will need/Goals, expectations, and procedures.docxGoals, Expectations, and General Procedures with student assistants.

Gather data for box labels and item records during end-processing, following Box label instructions.

Inspect each box briefly for quality control while making sure all items are present.

Send boxes to HD in batches as they are finished, following current HD protocol.

Steps for end-processing collections using simplified labels.

General Procedures for Students

Unfold all material unless it protrudes or nearly protrudes from the folder afterwards.

Do not try to flatten random creases or dogears.

Remove paper clips by bending rather than sliding, as instructed.

Remove staples with microspatula as instructed, unless the staples are part of the binding of a pamphlet.

Remove brads, straight pins, etc. only if instructed to do so.

Flag photographs or other unusual material, as instructed.

Note item numbers and describe any problems or questions, as instructed.

Interleave or otherwise segregate harmful or delicate material as instructed

Do not try to remove pressure sensitive tape or adhesions from manuscripts, keep a list of such items.

Do not attached “post-its” directly to manuscript material of any kind, unless instructed.

Adhere label to front of folder, as instructed.

Keep erasure spread minimized so it doesn’t get into the folders.

When an item is labeled incorrectly and the folder is going to be reused--be sure to line through the old label in pencil as soon as possible so that there is no confusion for others, when you have left your workstation, as to whether something is missing from that folder. Also double or triple check to make sure nothign is in it before giving to Vicki, who stores re-useable folder stock in two paige boxes on one of her shelves.

List items that have staff messages in them, we don’t normally keep this sort of thing in the collections.

Discard any incorrect or irrelevant labels before you leave for the day, so there will be no confusion about items being overlooked.

Follow End-processing instruction sheet and complete verso, after reading Goals, Expectations and General Procedures listed above.

Follow any special Guidelines in the notebook, as instructed.

Read and follow appropriate sections under “Additional procedures and tips for students.”

Additional procedures and tips for students

SAMPLE CALL NUMBERS

Call numbers have a “prefix”; a “stem”; and an “item” number. The prefix changes according to the size of a particular box. The item number is always in parentheses. The call number, bMS Am 1200 (6), is a [b]oxed [MS] manuscript collection; [Am]erican language; the 1200th one acquired by the library; and it is the 6th item listed in the finding aid. The box would be a standard size, but could be either flat or upright.

FOLDERS AND ITEM NUMBERS

Catalogers sort collections into folders and number them. They number smaller collections in pencil, but for larger ones, they use removeable stickers. After matching the item number of the final label with that of the removeable sticker, affix the label and rub it down well, especially on the corners and edges, with a teflon folder (see further instructions below). Then place the removeable sticker neatly on a piece of scrap paper and keep those all in order until the collection is finished. That way if an item is missing we’ll know whether or not we saw it.

BOX LABELS

In the excel spreadsheet.. use the existing format to record the correct prefix (b, or pf), the range of item numbers in each box, items needing “dummy folders” and other notes, such as missing items or other problems of any sort. Place a label holder on the box, as instructed, and use scrap to make temporary labels that list the call number and range of items in pencil. If we run out of label holders, use post-its.

REMOVING STAPLES

Remove all staples at upper corners and random staples. See “Binding Materials” for when to leave staples in. Do NOT use a “claw” type staple remover. Get a demonstration of the procedure below. Place sheets flat on a table with the ends of the staple exposed.Slip a microspatula under one end at a time, rotating the spatula to lift the end up. Turn the sheets over and slip the spatula under the front part of the staple and rotate until you can pull it out. If thin/fragile paper, put the corner of a rectangle of mylar under the two ends of the staple first and then try sliding the microspatula under them.Ask for instruction or assistance with fragile items or heavy duty staples before proceeding.

BINDING MATERIALS

Sometimes a group of papers is bound together with brads or staples or sewing along the edge. Always make a note of such bindings and ask whether to remove them. Usually staples are left in if they are part of a formal-looking “binding”, or in a pamphlet. Usually brads and thread are removed as they can more readily damage the paper. Certain kind of brads are not removeable with ordinary tools, so they are left in. However, it is best to ask first, as the curator sometimes has a specific reason for wanting to keep the binding intact. (Even though as a standard practice, we remove staples that appear on the corners of a group of papers.)

POST-ITS

We don’t use post-its on manuscript material of any kind because it can leave a residue that collects dirt. It could also harm some leather covers. However, in modern collections a post-it might be part of the material. In that case, make a note of the item number and you may be asked to put it in a permalife folder to protect other items, in case it were to detach. If there is an excessive amount of post-its throughout the collection, we might decide not to use any inner folders at all, as it would add too much bulk and use up a lot of paper.

REMOVING ITEMS FROM NON-ACID-FREE FOLDERS

Catalogers sometimes use old folders to sort collections, and expect us to transfer material into new folders. If it has been determined that the old folders are not acid-free, you will be asked to unfold them completely as you go along, to make sure there is nothing left behind, and rip them in half along the fold. Then shake them gently as a double-check, and give them to the supervisor to dispose of. We never throw out any old folders without opening them and tearing them in half first.

Do not stack the folders as you go along, intending to unfold and tear them afterwards, as this creates another chore and a pile, which cause confusion. Other staff members have been known to come across a pile of folders and take them, thinking they were all empty and re-useable, only to find a manuscript accidentally left behind. And, if someone takes such a pile and decides to throw it out themselves, then anything that was left behind would be unknowingly lost.

REMOVING ITEMS FROM ACID-FREE FOLDERS

We have a stock of re-useable acid-free file folders that catalogers usually use for sorting collections. They come in various whites, and in a greenish tone. When transferring materials out of these folders, please turn them completely inside-out and stack them in an up-turned Paige box. If they all face the same direction (i.e. all fold edges going same way in box) they will tilt and start to fall out of the box. SO, once they start tilting, change the direction you are stacking them and it will even out. This makes for a neatly filled box of empty folders, ready to be re-used by the catalogers on another collection. When the box is full, stick the front of one of the folders out of the front of the box and store with other boxes of empty folders. It is best to separate out the greenish ones as they don’t erase very well. We sometimes find other uses for them.

INTERLEAVING

Interleaving should approximate the size of the folder (about 1/16” smaller on all sides), not the size of the collection material. Use legal-sized sheets of permalife for legal-sized folders, and letter-sized sheets for letter-sized folders. In some cases, use (sparingly) inner folders of permalife, or custom inner folders of folder stock, as instructed.

FINISHING A COLLECTION

Make sure that all papers and unused supplies, etc.leftover after a collection are in good order. Discard any labels that you know are not going to be used so that they don’t create confusion about whether the work was complete. Any labels that are left behind should be clearly marked as to why they were not pasted down before handing peripheral materials to the supervisor. Please give all leftover materials/supplies to the supervisor as well, and make sure the work station is clean and ready for the next collection.

Additional Procedures for Student

Manuscript Collection shelved upright

APPLYING SELF-ADHESIVE LABELS:

COLLECTION STORED UPRIGHT.

Position manuscript material away from the reinforced tab of the file folder.

Work slowly so label doesn’t accidentally adhere to manuscripts.

Label should cover any penciled text on the upper left tab and sit about 1/16” below top edge

Text that might protrude should be erased before the label is affixed to avoid smearing ink.

Use white Mars plastic Staedtler erasers for folders, sweep work area frequently into wastebasket.

Be consistent with placement in a given collection, once the location is chosen.

Do not reapply spoiled labels: keep a list of reprints needed.

UPRIGHT FILE FOLDERS WITH THICK CONTENTS IN UPRIGHT DOCUMENT BOX

If you cannot slip your hand into the back of the box, it is overfull. But it is also important not to underfill the box. The folders and their contents will start to slip and curl at the bottom if the box is not adequately full. This will especially happen when there are folders with THICK CONTENTS, if the creases at the bottom of the folders are not folded to make the bottoms flat. HOWEVER, one should not fold the bottom of a folder flat if there are only a few sheets inside the folder, because this too will cause the folders to slip down and become deformed. Please ask for a demonstration of the meaning of this as it is important to understand for the safety of the materials, and see below:

FILLNG AN UPRIGHT FILE FOLDER AND WHEN TO CREASE BOTTOM OF FOLDER

In addition to the crease along the bottom of the folder, there are two additional score lines that could be folded to adjust the thickness of the folder if necessary. When in doubt about where to crease the folder, it may be better not to crease it at all, but inform the supervisor so that they can take care of it or give you advice. The supervisor can use the guidelines below:

IF UPRIGHT FOLDER IS NOT FULL ENOUGH bottom of folder might stay flat, but pressure from other folders in the box can cause bottom to "fan out" which causes adjacent folders to curl at bottom. Also causes bottom edges of contents to curl over time.

IF UPRIGHT FOLDER IS NOT FULL ENOUGH surrounding folders can create pressure causing folder to push up the contents unevenly and rest on the edge of one crease rather than laying flat. This can cause contents that would otherwise fit in the folder to stick above the top of it. Also, bottom edges of contents can eventually start to curl or cause adjacent folders to curl.

FOLDER IS FILLED PROPERLYwhen small amount of contents do not require an extra crease at the bottom. FOLDER IS FILLED PROPERLYwhen the thickness of the material matches thickness of the folder. Sometimes it is necessary to add a custom crease in order to match the thickness of the material.

VOLUMES STORED UPRIGHT IN BOX

If volumes are too tall to stand normally inside the box, they should rest on their spines within the folder. If they are stored with the spines up, it will put pressure on the boards and they will eventually detach.

Additional procedures and tips for students,

Manuscript Collection shelved flat

APPLYING SELF-ADHESIVE LABELS

Position manuscript material away from the upper left corner of the folder, to create a flat surface on which to rub down the label, and so as not to put pressure on the material itself. Return manuscript material neatly to its final location within the folder. Work slowly so label doesn’t accidentally adhere to manuscripts.

Label should cover any penciled text on the upper left corner and sit about ¾” below top edge and about ¾” from the left (folded) edge.Text that might protrude should be erased before the label is affixed to avoid smearing ink. Be consistent with placement in a given collection, once the location is chosen. Do not reapply spoiled labels: keep a list of reprints needed.

Avoid applying the label over a fold, as this will make it more likely to pop off over time.

KEEPING ORDER INSIDE THE FOLDER

Keep sheets as square as possible inside the folder, but do not try to pick them up and tap the edge on the table, because often they are fragile. Instead, for badly disarrayed sheets, lay them on top of each other one at a time slowly and carefully. But do this only if they are badly disarrayed or it will just waste a lot of time. Most collections probably won’t even need to be neatened up. Keeping the original order of the material, make sure no sheets are upside down (unless you can determine that this is part of the correct order).

Tips for catalogers

SHELF MARK ON TRACKING FORM

Please write the shelf mark in the upper right corner of the tracking form. This helps in filing the forms as they are being worked on.

HOU# ON TRACKING FORM

Very rarely, a small manuscript collection will arrive that masquerades as a single item. Unlike most manuscript collections that have many items the “hybrid” does not have a finding aid in OASIS, but lists the items in 520>. Use a MS. Collection Tracking form, but please circle and write “none” in the HOU# blank at the top of the form so we know at a glance to treat it as a collection. Custom procedures are required to produce the labels, since the format/placement of data doesn’t conform with that of other manuscript collections.

MULTIPLE FOLDERS

Catalogers can choose to divide or not divide a folder, based on the expected use, fragility, or value of the collection. But if they do not want the folders divided further, because of intellectual content, etc. they should leave a note for the end-processor to that effect.

ENVELOPES IN COLLECTION MATERIAL

It is ok, and probably desirable in most cases, when manuscript material includes a gummed envelope, to fold the envelope flap shut so that it does not adhere to the material behind it over time. If it were to get stuck shut, it would be easy for the conservation lab to re-open the envelope if need be. In most cases manuscript material is removed from envelopes so that the reader doesn’t have to do that and risk damage.

However, in the case of a collection with numerous negatives and photographs, especially one that we don't anticipate will have heavy use, we sometimes keep them in their existing envelope, and insert Phototex interleaving paper to keep them separated. This works especially well with negatives, which can be housed only in phototex paper. (Hyde collection was done this way).

WRITING AND ERASING ON FOLDERS

If you are putting a temporary item no. onto a folder before labeling it, remember to write lightly and small in an area where the label is going to be permanently adhered so that we don't have to erase. Erasing after the label is put on can damage the label and make it illegible so that it has to be reprinted. And, erasing in general causes little particles of eraser to be spread all over the workstation, which is not good for the materials. Erasing as little as possible is desired around the ms. material.

LABELLING BOXES

If there is a label holder already on a box, please use it rather than sticking a self-adhesive label over it. If you would like a label holder, you may request some. If you would like blank paper that fits into the label holders you may request that too.

PHOTOGRAPHS

It is recommended that catalogers read the section “PHOTOGRAPHS” under “Tips for Manuscript End-processor”.

ABREVIATIONS AND OTHER INFORMATION IN 541 FIELD

Catalogers and the Manuscript end-processor might benefit from knowing a few unusual things that show up on some older catalog records that affect end-processing. Here is an ongoing list of examples:

Tips for Manuscript end-processor (Student Supervisor)

Objectives.

The first objective is to manage incoming material. This means trying to keep everything accurately labelled, and in a condition to facilitate access until it is end-processed. For example, things that come in loosely bundled with cloth tape should be transferred to a pre-fab, box or envelope as soon as possible. Upright items go on the top shelf of the red “INCOMING MANUSCRIPTS” truck inside the door of the work room. As time permits, like items may be grouped together, i.e. pre-fabs, CMI boxing, questions, items that need minimal work, etc. When the shelf starts to fill up, however, the items will need to be worked on. Students can be helpful in inputting data for batched items such as these.Items on the lower shelves of the red truck, are used mostly for items in a single box or two. Sometimes oversize or oddly shaped items have to be finished right away to make room for other items.

The influx of large collections, single items, middle-sized collections; coordination of supply needs; making good use of time and space are some of the “plates” that constantly need spinning. Students can often be most helpful in the more routine large collections, which frees time for the supervisor to ready middle-sized boxed collections for labelling, and to work on single items, etc. But boxes are always checked for contents and quality by the supervisor before shelving. Using the student instruction form is helpful in getting work ready ahead of time. Refining and updating that form as needed is a good way to streamline the work. Adding to the manual on a regular basis is also key. More experienced students are usually better equipped to help with the middle-sized collections, with all of their variations, inconsistencies and special preservation considerations.

OVERFLOW (Basement N-26)

If a large project necessitates putting work on hold, the shelves in front of the elevator, to the right, may be used for overflow. There are still some overflow items there from RECON, but they are being slowly worked on.

MIDDLE-SIZED BOXED COLLECTIONS

These items often arrive in large cartons and are not easily stored on the red truck. They can be kept on another shelf behind the desk until there is time to look them over. It is with this size of collection that filling out a student instruction sheet is most helpful.

APPLYING FOLDER LABELS AHEAD OF TIME

Sometimes collections will need to be refoldered. Do not allow students to apply labels in advance to empty folders in order to “save time” as this can cause a folder to remain empty accidentally during a break, for example, and throw off the numbering of all the items. Also some items may be oversize and shelved separately, requiring a different size folder. If there happen to be many such items, the wrong size folder will continue to be labelled and supplies will go to waste.

ACCESS LABELS, as with Microsoft Word, do not allow you to choose to print only a certain number of labels per page. To avoid the confusion of having leftover sheets of unused labels at the end of a collection, cross out or cut off any unneeded labels before giving to students. And make sure students understand the concept of leaving behind clear indications of what has been done when a collection is finished.

DANGER OF FELT-TIP MARKERS

Keep magic markers in your own drawer so you will know when they are being used and can make sure they are not accidentally left out. Felt-tipped pens can do a lot of damage quickly if the cap is left off and it rolls next to some manuscript material.

FOOD AT WORKSTATION

Drawers at the workstation are marked “no food”. Students should take breaks (a 15 minute break every 3 hours) and eat in the staff lounge or outside the building. A bottle of water is ok as long as it is kept away from collection material and is taken home or stored in staff room at end of shift.

PENS FOR MARKING FOLDERS

If there is ever a need to use pen to correct an acid-free manuscript folder, the Weissman Center (Alan Puglia) suggests using black (no other color but black) Sakura brand, Pigma Micron pens, available from Bob Slates. We have 2 such pens for the supervisor’s use.

FILLING AN UPRIGHT DOCUMENT BOX

If too much space is left in a box, the folders and material will start to bend over and curl. There are acid-free board “spacers” available to prevent this from happening. There is also both a thinner and a wider version of the document box available. Consult the Manuscript Supplies Database.

OVERSIZE AND ODD MATERIAL

draft...

pulled yet--or--to see whether there may be material the cataloger has pulled which can be stored in a smaller container than what they have chosen--or that can actually be returned to the normal-size part of the collection.

MULTIPLE FOLDERS FOR ONE ITEM

The more folders an item is broken down into, the safer the handling. However, materials and space are expensive and scarce nowadays.

3-FLAP FOLDERS

The more folders you use, the more space will be used up in the box. To conserve space, we use the thick folders whenever possible.

If the last folder of a particular item is only going to be half-full, you should use a flat, or slightly flattened thick 3-flap folder.

INTERLEAVING AND INNER FOLDERS

Use an inner paper folder when an item is in danger of shedding fragments, has a post-it, or is fragile or badly ripped. The folder will keep fragments together and will provide a backing for the ripped item to be handled safely. Use an inner folder also if an unstable item, such as a clipping or a sheet with stains from pressure sensitive tape, is offsetting to adjacent items. If there are a lot of such items in a folder, using single sheets of interleaving might make the contents less thick and easier to manage. An inner folder protects both the front and the back of a sheet. If, for example there is some pressure sensitive tape only on one side of a manuscript, a single sheet of interleaving may suffice. If a clipping is the last thing in a folder, one does not need to put any interleaving behind it because it is not offsetting onto anything but the folder itself.

If there is fragile media in a collection, such as photographs or drawing/pastel/painting, the item can be put into a completely separate folder if appropriate. The end-processor can change the number of folders for an item if necessary, annotating the finding aid for the cataloger to make changes at the end.

Mylar inner folders are sometimes used when paper is torn, as an alternative to repairing the item. They are expensive and add bulk, so are used sparingly. DO NOT use a mylar folder on pastels or other media that might be sensitive to static electricity.

Phototex paper inner folders are used mostly for negatives, but can also be used with photographs. Phototex is very thin, however, so we usually make a 3 panel inner folder to the width of the folder, and the height of the negative, to make it stronger and less likely to crease.

And/or the photograph can also be put into a protective sleeve if it will fit in one. (Gore Vidal was the first noticed use of a post-it in a collection here). See item bMS Am 2350 (1136) [at H.D.]

WATER-BASED ADHESIVES

Use squirt bottle of water and paper towel to clean sticky fingers while working.

Clean bone or teflon folder, bowls, brushes with warm soapy water, and dry with paper towels.

Bowls and brushes are rinsed periodically with alcohol.

Do not set a water jar directly on a table.

Store the squirt jar of water horizontally inside the plastic bin when not in use.

Smaller labels are used when less information is needed.

PRESSURE SENSITIVE TAPE

“Scotch tape” or “masking tape” is referred to as “pressure sensitive tape”, meaning it adhered because pressure is applied to make it stick. You may want to put items to put it into an inner folder (of folder stock) if it is oozing a bit, or if the adhesive seems dry and stable, you could interleave it on both sides with the correct size of permalife instead. For excessive tape, or badly oozing tape, make a note and tell the supervisor. We sometimes put them into a mylar inner folder to contain the adhesive and keep it and/or stains from the tape from migrating to other items. Do not try to remove tape. Keep in touch with Weissman Center for current protocols.

If you find tape whose adhesive has dried and it has “popped off” by itself, you should examine it carefully to see whether it has any text on it at all, any pencil, pen, or typing or marks. If it does, we should keep it, ask the supervisor what to do. If it doesn’t, ask whether it’s ok to throw it away. In some very rare instances, with items (like Yourcenar), which have lots of editing that uses scotch tape and small pieces of paper, conservators might find such a thing useful in order to restore the original order. But in most instance, we just throw away a piece of scotch tape with no text.

Tips for Manuscript end-processor (Student Supervisor)

Manuscript Collection shelved upright.

UPRIGHT MANUSCRIPTS TOO TALL FOR FOLDER

Use a custom inner folder, which we cut from white acid-free folder scrap and store in a legal-sized Hollinger box. Unlike the legal-sized folders, these folders are the full height of the box and provide protection for manuscripts that would otherwise protrude from the top of the folder. These inner folders do not have tabs. We use them for protection, even though they cover the label on the reinforced tab of the outer folder.

UPRIGHT MANUSCRIPTS TOO TALL FOR DOCUMENT BOX

For a collection that is going to HD, use an extra tall (12 ½”) Hollinger box for items that are best stored upright but do not fit into the regular size box. DO NOT use a tall Hollinger box for HTC items that will be stored onsite, as they exceed the dimensions of the shelving.

DOCUMENT BOXES

Use “spacers” for document boxes that are not all the way full. Document boxes come in ½ width, tall, and wide (7”). We use the wide and tall rarely so as not to have too many different types of supplies to stock, store, and keep track of. Occasionally we use letter-size boxes, when it better suits the material. But we have only standard and ½ width of these. We custom make folders out of scrap for the tall document boxes, cutting them to the full height of the box. See supplies database for details on boxes.

INTERLEAVING A FLAT COLLECTION

We use Apollo or permalife paper, folding a larger sheet into quarters before cutting to size.Always measure your first several cuts by putting them inside a folder to make sure you are cutting correctly before cutting a large batch. Or use the template (sample) on file.We don’t want them to be the exact size as the inside of the folders because they would be likely to slide past the folds and get bent when the folder is closed up. They should be just slightly (1/8" approx.) smaller in dimension than the inside of the ms. folder. They should be almost full-size, because it keeps whatever is behind it from touching other material. We don’t use 8 ½ x 11" Perma-dur or Perma life sheets, for exampe, because manuscripts slide out from behind it. Cut all 4 sides, in order to make them as square as possible on the paper cutter.

Sheets are just slightly

To avoid the effects of gravity on manuscript materials, since they rest against each other, we put very fragile items, such as tintypes, or brittle photographs inside pre-fabs and store that on the top of the pile inside the box.

End-processing odd/unusual media or materials

MATTED ITEMS

Matted items can go into folders along with the rest of a collection as long as they are roughly the same size as most of the other items within the box, and do not present any other apparent dangers to surrrounding material. If a large part of a collection is matted, or if the matted item is likely to be exhibited some day, we might go so far as to put a sheet of transparent paper interleaving behind the mat, and to put an additional label with a water-based adhesive on the verso of the mat, or inside the mat below the hinged item, so there is no problem identifying it during the sometimes harried process of installing the exhibit, when folders are separated from items.

If a mat is acid or in bad condition, the curator or cataloger may approve discarding it. Old hinges can be carefully cut off above the edge of the sheet with a scalpel or sharp olfa cutter.

METALS

Copper plates, mounted on wood, used in book illustration, should be stored in boxes small enough that weight is not a big problem. They should be on their sides, rather than laying flat, so that the surface is less likely to be damaged from pressure. They should have either full individual folders or 2 pt. board or mat board interleaving, rather than corrugated board, as corrugated might make an uneven impression on them. And they should be stored as firmly pushed together as possible so they don’t move much, though not so tightly that they are exerting pressure on each other and on the box.

As far as buffered, non-buffered, WPC ( Weissman Preservation Center) does not specify one or the other, just to use the usual materials we have on hand, i.e. the mat board and the 2 pt. board that is used for most everything else.

Check with WPC for other metals. Sometimes they are to be stored in unbuffered boxes, or at least wrapped in unbuffered materials to make corrosion less active. Sometimes a ziplock bag might be acceptable, though bags in general are less desirable than folders/boxes that don’t require pulling the item in and out.

Handcuffs, swords, etc. (bMS Am 2373) have been housed in unbuffered 6-pack microfilm boxes from metal edge. A cushion or ring base can be formed out of the UT30500R Acid-free unbuffered tissue from Gaylord’s.

Mirrors can also be housed in unbuffered tissue--same kind used for textiles. WPC says that buffered tissue would have calcium in it that could be abrasive to mirror.

Powdery:

Charcoal, chalk, pastel, other powdery media should be put in a specially cut mat and then housed in a pre-fab so that nothing touches the surface. Especially do NOT use mylar or mylar-like material as static may pull some of the powder off the surface. Check with preservation office before putting a protective sheet inside the mat as well. SEE ALSO: Mylar Folders.

PAINT

Oil paintings on canvas should be put in a pre-fab so that they won’t be exposed to pressure or accidental bending that might cause the paint to flake off.

Water-based paints (acrylics, watercolor, poster-paints, etc.) should be separated from other materials. There is no need to use special folders or prefabs unless the paint has a thickness to it that looks as if it might be damaged by pressure or bending.

PHOTOGRAPHS

It is usually a time-saver to simply have the end-processors handle photographs, because they almost never match the sizes of the enclosures, and lots of decisions have to be made with regard to whether the material that surrounds the polypropylene photosleeve is too fragile or thin and might either stick to (by static) or be damaged by it. So we decide, also based on whether a box is getting full and we want to start a new box or a new folder to avoid putting such materials together. The cataloger will not be able to foresee all these things, and neither will the end-processors until the time of actual end-processing.

It is time-consuming to find one or more photos within a thick folder of papers. So we ask that catalogers put all photographs from an item at the back of the folder if possible.

As with most things we do, there are often several different potential solutions to a problem, and it is impossible to foresee exactly which one will work, or whether a new one will occur to us.

Also, sometimes a decision is made instead to interleave with phototex paper, based on the types of surrounding materials; whether or not the photographs are a more-or-less uniform size and might fit better into a small 4-flap enclosure, etc. The photo Conservator (Brenda) tells us that regular archival, acid-free folders (legal and letter-sized) like those from Gaylord, are fine to store photos in. Interleaving isn't required between the photo surface and the folder. [This would be in the case where a photo is too large to fit into a photo-sleeve]. The phototex paper is very thin and better suited for flat storage of photographs.

Brenda also says that if there are lots of same-sized photographs stored together, it is ok not to interleave them, as long as they are in an enclosure that is close to the same size so that they don't slide around a lot. And, as long as there are no other preservation issues that might transfer from one photo to another.

Oftentimes a photograph on thick backing will need to have the individual sleeves cut down and folded under the edge so that they don’t fall out. I think we would prefer to do this ourselves for many of the above reasons. As it would be very wasteful if it had to be re-done. If the backing has a border of an inch or more, and you are low on supplies, and it is the only thing in the folder, it is ok to leave it without a sleeve or any sort of inner folder. The border will protect it from fingerprints.

Standard-sized photographs in any manuscript collection here thus far are the exception. So, there are about 5 or 6 different standard-sized polypropylene photosleeves that we purchase, then cut the edges and fold them under the photographs to keep them from falling out. Only a photograph that fits EXACTLY in the sleeve is in not too much danger of falling out. All others which are slightly smaller even, will start to slip out with the movement of the box off the shelf, etc. Also, there has to be at least 3/4 “ flap to fold under or the flap will not hold either. So usually the Manuscript Assistant puts the photos into the sleeves, and the temp. or student does the clipping and folding.

Postcards are occasionally also photographs. We DON’T put postcards in photosleeves unless they are ACTUAL photographs and not reproductions. If you can’t tell, ask. It’s usually pretty obvious. If there are lots of photographs that are postcards, ask the curator whether they think the postcards merit being put into photosleeves, because perhaps there are so many of that type of postcard in existence that the photograph itself is unimportant.

Black and white, or color photographs go into the right size photosleeves, which are made of polypropylene, stored in boxes on the shelves in our workroom. Ask for a demonstration of how to use them, as it is not intuitive. Photos can also be safely stored in archival Mylar folders/sleeves.

When, a sheet of photosleeves is only partially filled, (for example, a sheet that will hold 4 photos is used to store an item that only contains 3 photographs), we use scissors to cut away the empty photosleeve. We save the unused portion of the photosleeve sheet in a black box in folders according to size. The reasoning is that if a reader sees an empty sleeve, they may waste everyone’s time asking us to confirm whether something is “missing”.

It is usually best to distribute all such fragments into these folders when done with a project as it becomes wasteful having them pile up without organizing them. And, it is less likely that someone will take the time to look through to find what they need. Keeping them in folders also prevents dust accumulation between projects. Storing them that way makes them much easier to find.

Photographs are usually stored flat, but sometimes we store them upright if they are mostly thick and in good condition.

UPRIGHT STORAGE OF PHOTOGRAPHS

We put all photographs into photosleeves. If a photograph is a bit taller than the folder, we make an inner folder out of white acid-free folder stock, just slightly smaller than the outer folder. The inner folder is at least the same height as the photograph. We try to make such folders uniform in size within a box as it looks neater, rather than have a lot of custom-sized inner folders of all different heights, even if it means that the photograph will sometimes be shorter than the inner folder. If there are a lot of photographs that are too big for the sleeves, we will put them into inner folders made usually of white acid-free folder stock, or simply interleave them with the folder stock.

Daguerreotypes can be stored upright only if: (a) the original box is in good condition, i.e. hinges in good working order, cover not loose and (b) it is in an enclosure that has been custom padded-out for protection. Otherwise, they can be stored flat, also in a padded-out box, and it does not matter whether they are stored with the image facing up or down, however in most cases it is preferable to have the image face up, so the reader can see it without having to open it and then close, flip over, and open again.

COLOR PHOTOGRAPHS

It's recommended that blueprints, cyanotypes (old blue photos), albumen prints (a photograph printed on paper that is coated with an emulsion of egg whites) and early color photographs be protected and stored in unbuffered material. HOWEVER, since that is time-consuming and confusing to students/staff, Brenda tells us that it is ok to store all photos in the same kind of materials, no matter when they were produced.

The main thing to watch for in any kind of photograph or negative is INSTABILITY--meaning that an item is off-setting onto other items, or has adhesive or other sticky substances, or labels that could stick or off-set onto other items.

NEGATIVES

In the past it was thought that negatives are DIFFERENT than photographs chemically, so they used to be stored in a DIFFERENT sleeve made of poly-e-thylene rather than poly-p-ropylene. HOWEVER, the new photo conservator tells us that if we simply use Phototex paper (available from Archivart) to interleave or folder negatives, we can avoid doing damage to those few types of negatives that don’t store well in polypropylene. Thus, we avoid having to test each batch of negatives to see whether they are the ones that are the exception to the rule. Please ask to see this paper. Also, X-rays are treated like negatives. It is best to store negatives in paper that does not have a watermark. Thus far, the only paper we have is phototex. If we need to use stiffer paper on a rare occasion, we are using the white acid-free folder stock. Carie will test that for us.

MICROFILM

Old metal canisters, or paper reels can go into microfilm boxes/cartons. If going to HD, use tissue or some other method so that they won’t roll around in box.

MAGNETIC TAPES

Audiotapes, etc. are subject to condensation when moved to store offsite. Weissman has guidelines for audiovisual materials of all kinds. They recommend always making a preservation copy before sending off to HD. This is because all magnetic tapes are in a constant state of “decomposition”. Protocols will be established, but for now deal with the tapes on a case by case basis. Consult Houghton Preservation officer as needed. They too should be housed so they don’t move around in the box.

MOVIE FILM (16mm. etc.)

Movie film reels should be stored flat (according to Carie). If film is in good condition, stable, not warped, doesn't smell, is polyester-based, etc. it can go to COLD STORAGE. Ask Preservation for advice, as protocol can change.

If the film is warped, smelly, non-polyester based, i.e. very old?, unstable-seeming in any way, it should go to "COLD" storage at H.D. Items that go to H.D. in a plastic bin need only have the plastic bin itself marked "COLD STORAGE". However, for mss. we also currently use labels that say "COLD STORAGE" for each individual box going to H.D., so that we (at Houghton) don't get confused. We let H.D. know that some cold storage items are coming, but mostly it is the signs on the boxes and bins that alert them. They then have their own system for recording the fact that these items are kept in cold storage. The READY FOR HD document includes a special form for cold storage.

PLASTER

Plaster death/life masks, plaster casts of other parts of body, etc. can be put into a box that has about 1/4” thick ethafoam bottom and beyond that, a “ring” made of the unbuffered acid-free tissue (mentioned also under “metal”) can be put on the bottom as a base to keep items steady.

TEXTILES

Crumpled unbuffered acid-free tissue, rolled into snakes, can be put inside clothing next to folds, since that is where damage usually first occurs. Leave items as unfolded as possible. You will need larger boxes than usual for costumes, etc. The box doesn’t have to be unbuffered, as long as there is tissue between the item and the box. Use the large roll of tissue we keep in the work room.

Odd Shapes

Spiral notebooks: both metal or plastic

Many spiral notebooks will fit in the largest size of prefab. This will protect the materials that lay both underneath and on top of it from being dented by the metal or plastic. The largest pre-fabs are slightly shorter then the ms. boxes, but not too short to be used inside the box as if it were another ms. folder. However the width must be trimmed about 1/8 of an inch in order to be able to close the box. It might be best to use a metal ruler and olfa cutter to save wear on the paper cutter on the work table. Try to cut as close to the inner folder as you safely can. If you are using clam-shell boxes you won’t have to trim the pre-fabs--but you will if you are using some of the older boxes, as most are slightly smaller inside.

DON’T use the paper cutter by the xerox machine, as it is not strong enough or large enough.

Always trim the pre-fab empty of contents, or you could end up cutting off the edge of a manuscript.

If stored upright, spine should be facing down, and be sure to accurately crease the bottom of the folder it is in. If this seems to present problems to rest of material, make a stiffer folder for it, or consider whether it could be stored with the spine up instead. If stored flat, you may have have it on top of the pile with a label “keep on top”, unless it does not seem like it will damage other material or be damaged. One could pad out the area of the protruding spiral with board,but it is very time-consuming and materials are costly to do this routinely for large collections.

Rolled storage:

Alan Puglia advised to get a roll (archival ones are expensive and not right sizes for us usually) : if it is not archival, wrap it with the rolled permalife I keep under my desk--perhaps methylcell this onto the roll so it doesn't come off. Then wrap the item around the roll---guage what diameter to use. Do you put a sheet of permalife down under it first? Then wrap either mylar or another sheet of permalife over all and tie with linen tape? --Am ASking carie for a new procedure/protocol.

BARCODES

There are currently 4 different kinds of bar codes.

Placement...

Barcodes from Widener transfers, etc. are usually lined through only the code itself with a very fine-point BLACK felt-tipped marker. Please keep this in a drawer, or perhaps in a special container on a shelf or other area where it will not come in close proximity with ms. materials or be likely to get “borrowed” and set down by someone passing through your workstation when you are not there. You should check with the cataloger before crossing out the bar code. They will have to make a note in their records and delete old records, and may have to do this in conjunction with printed books people.

PAPER CLIPS

Paper clips are just about always removed from manuscript material because they can make creases, marks, rust stains, and tears. They are removed by placing the manuscript leaves flat on the table, then holding down the longer end of the paper clip (which will be covered by the manuscript leaves) with your finger, and carefully pulling up the shorter end of the paper clip and bending it up until you can easily take it off without danger of tearing the paper.

PLASTIC PAPER CLIPS can’t exactly be bent like metal ones, but the same principle of lifting the two sides, rather than pulling them off applies. DO NOT use plastic paper clips to attach notes to co-workers or to any manuscript material. In fact, plastic paper clips should be THROWN AWAY or otherwise taken out of the library, unless instructed otherwise, as they are a danger to the collections.

Manuscript Folders

Catalogers sort manuscripts into temporary folders, called SORTING FOLDERS. All sorting folders used currently on standard or legal-sized colleections have reinforced tabs, but there are 4 different versions. Here is a list of the 4 different kinds, and what happens to each of them once you’ve removed the manuscript material and placed it into its permanent Manuscript Folder.

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Other things to watch for:

Clippings

When original letters and ms. material includes clippings, we normally unfold clippings as much as possible so that the photo services dept. doesn’t have to do that. We then interleave them with permalife, apollo, or permadur so that they don’t discolor surrounding material.

However, if the clippings are adjacent to material such as photocopies of other clippings, we usually make the judgement not to interleave.

Microfilm stickers, etc.

Dot pasted anywhere on a folder (any folder any time) is OUR symbol that a Negative is on file or that a slide is on file. PLEASE let Vicki know if you see any blue dots anywhere by jotting down the item (no.)

Microfilm sticker: if you see a “Do not photograph...” sticker ANYWHERE on folder, please let Vicki know because we’ll have to replace it with a new one on the new folder. The library used to use RED microfilm stickers--so this also applies if you see a red sticker. Please don’t lose the sticker and don’t separate it from the item it goes with until the manuscript is in its new folder with a new microfilm sticker on it. Ask Vicki about making a new sticker for it.

Folded material

In general if a letter can be unfolded and still fit in the folder, we will unfold it. However if unfolding it would make it too large for the folder, we keep it folded. Also, if unfolding it seems like it would damage the material, make a note of it and ask your supervisor about it.

If an item has dog ears or other random creases, we generally do not unfold these, as they can tend to break off. Also if we did this as a general rule, we would be spending a lot of extra time on something that is actually a preservation task, and potentially creating worse preservation issues by detaching pieces.

We do NOT make any NEW folds in manuscript material!!!!! I.E., you may NOT fold something that isn’t already folded in order to make it fit in a folder.

In general, we do not use any archival envelopes of our own because pulling things in and out of an envelope can damage them. We prefer a 4-flap folder where the innermost flap completely covers the item, and extends to the edges of the inside of the folder.

MYLAR folders: Clear mylar/acrylic folders or sleeves: CAUTION: While end-processing, watch for any clear enclosures/folder/sleeves that are non-archival. These should be shown to Vicki to determine whether a sleeve is really needed, whether to isolate the item in a separate enclosure, whether to put other items in sleeves also, or to put the sleeved item also inside a paper folder so that it does not put surrounding paper items at risk via static electricity. I.e., we don't put mylar folders next to mss. because they can stick and then rip. See also "end-processing unusual material"--do not put any art media such as chalk, pastel, next to mylar, it can get pulled off from the static.

Our archival mylar folders are cut to the size of the 3-flap folders, and are not normally used with interleaving paper, as this would encourage people to open the folder to see what was on the verso of the ms., whereupon static could cause the ms. to rip.

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SINGLE ITEM MANUSCRIPTS

Single items do not have finding aids in OASIS, because they don’t represent collections of anything, but stand alone. They come in many shapes and sizes. They can be sheets of paper that get put into an acid free folder within a prefab; a bound volume; a volume inside a cmi or pre-existing box; an oddly-shaped item inside an oddly-shaped box; an upright document box with multiple folders; a flat clamshell box with multiple folders; pf boxes of any size with multiple folders, a volume in a box. Single items can be shelved at Houghton or can go to H.D. There are many variations.

Sheets going into a prefab need a labeled inner folder, a donor plate pasted inside the front cover of the prefab, an identification label on the front of the prefab, and a bar code. Bound volumes need a book plate pasted into the front cover, a shelf tab with a bar code, and a label in the back cover for identification. For some bound volumes, Arabic, Indic, Persian, for example, it is the opposite. The donor plate goes onto the back cover and the identification label goes onto the front cover. Boxed items with folders are treated like those in the large manuscript collections, and, since the source information is on the label, there is no need for a donor label at all.

Still need to re-write/edit below>>>______________________

Pre-fabs (shelved at Houghton)

Steps for end-processing single items.

Boxed single item

Whether stored upright or flat, receive information about the item from Single Item Tracking Form and the ALEPH printout (with circled call number and accession number) from cataloger.

Examine item to make sure call number is visible and item is in a safe enclosure while it is in the queue.

Discuss questions with cataloger or relevant others.

Follow steps for making Simplified manuscript folder labels. Instead of printing out an OASIS finding aid, print out the HOLLIS availability screen. It is much easier to work on something when you have the record printed out in front of you, and it accompanies the item until end-processing is done. Instead of taking the data for the Manuscript Log from an OASIS record, use the availability screen in HOLLIS, and use ALEPH 541 field for the accession number. Skip those portions that pertain to multiple folders, as a true single item will not have multiple folders, but will be simply (for example): bMS Am 2440 Folder 1 of 4, Folder 2 of 4, etc. A single item does not have “(item)” numbers in parentheses like a manuscript collection does.

If using a small label that has only the call number and accession number, choose Spine labels numbered adjustable, so that you can enter “1 of 4”, “2 of 4” in the “item” field (because “Folder 1 of 4” is too long to fit on that size label). If using a larger label, choose Alternate folder label.

If using a detailed larger label, choose Manuscript Folder label and type in Folder 1 of 2, Folder 2 of 2 into the “item” field.

Since ALEPH will be open, you can also print a box label, photocopy it and scan it into the item record at that time if desired. The box label can be printed out directly from the Manuscript Log.

Fill out an End-processing instruction sheet for the collection and add it to notebook.

Inspect each box briefly for quality control while making sure all items are present.

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Items accumulate on the truck with the tracking form and aleph record protruding and visible.

When there are many items accumulated and the truck is beginning to get full, take all items that lend themselves to being stored in prefabs and start transferring them into the prefabs, and pencil the call number onto them.

Then when there are a fair number, they are transferred to the shelf behind my desk, and when a student is finished with a project, or needs a break, they remove the temporary label and paste in the shelf tabs. Unless an item is bound and fits reasonably well in the pre-fab, we always put it into an inner acid-free folder, which is usually given a small label that includes call number, Houghton Library, and accession number. In cases where there is no inner folder, but just a volume, this label goes into the back of the volume instead.

4.Between projects I find the right donor plate for each item, and produce all needed labels for volume, tab, and inner folders.

Pasting in the donor plates and other labels becomes another student project.

Prefabs can be left open and stacked in small piles to dry.

When they are done, I complete the tracking form, and note the next destination of the item (usually to the shelf).

I put the item on the big white truck with other things to be shelved, and file the tracking form and the shelf card in separate files. The accumulated tracking forms then become information for my regular end-processing report; and the shelf cards, along with all the printouts, goes to Bonnie to make any corrections that I have noted.

It is at this point that the bar code will be affixed and the item record updated to read blank in the bar code field.

After I have made my report, and Bonnie has made corrections, I give the cards to Rachel to file and have a student interfile the tracking forms.

Manuscript Volumes (single items; codex; shelved upright or boxed volumes)

see separate instructions for making labels.

Bound manuscripts (bound volumes) are end-processed and housed differently than boxed collections, though sometimes volumes are housed flat because they have loose boards that will cause the volume to rest on the bottom edge of the textblock, and thus it over time. We also have a policy to box volumes with any kind of loose inserts, whether they are in good condition or not, so as not to lose the inserts.

NOTE: Loose pages (detached) pages, if a loose page or two at the beginning or end of the volume has made a clean break, the volume may be a candidate for quick repair, as this would be cheaper and faster than having a box made for it. There is a shelf labelled “quick repair” on the other side of the (cmi) BOXING shelves/bay. Items for quick repair can be shelved there with a routing slip filled out indicating what is to be done and checked at the top under “quick repair” with a note about where the book should go when it is finished.

Each volumes gets a small label in the back with the call number as the top line, then the words: THE HOUGHTON LIBRARY, and then the accession number on the bottom line. Sometimes the accession number does not exist as the item was received before such numbers were given. In that case, we put the date (month day year, if available--if not--just the year). If information is scant or complicated (for example, transfer from a different library, to printed books, to manuscripts) see my sample book.

Each single volume that stands upright also gets a donor plate. This plate goes, centered, inside the front board of the volume, and is attached with methylcellulose, which is mixed at the Weissman Preservation Center. To select the right donor plate, look in our file box of pre-existing plates, after checking (usually) the 541 field in Aleph to see what FUND an item was purchased from, or in the case of a gift, the NAME of the DONOR. If we don’t have a plate for it in our box, we can search the donor file cabinet on mezzanine, and we can also look through the online list of non-existent book plates kept in the Technical Services folder. If after this we determine there is no plate---we usually make one either on the typewriter or the computer. But this procedure is currently under review and it may be that our policy will become to simply NOT put any plate in the book. For the reasoning behind this, we will have to consult the people who regularly plate printed books.

There are some blank plates and some blank “Gift of” plates that still exist which can be put into the typewriter--we have some in our box and there may also be some in the file cabinet on mezzanine.

Volumes that are in pre-fabs get their donor label pasted inside the front of the volume, rather than inside the pre-fab.

Some pre-fabs don’t have volumes inside, but have a white paper folder that has already been made for them and labelled. For this kind of item, you can put the plates inside the front of the pre-fab, with the oval above the rectangle, since there is no book “board” upon which to affix it.

When tipping a plate into a volume, use about 1/16” of methyl cellulose and put very near the “gutter” of the volume if possible, as this will help it stick when the vol. is closed.

NO DONOR PLATE if:

Items on DEPOSIT do NOT get a donor plate at all.

If no source, no date : do not put a plate in (unless curator demands it).

USE OF ASTERISK * at END of a call number.

An asterisk used to mean that an item was part of Houghton’s collections. If an asterisk is included by the cataloger, use it. If an asterisk appears physically written on an item (as is often the case with RECON items) but the cataloger has not included it, then we won’t bother including it on the label or card either.

So, in short, just go with the information the cataloger has provided, since we are cutting and pasting it anyhow to make cards and labels. It is not an important issue whether the asterisk is or is not included at the end of a call number.

However, it IS important to ADD an asterisk to the FRONT of an ACCESSIONS number for a label. (I.E. *48M-36). The catalogers would add this to their records, except that the current system doesn’t allow the use of asterisks. So we can add it when we make a label or shelf card.

SOURCE INFORMATION

Source information goes on the bottom of at least one of the labels associated with an item, whether single item or part of a collection. Generally info. is taken from the >541 field in aleph. If there is a date AND “no accession number” in this field, choose the DATE to put as the source information on both shelf card and label. Example of a “small” label:

pfMS Dutch 1

THE HOUGHTON LIBRARY

1912 July 1

Occasionally, if a mistake is made, one will see both an accessions number AND a recat. from number. Or sometimes maybe more than one “recat. from” number. In these instances, check with the catalogers to make sure this field is being entered consistently, and that all information has been updated.

*NOTE: HTC sometimes uses a “place holder” zero “0” in the accession number just after the hyphen. Here is an example: *2003MT-0112. For the purposes of the card and labels, we remove this zero, making it: “*2003MT-112”.

OLD CALL NUMBERS

Early Houghton practice was to pencil in the call number on the item itself. The end-processor should look for that pencilled number and verify any of these “recat. from” numbers, notifying the cataloger if there is a mistake.Then carefully pencil through the old number on the item. A ruler is not necessary, but if one feels the need, probably a very thin, small, flexible plastic ruler would be best. But use judgement, i.e. don’t use a ruler if you are going to need to place it on top of gold leaf or pastel or some other medium that might be damaged. We don’t normally erase or re-write the new call number on the piece as we use printed labels instead nowadays. In the case of a single sheet that has no cover, the label on the outside of its folder is its identification. Any deviations from that would come from explicit instructions from a curator that are approved by the Technical Services Librarian who heads the end-processing unit.

RESTRICTIONS:

All pre-1600 manuscripts are restricted, regardless of call number. Because this is already well-known by the Reading Room, we do NOT bother labelling such items restricted, UNLESS perhaps there is a special archival copy to make readers aware of, or some other special restriction. If there is any question, the curator would be able to answer it.

All other manuscripts from the time periods after 1600 will be marked restricted according to the dictates of the HOLLIS holdings record. The wording normally goes:

SHOW SAMPLE RESTRICTED LABEL

RESTRICTED : etc.....

LOCATIONS

There are various official “locations” used by the catalogers in a finding aid. The location should appear right after the call number, or on the same line as the call number: Lobby tabs have very specific requirements. See the sample.

Vault

Lobby

Hyde Back Stacks

MANUSCRIPTS REMOVED FROM A VOLUME

Here is a sample label for mss. removed from volumes.

Troward, ALs to [William James],

19 Jun 1909 and John Kershaw, 2 ALs

to William James, Feb. 1909 and 20 Feb 1909, removed to bMS Am 1092.1

It is normally pasted into the front cover of the volume, at the bottom, against either the left or right edge, rather than centered.

MULTIPLE AUTHORS/MULTIPLE WORKS BOUND TOGETHER

Sometimes there are multiple entries for one call number in HOLLIS. This happens when different works (by the same or by different authors) are bound together. The student should pick the first call number listed and use the data from that record in preparing to create the label.