Housing

Collections Care houses circulating collections at Yale University Library that fall within specified parameters. The types of housing include pamphlet binders, phase boxes, and tuxedo wraps (a type of lightweight box.) The advantages of housing are physical support for the material, protection from abrasion, and protection from environmental conditions. Collections Care also returns some material to the stacks tied up with string. While not very attractive or sturdy, this quick treatment is appropriate for material that cannot be repaired due to brittleness.

Pamphlet binders are stiff board covers for materials that are very thin (1/4 inch or thinner) and cannot stand on their own. Some material is attached to the binder by being sewn through the folds known as signatures. Very fragile or loose material is placed in an envelope or pocket inside the pamphlet binder. Material without signatures is sewn through the side or "stabbed."

Boxes come in many different styles. Collections Care uses two main styles: phase boxes and tuxedo wraps or "tux boxes." Phase boxes are made from a tan color lignin-free cardboard with four flaps and string ties. Large phase boxes are made from a blue-gray acid free corrugated board. They are sturdier than tux boxes, which are made from a cream color acid free folder stock with a tab-in-slot closure. The decision regarding which type of box to use depends primarily on the size, weight, and rigidity of the book.

Boxes are primarily used to house material that is too fragile to repair. Books with significant color illustrations that have been microfilmed are boxed to keep the color information on the maps and charts available as long as possible. Books that are too large to be tied up with string are boxed out of necessity. Within consistent guidelines, a book might be boxed to protect an unusual or significant cover.

Polyethylene book jackets, which look like soft plastic dust jackets sealed at the top and bottom edges are a cost-effective solution for a variety of housing needs. The low-density polyethelene wrapper is a stable plastic that provides abrasion resistance, minor support for weak hinges, and a barrier to the rust-colored powder that comes off leather books with red rot. It is used to provide protection for covers with research value, e.g., publishers' bindings from 1810-1920. Wrappers on books with degraded leather in a condition of red-rot can keep adjacent material and readers' hands clean.

String is used to tie up library material with detached cover boards that is extremely brittle but has been microfilmed or preservation photocopied. Although the preservation solution is reformatting, we want to keep the original available as long as is practical. When you encounter a book tied up with string, please handle it with extreme care and tie it back up when you are done with it. The next reader will appreciate your efforts.