Book Arts Prize Program 2014

The Book Arts Prize is a juried award given every year in recognition of excellence in the creation of a hand printed and bound book made in the Book Arts Studio by a Dartmouth College undergraduate or graduate student.  The cash prizes are made possible through the generosity of the Friends of the Library.

There are four prize categories:

Book Arts Grand Prize
Letterpress Printing
Hand Binding
Artist Book (new category)

The Book Arts Program is fortunate to enjoy the participation of local bookbinders, printers, and amateur book artists.  Again this year the competition will be open to the community to recognize and reward excellence in their work.

For complete details as well as the submission form go to the Book Arts Prize webpage.

All entries must be submitted by 5:00 pm, Friday, May 30.

Digital Collections to Get Lost In

Today I'd like to highlight a few of my favorite Digital Collections from across the web. These are various odds and ends that are in no way meant to be fully representative of the incredible breadth of content out there. Rather, these collections represent my own pet interests, and I would encourage anyone reading this to seek out digital collections that speak to them, too.

First I'd like to point you towards (surprise!) our very own Dartmouth Digital Collections. Our fantastic library staff has done wonderful work creating a diverse and fascinating collection of materials for digital browsing. My personal favorite picks are the ever-expanding Photo Files collection, and the wonderfully quirky 19th century comic The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbuck (you can read more about Obadiah Oldbuck in this post I wrote way back in 2012).

The Dartmouth Boxing Club, donated by a Dartmouth Alumni class of 1871

Obadiah Oldbuck: "Raising himself, Mr. Oldbuck perceives his ladye-love. She is not alone! Duel between Mr. Oldbuck and his rival.

The next collection I'd like to direct you to is the New York Public Library's newly launched collection of historic maps. These are fascinating, and a wonderful peek into the art of cartography as it was practiced throughout American history. Of particular interest to me was the packaging on many of these real-estate maps, hyping upcoming auctions and the promise of land ownership.

Pages from a 1914 land auctioneering pamphlet

Meanwhile, across the country, a collection I had the privilege of viewing as an undergraduate is my own Alma Mater Reed College's collection of artist books. I am far from an expert in this subject and would defer to our very own wonderful Book Arts Program for more information, but even as a layman I can enjoy these unique and clever book designs.

Tobacco Project: Red Book  by Xu Bing

The amount of materials available on the web is expanding daily, and while it may seem daunting to sort through it, I've found the effort is well-rewarded. If you have a favorite collection, let us know in the comments! Happy browsing!

Preservation Week: Handling Materials

During Preservation Week libraries all over the country present events, activities, and resources that highlight what we can do, individually and together, to preserve our personal and shared collections.

Preservation Tip:
General Handling:
One of the simplest tips to help preserve paper and other materials is to wash your hands before handling them, and to take special care when you do open or move them around. Avoid using excess stress to open books, and don’t “crack the spine.” When you move books, don’t slide them on a table, pick them up instead. Delicate pieces of paper can be placed in folders or on top of sturdier paper to support them when lifted. Keep food and drink away from these items.

For more information check out the Northeast Document Conservation Center at http://www.nedcc.org/free-resources/preserving-private-and-family-collections/caring-for-private-and-family-collections

Why is preservation important?

In 2005 the first comprehensive national survey of the condition and preservation needs of the nation’s collections reported that U.S. institutions hold more than 4.8 billion items. Libraries alone hold 3 billion items (63 percent of the whole). A treasure trove of uncounted additional items is held by individuals, families, and communities.

Some 630 million items in collecting institutions require immediate attention and care. Eighty percent of these institutions have no paid staff assigned responsibility for collections care; 22 percent have no collections care personnel at all. Some 2.6 billion items are not protected by an emergency plan. As natural disasters of recent years have taught us, these resources are in jeopardy should a disaster strike. Personal, family, and community collections are equally at risk.

Key environmental factors that place collections at risk:

• Light: Ultraviolet rays from natural and artificial sources can cause fading and disintegration.
• Pollutants: Dust is abrasive and can accelerate harmful chemical reactions.
• Heat: High temperatures can accelerate deterioration.
• Moisture: High humidity promotes mold growth, corrosion, and degradation, while excessive dryness can cause drying and cracking. Fluctuations between extremes can cause warping, buckling and flaking.

Key items that should be preserved include historical materials that are unpublished and one-of-a-kind, such as:

·         architectural drawings

   ·         artifacts

·         audio and video recordings

·         diaries

·         genealogical information

·         letters

·         maps

·         memoirs/reminiscences

·         minutes/reports

·         photo albums and photographs

·         printed materials

·         professional and business papers

·         speeches/lectures

* Source: Utah State History website: http://history.utah.gov/experience_history/preserve_history/documents_photos.html

Preservation Week: Caring for Audio Files

During Preservation Week libraries all over the country present events, activities, and resources that highlight what we can do, individually and together, to preserve our personal and shared collections.

Preservation Tip:
Sound:

Many listeners have migrated their music CDs to their computers. Care for the computer music files as you would all digital files. For those who still maintain a CD collection, store your discs vertically as in a bookshelf in their original packaging. Protect discs from scratches and fingermarks by handling with care and put back in their cases after listening. If creating your own music discs label them with a non-solvent pen created for this purpose rather than a label.

For more information check out www.cool.conservation-us.org/bytopic/audio/