VOLUME 10

NO.1

ANYONE WHO HAS WORKED IN

a library, anyone who has books at home, anyone who collects

papers, be they newspapers, journals, deco-rative papers, printmaking papers, any typeof printed material—will most likely haveencountered the ubiquitous silverfish, some-times called fire brat or bristle tail. (ill. 1)

Their general shape is usually described as carrot-like, they are covered with scalesgiving them a metallic sheen, often silvery(hence the name); their order comprises themost primitive of all insects. They have longantennae, approximately 1/3 the length oftheir body which is between 10mm and13mm, and long abdominal appendages. In Latin their name is Lepisma saccharina,in French Lepisme, Lepisme saccharin, or Petit poisson d’argent, in GermanSilberfischchen, in Spanish Pececillo platea-do. Their distribution is almost worldwide.They like to hide in dark, moist or humid,undisturbed areas and move extremely fastwhen exposed to light.

Silverfishhave com-

pound eyes, with12 facets each. Their

mouths are simple andsimilar to those of cockroach-

es, with two pairs of jaw-likemouthparts, especially adept atgrazing over the surface of mate-

rial. Paper, particularly glossy paper, containsthe food they like best: carbohydrates fromthe starch and cellulose of the paper, andprotein-containing substances used in book-binding, such as sizing, glue, paste and gum.In addition they eat rayon, cellophane andthe microscopic mold growing on plasterwalls and drywall. Checking cardboardboxes that come into the library for infesta-tions of silverfish is most advisable, sincecardboard manufacturing plants are infestedwith silverfish, who like to lay their eggs inthe corrugated walls of boxes.

Damage inflicted by silverfish rangesfrom slight abrasion produced by grazing

Checking card-board boxesthat come intothe library forinfestations ofsilverfish is mostadvisable, sincecardboard manufacturingplants areinfested withsilverfish, andthey like to laytheir eggs in the corrugatedwalls of boxes.

Archival Products

NEWSSilverfish, Their Activities and How To Stop Them! by Margit J. Smith

Silverfish

over the top layer of paper in a rasping fashion, to actually eating through the page. (ill. 2) In especially advanced stages ofdestruction, the page or book cover beginsto resemble a piece of lace and can crumblewhen picked up. Recently I found a paper-back volume on which the silverfish damagewas confined totally to the white ink of theletters on the front cover, following exactlythe outline of the letters.

Two paragraphs addressing the difficultyof managing the silverfish problem andworth quoting in full are the followingfrom T. A. Parker’s “Integrated pest manage-ment for libraries” in Ross Harvey’sPreservation in Libraries: A Reader:

In temperate climates, silverfish tend tomigrate vertically depending on the sea-son of the year. In the hot months ofsummer, silverfish will migrate downinto the cooler, more moist portions ofthe building, and in the fall and winterthey will tend to migrate to attics andhigher levels. Drying out a building with

heat in the winter time will help toreduce silverfish populations. The heatalso eliminates the microscopic moldthat grows on plaster walls and drywallproviding a food source for silverfish. Incool, moist basements, and commonlyin poured-concrete buildings, silverfishare a year-round problem.

It is impossible to eliminate bringing silverfish into a library. Silverfish are avery common problem in cardboard boxand drywall manufacturing facilities.Silverfish lay eggs in the corrugations ofcardboard boxes, one of their favoriteareas for egg deposition. With everycardboard box coming into a library, anew load of silverfish and their eggs isbound to arrive. Upon hatching, silver-fish go through many molts throughouttheir lifetime and have a long life span.(p. 172)

In the late 1970s when I first establishedmy bookbinding studio and began to col-lect handmade papers from sources world-wide, it did not take long for silverfish toappear. At that time I found a productcalled DekkoPak, stating the contents as20% boric acid, and 80% inert ingredi-ents. They were roughly 2 1/2 by 3" andlooked like a single layer of corrugatedpaper sandwiched between two layers ofplain paper, with all four ends open.Taking this little package apart, I foundthat the paper in the center has smallamounts of a hard, white substance appliedto it, which sticks the center layer to theupper layer. The lower layer is attachedsimply with several dots of glue along thelong edges. I have not had this checked,however I believe the boric acid to be con-tained in this white substance. I am quot-ing from the Use Restrictions on the pack-aging: “Apply only in areas inaccessible tochildren and pets. Avoid contamination offeed and foodstuffs. … Place in closets,

S I LV E R F I S H , T H E I R A C T I V I T I E S A N D H O W T O S T O P T H E M ! – c o n t i n u e d

2

For over 25years I haveused DekkoSilverfish Paks,and can saythat they solvedthe silverfishproblem in my home andworkshop com-pletely. I placedtwo to threepacks in eachdrawer of mypaper storagecabinet, butalso behindbooks andbetween itemsin our printcollection.

Silverfish damage

3

drawers, bookcases, in basementand dark hidden places; also inareas where silverfish inhabit,under house and in attic if possi-ble. When Dekko Silverfish Paksare used as the only treatment,control may not be obtainedfrom three days to four weeks,depending upon conditions.Repeat treatment as necessary toaffect and maintain control.Replace every three to fourmonths from date of purchase.”They recommend putting twoto three packs in each infestedarea, and add the usual cautionof washing hands after handlingthem. What is not specified isthe size of the infested area forwhich two to three packs are sufficient.

For over 25 years I have usedDekko Silverfish Paks, and cansay that they solved the silverfishproblem in my home and work-shop completely. I placed two tothree packs in each drawer of mypaper storage cabinet, but alsobehind books and between itemsin our print collection.

At Copley Library at theUniversity of San Diego, I amresponsible for the preservationof our collection. When I founda small infestation of silverfish inthe rare books room I began tolook for Dekko Silverfish Paks,but could not find the manufac-turer, or a distributor. I finallywrote to ConsDistlist for advice,but the only responses wererequests to let the readers knowif I could locate a source for this product.

A long time after my letter tothe discussion list I received a

note from a member whorecalled my search, and informedme that the Vermont CountryStore was selling Dekko SilverfishPaks! I immediately ordered alarge supply and began to planthe best way of using them.

Our special collections roomhas built-in wooden book cabi-nets with glass doors. Some yearsago when a new air conditioningunit was installed in this area, wemoved the whole collection intoa storage room for almost a year,and at that time we cleaned theshelves carefully. In the interven-ing years the silverfish almostdisappeared, but within the pasttwo years they reappeared.

We began by placing theDekko Silverfish Paks on theshelves behind the books, if thebook did not reach all the wayto the back. When a book wasmoved, however, taken out andput back in, the packs wereshifted around and I becameconcerned about the printedmaterials actually making con-tact with the packages. To avoidthis I decided it was better totape them to the upright ends ofeach three-foot shelf and keepthe books physically away fromthe packs. With the help of sev-eral student workers, this taskwas accomplished within a fewdays. Directions on the DekkoSilverfish Pak carton state thatfor maximum efficiency, oneshould replace the packs everythree to four months. It willsoon be time to remove the oldones and purchase new ones totake their place. In addition toplacing new packs on the

S I LV E R F I S H , T H E I R A C T I V I T I E S A N D H O W T O S T O P T H E M ! – c o n t i n u e d

Silverfish Packs

Silverfish eat paper and glue with great gusto!

Dekko Silverfish Paks attacks them by infusing

the boric acid, paper pack and glue with an

attractant that is irresistible to the critters and

kills them quickly once consumed. Unlike pow-

ders, Dekko Silverfish Paks are clean, won’t

leave residue on your hands, or in locations

where they are placed. In the case of severe

infestation, complete control may take from 3

days to 4 weeks depending upon conditions.

How To Use Tips Don’t open or crush individual packages.

Silverfish show up most often in dark, dry

areas. Place two or three packs in each infest-

ed area or location where silverfish might show

up. In addition to drawers, closets, bookcases,

basements and garages, use these packs in

the attic and under the house. They will solve

your silverfish problems quickly. If you don’t

have the critters—and most folks do but don’t

know it until the numbers get really large—

Dekko Silverfish Paks will insure you don’t get

the problem. An ounce or two of prevention is

worth many pounds of aggravation…

Product Specifications Active Ingredient: Boric Acid, 20%

Inert Ingredient: 20%

The Vermont Country Store 802-362-8364Silverfish Packs – SKU 29893www.shop-vermontcountrystore.com/products

4

shelves, I plan to get some sticky traps to monitor if silverfish are actually still in the area and in general follow Integrated Pest Management methods.

I have also recently read that one can use finely pow-dered silica gel, or pyrethrum insecticidal dust in spacesbetween the bottom of shelves and cabinets and thefloor, which will kill silverfish by drying them out. Thiswould apparently prevent their getting to the materialson the shelves at all, but one would still have to contendwith eggs already present among the books, etc.

Jane Greenfield recommends in Books, Their Careand Repair, to “Put a light coating of boric acid on theshelves behind books where children, or cats anddogs … can’t reach it. It is slightly toxic.” (p. 21) Thismethod does not seem to be safe since the boric aciddust may be picked up by moving the books and couldthen be transferred to patron’s hands without theirbeing aware of it. In my opinion it is better to use theDekko Paks because the active ingredient is in a solidform and securely attached to the paper cover.

The best prevention is extreme cleanliness in thestacks: regular housekeeping routines including dusting,vacuuming perimeters of stack areas, repairing leaky pipesand in general keeping out moisture and dust, patchingcracks and holes in walls. In addition to what is possibleon that front, however, Dekko Silverfish Paks seem to bea good part of the solution. I would be very interested inother means people have used to eradicate silverfish.

REFERENCES:

DePew, John N. A library, media, and archival preservation handbook. SantaBarbara, ABC-CLIO, 1991.

Greenfield, Jane. Books, Their Care and Repair. New York, Wilson, 1983.

Harmon, James D. Integrated Pest Management in Museum, Library and ArchivalFacilities. Indianapolis, Harmon Preservation Pest Management, 1993.

Hickin, Norman. Bookworms; the Insect Pests of Books. London, SheppardPress, 1992.

Parker, T. A. “Integrated pest management for libraries” in Ross Harvey,Preservation in libraries: A reader. London, Bowker Saur, 1993.

Preservation of Library & Archival Materials: A Manual. 3rd ed. Ed. by SherelynOgden. Andover, Northeast Document Conservation Center, 1999.

Illustration 1 – Drawing of adult silverfish from Micrographia by R. Hooke.London, 1665.

Illustration 2 – Cover of The Music of George Washington’s Time, by JohnTasker Howard. Washington, D.C., 1931, United States George WashingtonBicentennial Commission.

Margit J. Smith is the Head of Cataloging and Preservation at the University ofSan Diego Copley Library. She can be contacted at mjps@sandiego.edu.

S I LV E R F I S H , T H E I R A C T I V I T I E S A N D H O W T O S T O P T H E M ! – c o n t i n u e d

Archival Products UpdatesSince the presentation of the Archival Products Spiral Book

Binder, we have had numerous requests for additional sizes.

The new sizes offered are:

Spiral Book BinderACCOMODATESSPIRAL BOOK

CATALOG SPINE BINDER BINDER SIZES UP TO STRAPNUMBER WIDTH WIDTH HEIGHT WIDTH X HEIGHT WIDTH PRICE

SBB-4 A-3/4" 9 1/2" 12 1/2" 9" x 12" 7/16" $6.65

SBB-4 B-1 1/4" 9 1/2" 12 1/2" 9" x 12" 1/2" $6.65

SBB-4 C-1 3/4" 9 1/2" 12 1/2" 9" x 12" 3/4" $6.65

SBB-5 A 3/4" 10 1/2" 14" 10" x 13 1/2" 7/16" $7.94

SBB-5 B-1 1/4" 10 1/2" 14" 10" x 13 1/2" 1/2" $7.94

SBB-5 C-1 3/4" 10 1/2" 14" 10" x 13 1/2" 3/4" $7.94

Shipping charges are prepaid and added to your invoice or credit card purchase.

If you would like more information about the Spiral Book Binder

or would like to try a free sample, please call 800-526-5640 or

email your request to info@archival.com.

Music Binder PocketsUpon popular demand we have added the following Music

Binder Pockets:

Cloth Music Binder Pocket1 pocket 11" vertical or diagonal $1.83

2 pockets 11" vertical or diagonal $3.65

Tyvek Music Binder Pocket1 Pocket 11" vertical $ .90

1 Pocket 11" Tyvek full with diagonal cut $ .99

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MOST LIBRARIES WILL USE A

commercial library binder atsome point and begin con-

tract services or perhaps forego a contractfor an informal arrangement. Library mate-rials need the treatments binderies provide,whether those materials are damaged, wornwith time, new paperbacks, loose journals,brittle books, pamphlets, or non-bookmaterials. Binding technology and prac-tices have changed to accommodate libraryneeds. It is not difficult to find a companyoffering a wide range of services: enclo-sures, mending, conservation, deacidifica-tion, microfilming, and encapsulationamong their options in addition to bind-ing. Binding is the first line of defense forlong-term retention. The strength anddurability of commercial binding is unsurpassed.

At 30% of the total preservation budget,commercial library binding remains thehighest preservation expenditure in ARLlibraries. Only salaries and wages surpass itand spending for contract conservation,photocopying, microfilming, and othercontract services do not come close. Thisfigure is likely to be reflected in non-ARLlibraries with and without a defined preser-vation program. For many institutions,binding IS the preservation program.

The first step in library binding is decid-ing what to bind. A binding policy or astatement of best practices of what to bindreflects a library’s priorities and its missionto preserve its collections. Some librarieschoose to bind every new paperback, sav-ing valuable staff time in the decision-mak-ing process. Some will bind only in certainsubject areas; others will bind only afterheavy use or damage dictate treatment.

Budget pressures and priorities will dictatethe extent to which a library protects itsphysical assets.

Libraries seek to reduce the cost of bind-ing by canceling print duplicates of elec-tronic journals, by deferring monographbinding, and through other means of selec-tive binding. Budget crises and talk of ceas-ing library binding have occurred in thepast, but the ARL figures remained con-stant. Part of this may be due to the endur-ing benefits of library binding.

Planning and education can become pri-orities when binding budgets are reduced.Even libraries that defer the process are stillbinding at some level though controllingcost through compromise. Selection oftenis limited to volumes damaged throughheavy use, to those that are too small ortoo large, and to those having spiral bind-ings or loose materials that make themunstable and vulnerable to loss on theshelf. Binding management is decision-making for the best protection and preser-vation of collections.

Binding is thefirst line ofdefense for long-term retention.The strengthand durabilityof commercialbinding is unsurpassed.

Binding in Tough TimesBy Patricia Selinger

Personal Memoirs U. S. Grant in need of treatment.

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Education Imperative During tight budgets, it is essential to edu-cate both library administrators and users,and not hide the problems. Reduced bind-ing budgets do not reduce the needs of thecollection. Binding and repair areas maybecome a repository for damaged bookssubject selectors do not want users to see.It is important to avoid this “out of sight,out of mind” practice. Documentation ofdamaged books returned to the stacksemphasizes the ongoing need of librarybinding. Complaints on the condition ofthe collection can be a powerful influence.

The advantages of library binding faroutweigh the cost savings administratorsseek. Costs will be passed on to staffthroughout the library. Staff at higher levelswill make more frequent selection andtreatment decisions. The most time con-suming tasks in processing, applying callnumbers and security strips, are often

reduced from the binding budget andpassed on to the processing staff or stu-dents. Often in tight budgets this staff isalso reduced, resulting in delays gettingmaterials to users and inconsistent process-ing. Applying call number labels to flimsypaperbacks causes the covers to open, leav-ing them vulnerable to damage and loss.When security strips are applied betweenpages, damage occurs even in normal use. Developing an effective method of identi-fying damage early, especially before pageloss, is difficult in reduced budgets. Loosepages become missing pages, creating addi-tional work for several departments: collec-tion management librarians who areresponsible for replacement, interlibraryloan staff who are responsible for borrow-ing, circulation staff and other servicepoint staff who will spend more time iden-tifying and segregating damage, in additionto addressing complaints.

Library binding is a proactive decisionand investment. Anyone who has workedin stacks maintenance will understand theimportance of library binding. Paperbacksare unstable on the shelf and require muchmore time to sort and reshelve as they areunable to stand on their own. Paperbacksof all sizes tend to slide behind boundbooks, fall between shelves, and becomeirreparably damaged. Replacement andrebinding incurs additional costs and deci-sion making.

Binding now costs less than doing itlater and follows the same principle as capi-tal construction. Normal wear and tear issignificantly reduced with today’s highquality bindings. Economy binding isavailable for new and undamaged paper-backs for about $6 per book. Damagerepair and rebinding will double the cost.The cost to replace damaged or destroyedpaperbacks is much higher than to bind orreformat at the outset. Paperbacks labeled

B I N D I N G I N T O U G H T I M E S – c o n t i n u e d

LBIA list of LibraryBinding Institute(LBI) membersas well as a listof LBI publica-tions can befound at TheLibrary BindingInstitute websiteat http://www.lbibinders.org/

Library bound books meet or exceed specifications of the American National Standard ANSI/NISO/LBIZ39.78-2000

and shelved and then later bound representdouble staff work. Rebinding damagedbooks costs more because of repair andspecial handling costs. Reformatting costsalso can be postponed by binding.

The greatest cost is to the librarypatrons. Users will lose confidence in alibrary that does not have what they needwhen they need it. The condition of thelibrary’s collection affects student retentionand confidence in the school. Libraries are still the primary attraction for manycollege students and many universitiestout the strength of their libraries torecruit students.

Library binding is the best protectionfor a book. Binding protects books duringthe circulation process. Binding also pro-tects from water leaks, dirt, overcrowdingand other adverse conditions in the stacks.Library bindings rarely have to be replacedafter exposure to minor leaks, splashes,stains, and book drops.

As paper ages, the binding protects weakand brittle text blocks. Many nineteenthcentury books still circulate only becausethey are bound. Libraries that collect worksfrom third world countries where acidicpaper is common face especially devastat-ing results as the collection ages in thepaperback format.

Planning ImperativePlanning relies on the analysis of quality,objective data, not anecdotal evidence oremotional response. While computers areextremely helpful in data gathering, it ispeople who have the capacity to analyzecollected information and make it mean-ingful for the institution. Several types ofsurveys can be employed to promotepreservation initiatives. A cost analysis ofthe factors affecting reduced binding yieldscompelling results in any institution wherecollections are heavily used. Conductingsurveys and tracking circulated materialsprovide valuable data on the current physi-cal condition of collections that is vital forassessing need. Careful planning, simplici-ty, and focus in the data gathering stagewill ensure quality data necessary to evalu-ate needs and set priorities. Several majorlibraries have published survey methodolo-gy and analysis that can benefit those whohave not completed this task.

Libraries benefit from a reliable methodof knowing which books are used most frequently and how that use leads to dam-age. In addition, surveys can establish abaseline of damage from which to evaluatefuture surveys. An analysis of the effects of environment on collections is anothersurvey strategy. Libraries that do not have

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Conductingsurveys andtracking circu-lated materialsprovide valu-able data on thecurrent physicalcondition ofcollections thatis vital forassessing need.Careful plan-ning, simplicity,and focus in thedata gatheringstage will ensurequality datanecessary toevaluate needsand set priorities.

B I N D I N G I N T O U G H T I M E S – c o n t i n u e d

Library bound books ready for return to their respective libraries for years of circulation.

Special thanks to J.C.Noyes and Dan Swiecanskiof Bridgeport NationalBindery for the photo-graphs for this article.

LBS/Archival Products1801 Thompson Ave.P.O. Box 1413Des Moines, Iowa 50305-14131-800-526-5640515-262-3191Fax 888-220-2397custserv@archival.com www.archival.com

B I N D I N G I N T O U G H T I M E S – c o n t i n u e d

environmental monitoring equipment maybe able to borrow them from a local insti-tution. Environmental data must be asaccurate and defensible as any other surveydata to strengthen the credibility of recom-mendations. The work of preservationadministrators is to demonstrate the man-ageability of problems revealed throughobjective studies of the collections andstandard operations.

An effective strategy is to define bindingand physical maintenance as part of cost ofacquisition if it is not already. Consideringa book’s purchase price and the staff costsfor the acquisition, shelving, and circula-tion process, commercial binding is a smallprice to pay for a long lasting, strong anddurable binding.

Tightened budgets provide the opportu-nity for growth and innovation. Past budg-et crises have led to innovation in alterna-tive and hybrid binding styles. Today’s crisis can do the same. Education andplanning are necessary to develop strategiesthat will work within the institution.Evaluating priorities and strategies in timesof tight budgets help plan for the futureand can demonstrate the cost effectivenessof library binding.

REFERENCES:

ARL Preservation Statistics. Washington, DC: Association ofResearch Libraries [1993-1994 — 1999-2000, inclusive].

Dean, John F. “Commercial Library Binding” in PreservationIssues and Planning, edited by Paul Banks and Roberta Pilette.Chicago: American Library Association, 2000. p. 248-264.

Handouts and notes from “To Bind or Not to Bind: The Case forPaperbacks.” ALCTS/PARS program presented at the AnnualMeeting of the American Library Association, Saturday, June16, 2001, San Francisco, California.

Patricia Selinger is Head of Preservation Services at VirginiaCommonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. She can becontacted at pepalmer@vcu.edu.

Libraries bene-fit from a reli-able method ofknowing whichbooks are usedmost frequentlyand how thatuse leads todamage.

Announcing a Conference Celebrating theLegacy and Future of Book ConservationThe University of Iowa Libraries, the UI Center for theBook and LBS Archival Products will cosponsor a con-ference celebrating the legacy and future book conser-vation. The conference will take place in Iowa City, July22-25, 2005. A retrospective exhibit of the work of the distinguished conservator and bookbinder, Bill Anthony,as well as other exhibits at the UI Libraries, will providehistorical perspective. A gathering of accomplished bookconservators, conservation educators, researchers andspecialists will interact with students, practitioners andthe wider audience of those interested in preservationand the persistence of the traditional book. Details will be posted on the University of Iowa Libraries PreservationDepartment news webpage as planning progresses:http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/preservation/pages/news/Event2005.htm