9.5 Supplies Necessary for the Proper Handling of Depository Materials

Your depository library NEEDS to purchase a variety of supplies in order to properly house the tangible collection. Because some depository materials are not shelf-ready when they arrive, your library needs to purchase supplies for housing them. Examples of supplies include assorted binders, jewel cases, and file boxes. Additionally, many Federal Government agencies find it necessary to issue publications unbound or in paper covers. Your library will want to include these publications in your binding program for books, periodicals, and other privately purchased materials. Binders are not furnished for loose-leaf material unless the issuing agency includes them as part of its publication. Loose-leaf materials MUST be updated in a timely manner or should be deselected. To properly mark each publication, your library also NEEDS a variety of stamps and labels. If your library uses security devices for commercially purchased collections, apply security strips or devices to depository publications whenever the format permits. See the individual media types below for more specific suggestions. Also see Chapter 6 in this Handbook for additional information on Technical Services.

In handling depository materials, remember that poor housing environments threaten publications in all formats. Therefore, overcrowded shelves and files damage publications and could also lead to the material being mishandled by users of the collection. Your depository library should track the growth of the collection and available storage space for all formats in order to identify portions of the collection that need shifting. Additional shelving, shifting or weeding projects, new cabinets, and offsite storage are much better planned before a crisis emerges.

Humidity and temperature also affect the deterioration of the collection. Your depository collection should be housed in a stable environment subject to no abrupt temperature or humidity changes. For storage and stacks areas, permanently installed smoke and heat detectors which should be operating at all times to warn of fire. You will also want dry chemical and carbon dioxide fire extinguishers available.

See the individual media types below for more specific housing and handling issues. For information on developing a preservation policy, see Chapter 8 in this Handbook.