Multimedia Collection
Slow Fires: On the Preservation of the Human Record
VHS
60 minutes
Z701 .S561 1987
As much as a quarter of all materials in university and research libraries throughout the nation is in some stage of serious deterioration, because nearly all paper produced since the mid-19th century is acidic and turning to dust. It is estimated that as many as 75 million volumes (of 300 million total) are in such condition in these libraries alone.
If the contents of a significant portion of these "brittle books" and other materials are not captured on microfilm (or other proven media) before they destroy themselves from within, the nation may lose a vast portion of its recorded history by the turn of the century. The current era of renewed understanding of the nation's cultural heritage only underscores the importance of the acid-paper problem as it affects the recorded portion of that heritage.
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