Are there special rules or suggestions for handling rare materials?
In the Rare Books and Manuscripts we ask that our readers handle rare materials with care and that they follow a few rules of preservation. Most of these rules are common-sense practices that can also apply to the use of your own books at home: • Use only pencils to take notes; accidents with pens can make permanent stains. • Don’t fold or otherwise disturb the physical state of the materials. • Do not apply pressure to the spine or fold back pages of books. Keep elbows and heavy objects off the books and manuscripts. • Do not stack open books on top of each other, prop them in precarious positions that might damage fragile bindings, or write notes with paper resting on top of materials. • Try not to touch or handle pages more than necessary; acids and oils in your skin can damage paper and photographs. Cotton gloves are available for examining especially vulnerable items. • Use weights and book props for books that do not open fully. In Rare Books and Manuscripts, photocopying is done
