[MR] Possibly OT Q: How to save books from mold/mildew

[Roy B. Scherer]

Janie,

You have had two good responses, but (as a librarian) I want emphasize that 
you need to get the books dry FIRST.  Wet paper is very fragile and you 
should not subject it to freezing or to Lysol spray until you dry it off at 
least once. Open the book to a relatively dry page, i.e., one that you can 
do without tearing.  Get a hair dryer and blow it on low setting over the 
page.  As it dries, it will flip up in the draft and you can get to the 
next page.  Once it is dry, then you can use the freezer or the 
Lysol.  Both are good.  I prefer the Lysol, but it is a pain.  You can, of 
course, put the ones you are not working on into the freezer for the night, 
but NO MORE than the night.  If they are very wet, they will get freezer burn.

Hope this helps.

Sarah Morgan (using Britton's email)





At 06:02 PM7/31/2005-0400, you wrote:
>Kind Gentles of the Tavern,
>
>I have a question:  How can I save some books from further mold and mildew
>damage?  Or is this a lost cause?  On my journey home today, I passed a pile
>of books on the side of the road.  I picked them up out of the rain and
>brought them home.  (Sorry, I must go a little out of period to continue
>this...)
>
>These were mostly college textbooks.  The top one in the pile I recognized
>from my class about a dozen years ago.  It would be nice to save these, but
>I am more concerned about the Webster's dictionary (one of the REALLY fat
>ones) and a "Basic Knowledge" (hadn't seen this before, but looks like
>bare-bones information about tons of subjects).
>
>I know to set the books in different positions to ge them to fully dry from
>their morning in the rain.  Is there anything I can wipe on the books to
>reduce mold growth?  Can you suggest any product to reduce the appearance of
>the mildew on the page edges?  The books were probably put out to the side
>of the road (tomorrow is our garbage day) because they at some point got wet
>and mildewed.
>
>The only things I could think of will probably ruin the covers or the pages:
>bleach solution, Lysol spray, other household cleaners.
>
>I know Atlantia is home to MANY good gentles that love and care for their
>books.  Some may even be that strange, rare breed called "Librarians" (meant
>with all love).
>
>Help?
>
>Lady Gwendolyn Fitch
>(Janie, who would like to decorate in "Modern Bookcase")
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end

		- - Roy B. Scherer
  [8 N. Sheppard Street, Richmond, VA 23221; (804) 355-7612]
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		"Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God."
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