1971
Standard housings for records in the Harvard University Archives were acid-free Permalife folders and Hollinger boxes.197
1971-1972
The decision was made to microfilm hundreds of volumes of Russian belles- lettres. There were several major benefits to this project: preservation of texts on brittle paper, increased access, and income from the sale of duplicates.198
1971-1972
The Fine Arts Library received outside funds to reformat negatives from the Arthur Kingsley Porter collection of photographs of medieval art and architecture. Many of the buildings documented in the collection were destroyed or damaged in the years after 1900. Douglas W. Bryant, Director of the University Library and University Librarian, wrote of the negatives: “Many of these, it was discovered, were on nitrocellulose-base film, which deteriorates rapidly and is a serious fire hazard.”199
1971-1972
An electronic Checkpoint device used to protect the Core Collection was removed from Baker Library after three years. Instead, there would be just one open exit staffed by a security inspector.200
1972-1973
The Arnold Arboretum and the Farlow Library and Herbarium received National Science Foundation funding that led to extensive rebinding, repairing, and re- housing. Storage conditions were improved. Hundreds of leather bindings were treated with preservative and oil.201
1973-1974
Doris Freitag, who had been overseeing binding and book repairs in the Andover-Harvard Theological Library, was now part-time conservation consultant to the University Library. She also gave workshops on book conservation. The Emergency Procedures Subcommittee of the standing University Library Committee on Library Collections and Services was evaluating emergency procedures and preparing recommendations. Doris Freitag chaired this committee, which published a booklet, Emergency Guidelines for Harvard Libraries.202
1973-1975
The theft of books and plates from the Gray Herbarium, Arnold, and Farlow Libraries led to the installation of a new alarm system.203
1974
Widener’s Collection Maintenance Section was transferred from the Catalogue Department to the Collection Development Department. Its name was changed to the Preservation Section.204
1975-1976
A locked cage was introduced at Andover-Harvard Theological Library for storage of pre-1800 imprints.205
1976-1977
The Preservation Committee of the University Library Council presented the results of a survey. Its major recommendation was for a Harvard Library collection conservation center. Douglas W. Bryant and Louis E. Martin—Director of the University Library and Librarian of Harvard College, respectively—wrote: “The center, if it can be financed, would not take over the work that is done in libraries throughout the system, but would provide assistance in emergencies arising from floods and fires, assist in training of staff, purchase materials in bulk, and offer services requiring special skills or expensive equipment.”206
1976-1977
Doris Freitag continued to consult on conservation and emergency preparedness. She also obtained evaluations of library bindings done by different commercial binderies.207
1977-1978
Harvard withdrew from the Research Libraries Group. Douglas W. Bryant and Louis E. Martin noted Harvard’s ongoing commitment to preserve books printed on brittle paper. In the following decade numerous subject-specific collections would be microfilmed, primarily funded by grants.208
1978
The Harvard University Library began to receive annual Strengthening Research Library Resources Program (Title II-C) grants from the U.S. Department of Education to microfilm fragile and rare materials from its collections. Over the next 11 years, these grants would fund the filming of approximately 16 million pages from Harvard’s special collections. Ann Swartzell, Preservation Librarian, coordinated these projects, with consultation from Edwin E. Williams.209
1978
The University Library Preservation Committee produced a slide-show about care and handling, "Keeping Harvard's Books." It was shown frequently at Harvard and in the following years it was borrowed by others, including libraries in Australia and Japan.210
April 1978
Doris Freitag oversaw the installation of the Vacudyne Altair Document Fumigator, located in Widener.211
1978-1979
The University Archives had been surveying the 250,000 photographs in its collection. Many were cleaned and re-housed.212
1978-1979
Several books damaged by a leak at the Arnold Arboretum Library in Jamaica Plain were treated at the Preservation Office in Cambridge. They were fumigated to retard mold. Several were rebound.213
January 1979
The Library Committee of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences approved a recommendation that books printed prior to 1800 no longer be permitted to circulate from the Widener building.214
1979-1980
Reorganization of the Museum of Comparative Zoology Library revealed the theft of many rare books.215
References
197 Harley P. Holden, “The Collecting of Faculty Papers,” Harvard Library Bulletin 19, no. 2 (1971): 191.
198 Douglas W. Bryant, “University Library,” Report of the President of Harvard College and reports of departments 1971-1972 (1973): 428.
199 Ibid., 429.
200 Ibid., 436.
201 Richard A. Howard, “Arnold Arboretum,” and Lorin I. Nevling, Jr., “Farlow Library and Herbarium,” Report of the President of Harvard College and reports of departments 1972-1973 (1973): 363 and 378.
202 Douglas W. Bryant and Louis E. Martin, “University Library,” Report of the President of Harvard College and reports of departments 1973-1974 (1975): 448-449.
203 Reed C. Rollins, “Gray Herbarium,” Report of the President of Harvard College and reports of departments 1973-1974 (1975): 517-518; Richard A. Howard, “Arnold Arboretum,” and Reed C. Rollins, “Farlow Library and Herbarium,” Report of the President of Harvard College and reports of departments 1974-1975 (1977): 460 and 482-483.
204 Williams, “The Book-Preservation Problem as Seen at Harvard,” 442.
205 Douglas W. Bryant and Louis E. Martin, “University Library,” Report of the President of Harvard College and reports of departments 1975-1976 (1977): 444.
206 Douglas W. Bryant and Louis E. Martin, “University Library,” Report of the President of Harvard College and reports of departments 1976-1977 (1978): 440.
207 Ibid.
208 Douglas W. Bryant and Louis E. Martin, “University Library,” Report of the President of Harvard College and reports of departments 1977-1978 (1979): 441-446; Williams, “The Book-Preservation Problem as Seen at Harvard,” 438-441.
209 “Title IIC Microfilming: Harvard’s Contributions”; available from http://preserve.harvard.edu/microfilming/index.html; Internet; accessed 17 March 2010; “Preservation Microfilming Grant,” Harvard Library Bulletin 31, no. 4 (1983): 397.
210 Douglas W. Bryant and Louis E. Martin, “University Library,” Report of the President of Harvard College and reports of departments 1977-1978 (1979): 446; Douglas W. Bryant and Lawrence J. Kipp, “University Library,” Report of the President of Harvard College and reports of departments 1978-1979 (1980): 402.
211 Douglas W. Bryant and Lawrence J. Kipp, “University Library,” Report of the President of Harvard College and reports of departments 1978-1979 (1980): 402; Williams, “The Book-Preservation Problem as Seen at Harvard,” 427.
212 Douglas W. Bryant and Lawrence J. Kipp, “University Library,” Report of the President of Harvard College and reports of departments 1978-1979 (1980): 402.
213 Peter Shaw Ashton, “Arnold Arboretum,” Report of the President of Harvard College and reports of departments 1978-1979 (1980): 454.
214 Douglas W. Bryant and Lawrence J. Kipp, “University Library,” Report of the President of Harvard College and reports of departments 1978-1979 (1980): 405. 215 A. W. Crompton, “Museum of Comparative Zoology,” Report of the President of Harvard College and reports of departments 1979-1980 (1981): 548.
215 A. W. Crompton, “Museum of Comparative Zoology,” Report of the President of Harvard College and reports of departments 1979-1980 (1981): 548.