My word, Holmes...
it is staggering.
I am not unacquainted with the
progress of modern scholarship, but
this collection is enormous. What a treasure trove of our culture, ha?
Yes, yes, Watson,
but come along my good fellow, we have work to do.
Here, what is there for us here?
Crime, of course. Crime?
Here? In the library?
This library and every library, Watson.
Serious crime... murder.
Murder?
Good heavens, Holmes,
who is being murdered? The books, Watson, the books. Forgive me.
Perhaps murder is too a strong a word
but the books are being killed... destroyed.
Destroyed? I say, Holmes,
that's a serious charge. Are you certain of this?
Very certain. It's happening now, in fact.
Countless numbers of books
are being destroyed every single day.
That's terrible.
Who would want to do such a thing?
To discover that, Watson, is why we are here. Come...
let us go to the scene of the crime.
Good heavens!
It's even worse than I suspected.
What is Holmes?
There's nothing here but these shelves of books. I don't see any cause for your alarm.
I know. Neither you nor most other people. That's part of the problem.
Say, Holmes, here...
here's one that should interest you. Oh!
Goodness! Allow me Watson.
Ah yes. A monograph
on alkaline toxicology.
Perhaps it could be of use to me,
even after your assault on it.
Assault, really, Holmes I didn't... Yes, Watson, I fear that it is so.
Not with intent, of course,
but assault it you did nevertheless
just as those to whom this collection is entrusted
also wreak havoc upon these many volumes.
And yet
prevention of such damage is simplicity itself
if those who work with books
would only adhere to an axiom of mine.
Which one is that, Holmes?
The little things
are infinitely the most important
and so it is with preservation.
Let's look into the matter more closely.
This section of books,
what do you deduce from it, Watson?
Well, it all looks normal to me. But I
shouldn't want to use it again for fear of, ha,
repeating my offense. Understandable.
But it is not only you who has created the problem.
Observe the shelves.
This shelf which your first attacked,
the books are simply not supported properly in an upright position.
Now
the shelving is correct.
Each book supported vertically by its neighboring volume and
the bookend.
Notice they are snug but
loose enough
to allow
removal
of a volume.
Yes I see.
Now.. what about this next shelf, Watson?
Well
these books certainly won't fall over as the others did.
It's true, but the shelf is too tight.
The bookend has been used to disadvantage.
A slight loosening
and the book can be removed without damage.
And this shelf
is a potential disaster.
The books are just perched there precariously.
But by returning them
to their correct position
they're now properly supported
and present
neither hazard nor hindrance to removal.
This poor victim
has been crammed into a space too small.
It needs to be shelved the long way in to save it from permanent damage.
Hmm, I'll do it Holmes. Thank you, Watson, but it must go in spine down.
Notice the volume next to it shelved fore-edge down.
See how gravity pulls the textblock out of its case?
If a volume is too tall to be shelved vertically
shelve it spine down
so
the textblock
does not pull away from the cover.
Holmes, this book has been shelved incorrectly.
Yes, Watson, I also observed her doing so.
It's obvious the problem can be solved merely
by teaching people how to
properly place books back on the shelves.
That's only the half of it my good man.
Correct shelving and storage are crucial
but one must allow for actual careful handling of books.
Where is that toxicology tome?
Here it is. The one with the recently torn headcap.
No need to look abashed, Watson.
If proper shelving techniques have been applied
then this simple procedure can be followed
to remove the desired volume.
Gently push
the volumes on either side back,
grasp the book you want firmly at the center of the spine and pull it from the shelf,
thus no damaging strain is exerted
on the weaker
vulnerable portions of the binding.
After removal, of course,
the empty spaces is closed up by pushing the bookend snug
to maintain vertical support
for the remaining volumes on the shelf.
How did you know all that, Holmes?
Elementary, my dear Watson,
elementary.
But, what if the books are packed a little too tightly
or the desired volume is at the end of the shelf?
How can the volume be removed without causing damage to the cover or binding structure?
A moment, Holmes.
Let me see... perhaps...
perhaps...
what if one were to
press down on the pages
on the top of the book,
tilt the book forward
and then grasp the spine?
That's capital, Watson.
You surpassed yourself.
Yes, indeed this alternative method
will serve the same protective function for safe removal of books.
You see, preservation
is quite simple.
And now, Watson
please be good enough to hand me
that volume up there.
This one? Yes, that large folio volume.
Careful. All the right procedures but you didn't give yourself an opportunity to apply them.
A step stool will give you an even chance to remove the volume and maintain support
for those that remain.
Seems like a good idea when
reshelving a volume as well.
Well, is our...
work here finished then?
Almost.
There still remain several secondary problems.
Let us aim toward that area, there.
I say, Holmes,
this one looks as though the same chap loaded it as did the bookshelves back there.
Indeed, and I daresay it will topple over at some point
it's so badly loaded.
It should have been loaded using the same principles I outlined for regular shelves
just as has been done
with this one. Yes.
Aha!
What, Holmes? What is it?
Yet another dangerous condition.
Where, Holmes?
These shelves
look properly done.
Here. This empty soda can and the remains of a meal scattered across the desk.
Oh, really, Holmes, when I was in medical school sometimes we'd spent hours in library. I imagine it's the
same thing with these students here. One of them just didn't have time to go out for a proper dinner.
Good heavens! I'm not
totally without feelings
but preservation demands constant vigilance.
It may not be possible to prevent the deterioration caused by
environmental conditions,
pollution or other factors beyond the library's control,
but those conditions that can be controlled must be controlled.
Yes.
I can sympathize with wanting to satisfy one's hunger pangs
but not with the damage caused by doing so.
Oh, really, Holmes it maybe a little untidy but...
Watson, eating and drinking in the stacks
brings bugs and roaches just as surely as ants follow a picnic
and once insects are here in the stacks
the next meal is the paper and the glue in the books,
totally destroying whatever they attack. Here...
an example of such damage.
And look at that fellow over there.
Not only has he brought his beverage into the stacks,
if he spills it
the book will be soaked and probably destroyed
even if the liquid is only water.
This library employee should be practicing proper preservation techniques.
How's that, Holmes?
By reminding anyone she sees
eating or drinking in the stacks
to please delay their refreshment in order to help preserve the very books they are here perusing.
That's the best kind of preservation, Watson,
not only preventing the sorts of damage caused by improper shelving and book handling,
but also
trying to discourage the library's users from causing damage by their carelessness. Here,
let me show you how simple that can be.
Even here, Watson,
a little attention to preservation can eliminate yet another source of damage to
the books.
Here, Holmes?
But all I see is
people returning books to the library. Precisely,
and some of those books may spend months in the stacks before they see the light again.
A paper clip
left in a book
for that length of time can rust and permanently mark the pages,
as can a rubber band or
some other bookmark
left too long in one place.
But if the circulation clerk
were to make a brief observation
of each volume as it is returned
and remove the
offending items,
the eventual damage would be prevented.
Preservation is as simple as even this.
But enough of that old boy.
We can leave now.
But Holmes, aren't we going to solve this crime?
We already have, Watson.
I know who is killing the books.
Who, Holmes? Who?
Everyone, Watson. The people who use the library
and the people who work in the library.
All people who come in contact with books
but who fail to give sufficient
thought to the consequences of their actions.
That's the problem.
What's the solution?
Preservation.
Yes, is that more than the
seven percent solution, Holmes?
Yes of course, Watson.
If we are to keep
books alive
preservation is the one hundred percent solution.
Hmm. Preservation. Hmm.
Come along Watson.
We've got to go.
It's time.
Pre -ser -va -tion. Ha!