Today, August 8, is Abacus Day in Japan!  The Prange Collection has several books on how to use the abacus. These books are often bound at the corner, so that a student can easily turn the page with one hand while using an abacus with the other. Unfortunately, a corner-bound book is difficult to digitize […]

In our preservation series, we have featured removing paper clips and unstapling prior to scanning.  Though less common, we occasionally encounter materials that are tied with paper cords.  Removing them takes skill.  Check out the slideshow below to see how it’s done.  These items are tests on various subjects, including IQ tests.  They are part […]

In order to be safely shelved, some of our books are stored in pre-made boxes after they are un-stapled for scanning.  When the boxed books are returned from the digitization vendor, the pages of the books are slightly askew.  A Prange staff member carefully realigns the pages and puts the books back in the boxes.  […]

Many books in the Prange Collection are bound using side staples.  In order to fully capture the text and to minimize damage during scanning, some of the books are unstapled.  Below, a Prange Collection staff member shows you how it’s done.

In the process of preparing the education books for digitization, we were surprised to find that many of the books in a section that is comprised primarily of textbooks in and about the German language, had pages that were uncut.  In a sense, these books dodged censorship, as the Civil Censorship Detachment (CCD) censors simply […]

In order to prepare all materials so that they are ready for the digitization project, the staff member who does preservation at the Prange Collection uses many tools.  Here is a snapshot of her workstation: Teflon folder – Super-smooth folder used to flatten folds and reduce unsightly creases. Bone folder – If you want to […]

In the course of digitization, we often encounter materials with paper clips, pins, nails or other fasteners.  Before these materials are digitized, the fasteners are removed, so that the best possible scan can be captured with the least damage to the originals. In the slide show below, a Prange staff member demonstrates how to remove […]

In the course of digitization, we sometimes encounter the materials that have severely crumpled pages.  Before these materials go to the scanning vendor, these pages need to be straighten up by our preservation staff member.  In a slideshow below, a Prange staff shows you how to smooth each pages to get the book ready for […]