Our Projects Conservator, Nicole, describes a technique for repairing books that have broken in half in this week’s blog…

I have now moved full time to the conservation studio at the main library and I have started working on the Latin thesis from 1726 – 1826 which contain a number of PhD thesis in one leather binding.

The majority of this collection is in good condition with just under half needing conservation treatment before digitisation, mostly quick treatments such as being board reattachment. A small number of volumes have been rebound with a hollow and using book cloth which makes them more accessible and easier to be digitised. However, 46 volumes have broken sewing resulting in the text block breaking in half or in some cases three or four separate pieces. This has been caused by repeated use, and forcing the volumes open.

An example of a Latin thesis broken in half, before conservation

Reattaching two halves of a volume can be time consuming and with such a high number we needed to find a treatment that was relatively quick but was strong enough for digitisation. The volumes could not be digitised in the condition they were in because this would cause sections to become loose and pages could easily become lost.

After some research and testing it was decided the most successful way for the volumes to be digitised was to mechanically remove the spine and consolidate the sections by relining the spine. Firstly, the leather spine was removed using a spatula. The animal glue was then softened using a poultice of wheat starch paste, and removed using a spatula. The labels were retained so they could be re-adhered after treatment.

Latin thesis, after conservation. Volume is now whole.

Once the spine was clean four layers of medium weight Japanese paper were added with wheat starch paste. After this a layer of archival paper was added to the spine for added strength and to protect the Japanese paper. Once dry the label was re-adhered and an enclosure made out of archival board was added around the volume. This will protect and keep the spine clean when the book travels to be digitised and when on the shelf. Although the binding is back as a whole, it will be digitised using an angle support at a 90 degree angle which will put less pressure on the spine.

Latin thesis being digitised using an angle support

This blog originally appeared on the University of Edinburgh Conservation blog ‘To Protect and Con(serve) https://libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk/conservation/2017/02/16/a-book-of-two-halves/

DATA-X has been a University of Edinburgh IS Innovation Fund project, also supported by the Data Lab and ASCUS. The project provided a dynamic platform for University of Edinburgh student researchers across all schools to come together and develop collaborate installations that explore data re-use and interdisciplinary boundaries. Research data are often invisible and complex to comprehend by the public and academic peers, with evolving technology and researcher-driving environments, DATA-X facilitate student researchers with the opportunity to visualize and communicate their research in a user-friendly format to audiences from within and outside the university.

After a series of successful and engaging DATA-X workshops, aimed to inform, shape and create ‘installations’ linked to digital data, the multidisciplinary teams (including students from the School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, Edinburgh College of Art, Reid School of Music, the School of Engineering, The Centre for Synthetic and Systems Biology, the School of Chemistry, the Centre for Integrative Physiology and the Queen’s Medical Research Institute) continued to work on their installations throughout the summer in preparation for the DATA-X exhibition and Symposium.

DATA-X Exhibition: 

The DATA-X Exhibition ran from 26 November to 6 December 2016, in the Sculpture Court of the Edinburgh College of Art. A total of six physical installations were installed:

eTunes by Dr Siraj Sabihuddin

A collaborate project for novices to experience the process and creative input required in constructing a musical instrument from start to finish.

Feel the Heat by Nathalie Vladis and Julia Zaenker

A data quilt, visualising world temperatures between 1961 to 1990. The installation included temperature data sets and interactive colouring maps for audience participation.

Inside the black box by Luis Fernando Montaño and Bohdan Mykhaylyk

An installation simulating bacterial infections. The audience controls the bacterial infection by interactively administering treatment.

PUROS Sound Box by Dr. Sophia Banou, Dr. Christos Kakalis and Matt Giannotti

An installation that ‘defines’ an ambient musical environment, that is conditioned by the movement of users on an interactive floor.

Sinterbot by Adela Rabell Montiell and Dr. Siraj Sabihuddin

A hands on demonstration on the alternative use of an ordinary household microwave for sintering, in order to alter material by heat.

Surface of Significance by Lucas Godfrey and Matt Giannotti

An audio-visual installation that reconceptualise geographic space. The installation explores the relationship between space, materiality and process.

The exhibition launch, on 26 November, also included three performance installations that serenaded the audience throughout the evening:

• o ire by Prof. Nick Fells

A live audio performance during which the performance controller sculpt and shape sounds as the piece unfolds.

• Wind Gust 42048 by Matt Giannottii

A composition based on wind data captured during Hurricane Matthew. Musicians captured the chaotic nature of the storm by moving around and inflecting sporadic sound intensity.

• Elegy for Eagle Philippines by Oli Jan

An excerpt of Oli Jan’s composition project ‘The Carnival of the Endangered Animals‘. The piece features sounds of endangered species on the IUCN Red List.

DATA-X Symposium

To accompany the exhibition, a DATA-X symposium was held on 1 December 2016 in the Main Lecture Theatre of the Edinburgh College of Art. PhD researchers presented their ‘installations’ and demonstrated the tools, processes and techniques behind the installation. This was an informal event and an open forum to facilitate discussion with an academic and non-academic audience. Guest speakers included Dr Jane Haley, Scientific Coordinator for Edinburgh Neuroscience and FUSION, and Dr James Howie, co-founder of ASCUS. Their talks entitled ‘FUSION –where art meets neuroscience’ and ‘ASCUS and the ASCUS Lab: catalysts for Artisience’, illustrated the efficacy of bridging the gap between the arts and sciences and how innovative, multidisciplinary projects can engage wider audiences and create novel public engagement initiatives.

The next and final phase of the project includes the creation of a DataShare Collection: the electronic equivalent of an Exhibition Catalogue in which the students will publish the data associated with their installations. Updates to follow soon.

Project Team

Data-X Project Manager: Stuart Macdonald (Associate Data Librarian at Edinburgh University Data Library)

Exhibition Coordinator: Dr. Rocio von Jungenfeld (Supported Research Data services at EDINA & Data Library)

Data-X PhD Interns:

Scully Beaver Lynch – PhD candidate in Architecture by Design, Edinburgh College of Art

Adela Rabell Montiel – PhD candidate in Cardiovascular Sciences, Edinburgh Medical School: Clinical Sciences

Cindy Nelson-Viljoen – PhD candidate in Archaeology, School of History, Classics and Archaeology

Dr. Siraj Sabihuddin – PhD in Electronic engineering, School of Engineering

Image credit: DATA-X blog. http://data-x.blogs.edina.ac.uk/

by Cindy Nelson-Viljoen
PhD Student Intern
EDINA and Data Library