Handling Special Collections

Collection Care Team conservator rebinding an illuminated Latin manuscript

The Collection Care Team comprises of 8 conservators working across 3 sites. We ensure the long term stability of the University’s Library collections by carrying out a range of activities that include:

• Preventative conservation, including managing storage conditions and creating custom enclosures.
• Remedial conservation.
• Preparing items for exhibitions, installing exhibitions, loans and digitisation

The Collection Care Team carrying out a range of conservation treatments and preservation activities

Handling is often the main agent of deterioration for collection items, many of which are rare and irreplaceable. Please take a moment to familiarise yourself with our handling guidelines and help us to safeguard our wonderful collections for future generations.

1. Before Handling
2. First Checks
3. Tools and Supports
4. Lights and Magnification
5. List of Handling Resources

Before Handling: You and your work space

• Thoroughly wash and dry hands.
• Ensure hands are free from moisturiser and nail polish.
• Ensure that the reading surface is clean, spacious and free of obstructions.
• Remove all hand jewellery, tuck away dangling necklaces or passes and keep long hair tied back. Avoid fluffy clothing.
• Gloves are not recommended (except for photographic material and suspected mould). The loss of tactile sensation can lead to more paper damage than clean hands.
• Do not lick fingers before turning paper
• Only use pencil to make notes. Never lean directly on the object when note taking.
• No food or beverages next to objects.

Always wash hands before and after handling Special Collections

Do not wear nail varnish or jewellery when consulting Special Collection material, and avoid placing lanyards directly on top of collection items.

First Checks

• Observe how the object is housed as it will need to be replaced in the same way after consultation. Consider taking a photo to help you remember.
• Some items are numbered, others are not. Always keep a stack of loose items in the original order.
• Be aware of the vulnerable and fragile areas, such are cracking leather and damaged paper.

Fragile, damaged paper

• If you suspect an object is mouldy, inform a conservator immediately. Do not handle mouldy objects and thoroughly wash your hands with soap as soon as possible.

Persian manuscript with mould damage to the page edges

Tools and Supports

The reading room is equipped with a variety of tools and supports to facilitate access to the collections.

Tools and supports for handling

A tray for flat items (left), fibre optic light sheet and magnifying lens (right)

Lights and Magnification

Light sheets can be a useful tool to illuminate watermarks or overwritten text. They are thin enough to be placed between the pages of a book.

A reader consulting a book with a light sheet

• When using a light sheet in a book, slide it in with care so sharp edges do not cause any damage.
• Do not close the book with light sheet between pages.
• Be aware the light sheet is fragile and should not be bent.
• Do not place a magnifying instrument directly onto the surface of vulnerable items such as drawings, paintings or photographs.

Handling Resources

We have created a series of handling guides to assist you with the safe handling of the wide range of materials held within the University of Manchester Special Collections:

Handling Books

Handling Flat Items

Handling Photographic Materials

Handling Paintings and Frames

Handling Objects

Transportation and Retrievals

Images reproduced with the permission of The John Rylands University Librarian and Director of the University of Manchester Library. All images used on this page are licenced via CC-BY-NC-SA, for further information about each image, please follow the link in the description.

If you are interested in using any material from Special Collections please get in contact with our Reading Room staff : uml.special-collections@manchester.ac.uk

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