Nowadays, most libraries and archives are turning towards the freezing method in order to replace fumigation. The freezing method is at present the widely accepted method for pest management but research is still under way in order to test its degree of efficiency and effectiveness.

Temperature treatment is one of the alternatives to fumigation. Freezing at a temperature of -18°C or below is believed to kill insects (Strang 1992 in Pinniger, 1998). This method is simple and is non-chemical. It has been said that ?alternate cycles of freezing and warming to room temperature of infested objects is a non-chemical method by which insect pests can be effectively eradicated without presenting a health hazard? (Raphael, 1994).

?Modified atmosphere treatments have been developed as a direct replacement for fumigation with toxic fumigants and the techniques and procedures used are in some cases very similar? (Pinniger, 1998). There are four types of atmospheric treatments, namely, the Anoxia treatment, the Nitrogen treatment, the Ageless treatment and the Carbon Dioxide treatment.

The Anoxia treatment involves the exclusion of oxygen whilst the materials are closed in an airtight chamber.

The Nitrogen treatment would also involve an airtight chamber whereby nitrogen gas would be released.

The Ageless treatment is ?composed of moist, active iron oxide powder encased in a porous packet. Oxygen in the atmosphere penetrates the packet and further oxidises the powder? (Pinniger, 1998). The material to be treated should be sealed in a bag.

The Carbon Dioxide treatment would be similar to that of the Nitrogen treatment except that the nitrogen gas would be replaced by carbon dioxide gas.

Lamination continues to be used in most developing countries but it has now become a matter of discussion as to whether libraries should have recourse to lamination so as to preserve paper. According to Wolfang (ed.) (1989), ?the use of lamination as a way of stabilizing library and archive materials can be seen as a controversial process of preservation?. But, what is lamination? It is the process whereby a sheet of paper/document is sandwiched between two sheets of plastic, normally, polyethylene plastic.

Today, it would be more appropriate to say that lamination is only used as a means of protection to the document (e.g. protection against dirty hands, dusts etc.) and is in no case a means of preservation. It is even believed that lamination can do more harm than good. Lamination, per se, is fraught with problems: it is an irreversible process. Once a document has been laminated, one would not be able to carry out any restoration activities to the document even if the document itself gets badly damaged (e.g. when the paper starts to crumble).

<B>Possible solutions:Encapsulation</B>

This process involves pressure, heat and the melting of the plastic into the paper and the latter can be damaging to both the paper and the ink.

Through lamination, the paper is trapped within the plastic for life. The acids emitted by the paper will be trapped inside the plastic, thus causing some sort of auto-catalytic process that will further yellow the paper and make the paper become more brittle.

Nowadays, more and more libraries are turning towards encapsulation. Encapsulation, ?Involves placing sheets of a document between two clear sheets of polyester film and sealing the film to itself, not to the document. The film is sealed around the edge with narrow, double stick tape, or by machines designed to bond the film? (Raphael, 1994). Why is encapsulation the preferred method is due to that it is reversible. One only needs to slice the edges of the plastic and the paper is again free. It is however best to deacidify the paper prior to encapsulation. But it is not known whether the polyester film has an impact upon the paper in the long run.

What are inks? ?Inks are simply substances suitable for writing, printing or colouring? (Crespo and Vinas, n.d). Inks would basically consist of water, dyes and adhesives or binders for ensuring the fixation of the colorant unto the surface of the paper. Nowadays, most of our inks are water based and this can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. Some of the advantages include ?ease of the production of the ink, superior preservation stability, good colour hue and high colour density? (Zhmud 2003). The main disadvantage would be ?the paper wicking followed by cockle and curl on drying? (Zhmud 2003).

Our problems with ink preservation increases when it comes to iron gall ink. Iron gall has self-destructing properties known as iron gall ink corrosion, which is difficult to stop. Iron gall ink was mainly made with galls, vitriol, gum and water. Iron gall ink has the capacity of causing a total loss of the paper. The ink itself, which is originally blue black would turn to dark brown and eat its way through the paper.

<B>When ink affects paper</B>

Trying to treat iron gall ink corrosion is difficult since there are many complications such as the exact age of the ink and the exact contents of the iron gall ink and the ratio of the various ingredients used though it is thought that the iron is the main cause of furthering destruction.

Research is still going on in the field of iron gall ink corrosion but unfortunately, our cultural heritage is still suffering and on the verge of being forever lost.

We should try our best to preserve paper since it is on paper that has been written our history. The main problem arises when trying to preserve the paper whilst most of the preservation methods are either fraught with problems or are not entirely feasible. Paper, as an organic material, will never be preserved for life no matter what treatment or under what conditions it undergoes. Finding viable solutions to preserve paper are still a real puzzle and a challenge.

(Part III)

<B>Tara Helena LAM</B>