Databooks: keep or toss?

[Scott Quinn]

>
> The shiny, ultra-thin paper often found in databooks actually seems to 
> fare
> better than coarser "book" type paper in my experience. I'm not sure 
> why -
> maybe it's more resistant to absorbing moisture from the air or 
> something.
>
Moisture is a problem only if it's really high (mold predominantly, 
although sizing can soften and stick pages together). The big problem 
with many paperbacks is the so-called "high acid" paper with 
appreciable quantities of lignin in it - the lignin changes into acid 
and causes the paper to self-destruct. Think yellowing, crumbling 
paperbacks...
I'm not sure what the paper of choice for databooks is, generally if a 
book uses sized bond paper it's not at highest risk, but for the most 
part wood paper made before the '80s will have some degree of risk (and 
more modern papers that are not acid-free archival grade).

LOC (Library of Congress) has a fairly large group devoted to this 
problem, and a process fior neutralization that works pretty well 
(although if you do it wrong or make a mistake stuff bursts into 
flame). They point out that it is "not recommended for those who are 
not professionals".