Deterioration

Paper produced in the past century is acidic and is becoming too brittle to use. Information that was stored in materials with this paper is becoming lost. Treating these materials is expensive. Libraries are now spending as much to treat and repair old materials as they are on new acquisitions. To decrease the financial need to maintain what libraries already have, materials should be produced on alkaline.paperl. Most of the research performed on this topic has concentrated on monographs. The need to publish serials on alkaline paper is just as great as it is for monographs. This study tested two issues from 1993 and two issues from 1988 of 546 titles for the pH level of the paper. An equal number of monographs were tested. Spearman rank order correlation coefficient was performed. This study discovered that serials are peer reviewed and published in the United States, Canada, and European countries are more likely to be printed on alkaline paper. Serials that are printed in 1993 are more likely to be printed on alkaline paper than serials printed five years earlier. (Author) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. co co co co