Volume 44, Issue 3

Microfibrillated cellulose (MFC), commonly referred to as nanocellulose, is an emerging conservation material with significant potential for application in a wide range of conservation treatments. Due to its properties of transparency and mechanical strength, nanocellulose film offers novel potential when thin tissues may not be suitable. However, when water or aqueous adhesives are applied to nanocellulose, it loses stability and becomes pulpy, making practical use problematic. Additionally, nanocellulose film can shrink upon drying, causing planar deformation. For these reasons, adhesives used with nanocellulose are limited in published treatments to date. The nanocellulose film used in this study was characterized and expansion and shrinking tests were conducted to better understand how nanocellulose film reacts when water and ethanol are introduced. The potential of using nanocellulose film in a remoistenable form is also explored. Results found that nanocellulose film behaved differently than Japanese tissue when water was introduced. While each expanded when water was introduced, the nanocellulose film shrunk 11 % from its initial size when dry, whereas the Japanese tissue returned to its initial size. Practical techniques are recommended to create remoistenable nanocellulose film with a selection of adhesives. Notably, remoistenable nanocellulose films created with methylcellulose and gelatine showed promising initial results.

Paper nails constitute a unique and important structure in Chinese double-leaved books. This technique may have existed as early as the Southern Song Dynasty (A.D.1127–1279) when wrapped-back bindings developed. Creating and applying paper nails is a basic skill for conservators in China. Although paper nails have always been used, there is not much literature discussing their manufacture and application. This article details the use of single and double-ended nails in China, including how to make, attach, and remove them, and provides illustrative examples of the role of paper nails in thread binding, rough binding, wrapped-back binding, and “Jade Set in Gold” (“jinxiangyu”, 金镶玉) binding. This work will be a reference for the conservation of Chinese double-leaved books and other documents.

The purpose of this study was to investigate barriers faced by Pakistani university libraries to implement digital preservation programs. A questionnaire was developed and pilot tested before being sent to 70 libraries of the public sector universities and degree awarding institutions to measure the phenomena. Out of the targeted 70 libraries, 63 responded to the survey (90 % response rate). The results highlighted that a lack of institutional/national policies, financial and technological resources, and administrative support are key barriers that hinder the implementation of digital preservation practices in Pakistani university libraries. The findings of this novel study emphasize devising a national policy for digital preservation in Pakistan. Results point out key barriers to digital preservation and help designing knowledge-based systems in order to meet information and knowledge needs of library users around the clock.

Due to equipment limitations in the early shooting of video files, and the damage and aging in the later file storage process, some historic video materials in video archives can easily suffer from defects such as poor action coherence. This paper proposes an intelligent enhanced repair method for archival videos. The method first obtains the frame rate of the input video, then calculates the dynamic coefficient of the video according to the frame rate and duration number, uses the artificial intelligence algorithm Super-SloMo technology to fix the problematic digital video to the required frame rate, improves the video's dynamic coefficient, and finally achieves the purpose of getting the enhanced repaired digital copies of the original video materials from video archives. This paper also proposes an intelligent enhanced repair prototype system based on the method. The experiment shows that the enhanced repair effect is effective and improves the clarity and coherence of the video. Users get more coherent copies of historic video materials. This solves the problem of the poor perception caused by the loss of frames, preserves the original information, and makes the information obtained from archival videos intuitive.