Student Project: Preservation of Manga Part 3

Disclaimer: Because this is my student project, which is required to be online, please seek a professional on preservation of manga. You can read this just for fun and check back for updates on this project.

This project only focuses on preserving the physical manga as is. No discussion of rebinding or digitization will occur. Those are separate issues to deal with.

Manga Storage Area

~Keep the storage area and manga clean



Manga, like anything that stands still for a long time untouched, should be dusted. If the manga needs further cleaning, before and after storage, like removal of dirt, you should consult a professional who has the proper training in cleaning books. Keeping the storage area clean also prevents and keeps rodents away that could eat away the manga.

~Maintain the storage area of manga



Make sure all operating facilities, such as pipes, are in good condition and properly working. Make sure the environment is free from water, molding and rodents. Bad facilities and storage areas can further damage the manga, like making them wet and you would have to dry them out.

~Keep manga protect and shield it from sunlight



Ultraviolet rays from the sun can harm and damage the manga, such as changing the color of pages from white to yellow. This causes the breakdown of manga pages, which will cause it to brittle and crack. To protect the manga from the sun one can cover the windows with curtains and place books in areas where the sun will not touch them.

~Regulate the temperature and humidity where manga are stored



If they are not regulated, high temperature and humidity will increase the speed of deterioration of the manga. As a result, the manga will worsen in quality, value and strength. The proper temperature and relative humidity for manga is probably the same as for any other paper based material, such as paperbacks.

~Keep manga from drying up and high humid conditions

Depending on how old the manga is, when a manga dries up the pages or text block falls out and become separated from the cover. When the humidity becomes high, the increase in heat will cause mold to develop, which can danger both manga by eating it away and causing people to become sick. If mold exist, the manga should be carefully isolated from people and everything else, including other manga by a professional. If you have the money have it placed in a special storage freezer. For the time being, wear gloves and a protective mask when handling the infected manga and place it in an airtight plastic.

Student Project: Preservation of Manga Part 1 Introduction
Student Project: Preservation of Manga Part 2 Handling
Student Project: Preservation of Manga Part 4 Protection, Dark Horse Comics Archiving and Thank You's

© 2008 Linda Thai