From this week’s Cool Tools podcast: Rebecca Romney, rare book dealer, blows the lid off the need for white gloves in archives:
White Gloves — The “Anti” Cool Tool — “I would love to take a moment to debunk the myth that I should be wearing white gloves when I handle printed books. From the British Library to the Houghton, none of the major conservators and rare book curators recommend these. And for good reason: with gloves, you lose your tactile sensitivity and are much more likely to damage the book while handling it. Just wash your hands first and you’re fine.”
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Comments
We were invited a few years
We were invited a few years ago while living in Rome to visit the Vatican Library, they have quite the collection of rare old books and documents. I was surprise to see them handle without gloves.I can understand the wash your hands idea, problem is most people do not wash their hands, thus the problem.
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