Library experts have designed a state-of-the-art Center for the Library's Analytical Scientific Samples (CLASS) to facilitate scholarly and scientific national and international study of the Library's unique reference sample collections. CLASS is both a physical space with physical collections, as well as a database framework for accessing scientific information about collections.
Background: One great challenge for understanding library materials and their deterioration is to replicate results across experiments, laboratories, and collections in different institutions. Many older storage, handling, and repair histories were undocumented, and it is often impossible to know how or where even modern paper, blank CDs, photographic chemicals, or other materials were originally manufactured (so impossible to know their characteristics without extensive testing).
Small variations can result in significant differences in the behavior of materials and their combinations over time, and all analytical instruments produce results that can differ with their settings (“calibration”). These realities make it essential to have reference standards to improve scientists’ confidence in relating their findings to those of others.
The Library has assembled a pre-eminent collection of materials for this purpose. In 2008-09 the Library created a new room to strengthen consistency and tracking of storage conditions for these samples, and Preservation Directorate scientists began to create analytical profiles for them, documenting the instrument calibrations used.
The goal is to create an integrated Web-accessible digital data library and an efficient process for requesting reference samples for research. This will increase the reliability of preservation research data around the world. Representative sample collections include the TAPPI fiber and Barrow Book Collections (for paper research) and the Forbes Pigment Collection (for inks, printing, drawing, and other media).
Description: CLASS now encompasses 1,000 square feet and will for the first time allow scholars outside the Library's staff to use the Library's world-renowned scientific study collections. The Center will house the following reference sample collections under documented and climate-controlled conditions:
- TAPPI Fiber Collection of 70 paper fiber samples
- Forbes Pigment Collection of 1000 rare pigments
- Barrow Books Collection of a 1000 volumes used for seminal mass deacidification studies
Other institutions have similarly significant reference sample collections for exchange. In addition to housing the physical samples, CLASS will create a resource description framework (RDF) software system containing digital data (spectra, images, metadata) which will permit information exchange among institutions nationally and internationally.
See also Experimental Sample Reference Collection.
