TWENTY-FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT

tion of the process by the Bureau of Standards, The National Archives
and the Virginia State Library, where the developer of this system,
Mr. William J. Barrow, now practices. There have been many changes
in the details of the process but basically it has stood every test. At the
Hall of Records there is as yet no indication that any of our lamination
has deteriorated. Nor is there any reason to suppose that there will be
any deterioration in the future although, to be sure, twenty years is only
a little time in the life of records. We have, of course, been aware from
the beginning that a laminated and rebound record does not look or
feel the same but we deliberately chose to make the records serviceable,
sacrificing in the process some of their antique appearance. After
twenty years we do not regret the choice.

There were forty-nine record volumes rebound in the course of the
year. While this is not an outstanding product it is better than we had
hoped for because our binder came only at the beginning of the fiscal
year and had a great deal to learn both here and elsewhere before she
achieved any facility. We are hopeful that having served her appren-
ticeship she will be able to do more, although both in binding and in
manuscript repair work our emphasis has always been without com-
promise on quality.

From time to time it is worth noting that there are many advan-
tages not measurable in statistics to be derived from a fully equipped
repair and binding department. There are daily repairs to printed books
and individual manuscripts; there are mats to be made and show cards
for exhibits; maps must be hinged or backed, paper cut, pictures
trimmed. It is comforting too that so long as we bind and repair, none
of our records need ever be out of our possession. It is not possible to
estimate the price of the safety of unique records, but it is surely a
factor worth considering.

PHOTOCOPYING

The quantity of photocopying is approximately the same each year,
some years there are more photostat orders than microfilm and at other
times there is more microfilm. The division of effort of our one pho-
tographer is dictated by the demands of our customers.