The five main types of enclosures that we build in preservation are: clamshells, lightweight phase boxes, heavyweight phase boxes, four-flaps, and custom boxes. Enclosures are used for various reasons including protecting items from light exposure, keeping out dust and dirt, providing support for warped or brittle items, and isolating items that have received mold treatment or that are displaying red rot in their own environment.

Clamshells are customarily built for our rare books. These types of enclosures are custom built out of board, PVA glue and book cloth. To see some images of clamshells we’ve built, take a look at some of our Custom Clamshell blog posts! Lightweight phase boxes are made of heavy-weight folder stock, double-sided tape and Velcro.

Heavyweight phase boxes are made of barrier board, PVA glue and Velcro. They are constructed the same way as a lightweight phase box, but is made of a thicker and sturdier material, providing a little more structural support.

We utilize both pre-made or custom built four flaps for items. They are made of heavy-weight folder stock, double sided tape, book tape, and barrier board.

Custom boxes are exactly what they sound like, boxes that are made custom for the item! They are made of corrugated board and PVA glue and sometimes if items are especially fragile, they are lined with polyethylene foam.