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[Explanation] Insect-eaten, water stains, and contamination, ancient books will suffer a variety of different diseases due to natural and human factors during the long-term circulation.
There is a saying in ancient calligraphy and painting circles: "Paper lasts a thousand years, and silk has eight hundred years."
Under the test of time, it is difficult for ancient books to be preserved intact. At this time, ancient book restorers are required to repair the damage.
Xue Jimin is a restorer of the historical documents department of Shaanxi Provincial Library. He is obsessed with restoring ancient books. In his career of more than ten years, he has used his own hands to make pieces of damaged ancient paper and broken ancient books. "Reborn" here.
[Concurrent] Xue Jimin, Deputy Director of the Historical Documents Department of Shaanxi Provincial Library
In the process of restoration, we will make some trade-offs in the treatment of this kind of disease, and then the main thing is to do this with the least intervention, so as to avoid secondary damage to the ancient books due to your excessive restoration. Another point is that we use these All aspects of materials must be reversible to a certain extent, that is, these materials and adhesives that are added during the repair process can be removed within a certain period of time to restore this ancient book in the future. The reuse aspect provides a space.
[Explanation] In the ancient book protection center of the Shaanxi Provincial Library, Xue Jimin and his colleagues are busy working.
Brushes, row brushes, tweezers, watering cans, restorers sit for a day, they use restoration skills to repair cultural memory, so that traditional culture can be preserved.
Whenever they get an ancient book that needs to be repaired, the restorers will carefully check the age of the ancient book, the form of binding and the degree of damage, and do professional technical treatment according to the characteristics of different diseases.
Such as damaged or incomplete ancient books, before restoration, some same or similar materials will be customized according to the paper material of the original ancient books, and then they will be repaired, finally showing a "whole old as old" effect.
[Concurrent] Chen Qian, Document Restoration Team, Department of Historical Documents
The main problem of this book is that the top of the book is damaged. Now what I mainly do is the slit, which is to use a slit paper that is slightly thinner than the patch paper to reinforce the edge of the book to prevent it from being used or turned over in the future. In the process, the gap widened further.
Doing this will help preserve the book, and if someone is doing research in the later period, it will be easier for him to view during the process of using it and turning it over.
[Explanation] When it comes to ancient books, Xue Jimin seems to have endless things to say. For the cultural relics he handles, he will check and understand the culture and history behind them.
Despite having several years of working experience, Xue Jimin always has a sense of sacred mission whenever he touches a new ancient book with his hands.
He believes that restoring ancient books is actually only part of his work. As a cultural relic worker, he should pass on the culture in ancient books.
[Concurrent] Xue Jimin, Deputy Director of the Historical Documents Department of Shaanxi Provincial Library
The ancient books themselves have certain information, cultural relics and artistry. We do this ancient book restoration work, in fact, it is more to maintain the cultural relics and artistry of the ancient books. We do this work to make these precious historical and cultural essences. Passing on, so that our descendants can appreciate these brilliant classics created by our predecessors.
[Explanation] Xue Jimin said that the Shaanxi Provincial Library is doing the digitization of rare ancient books, and plans to gradually open it to the public in the future.
It is hoped that through digitization, the "lifespan" of ancient books can be extended as much as possible, so that more people can appreciate the charm of ancient books, and let ancient books continue in another form.
Reported by Gao Cheng, Alina Xi'an
Responsible editor: [Ye Pan]