Certain kinds of organisms may prefer paper, leather or photographs. Brittle Paper Acidic wood pulp paper, which typically has short fibers that make the paper weak and acidic residues from the manufacturing process that cause it to deteriorate rapidly, is to blame for brittle pages. Newsprint is highly acidic and deteriorates quickly, while most books take a little longer to decay. Several options for dealing with brittle materials may be worth considering. If the original item is not as valuable as the information it contains you might consider converting it to microform or electronic format, or make a photocopy on alkaline paper.
Commercial firms can make a bound photocopy of materials.
Keep in mind that these options may result in some damage to the original during the duplication process. Some irreplaceable materials might be enclosed in alkaline containers available from binderies to slow down deterioration, but these containers do not stop the deterioration process. If an item must be kept and you need to prevent further deterioration, you will probably need to have the book deacidified by a professional, an expensive process. There are many ways that libraries can minimize damage caused by preservation problems. Some possible methods for handling these include binding materials, handling materials carefully, and repairing materials.