Editorial Introduction to the ‘Bibliotoxicology’ Special Issue of Studies in Conservation

Abstract

The term ‘bibliotoxicology’ was first used in 2020 to describe the Poison Book Project, which investigates arsenic and other heavy metals in nineteenth-century Euro-American bookbindings. The Bibliotoxicology Working Group (BibTox), which emerged from this work in 2022, brings together conservators, scientists, librarians, collection managers, book historians, and health and safety professionals. Currently made up of over 80 members from 45 institutions across eight countries, BibTox provides an ad-hoc, virtual discussion forum where researchers and professionals encountering a range of toxic materials in library collections can debate pressing safety and access concerns. BibTox aims to identify toxic substances in library and archives collections, establish safer management practices, and make reliable information broadly accessible.