Andrew Davis discussed the work of 20th-centry paper chemist William J. Barrow, who undertook an ambitious study of 1,000 books printed from the 16th through 20th centuries, meticulously measuring their chemical and physical properties and offering systematic predictions of paper aging and permanence. These same test books now reside in the Center for the Library's Analytical Scientific Samples in the Library of Congress. This talk presented results using advancements in scientific tools to reassess and measure Barrow's same sample books anew. In particular, new micro-invasive tools provide the ability to quantify the degradation effects of aging, enabling new insights and mathematical methods for minimally-destructive paper material analysis. Speaker Biography: Andrew Davis is a chemist in the Preservation Research and Testing Division at the Library of Congress. He received a Ph.D. in polymer science and engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and subsequently worked at 3M developing adhesive chemistry and photochemical processes. For transcript and more information, visit www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=8221

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