Enclosures are used to completely enclose and add protection to your item. They are commonly used for fragile items, important books, loose materials, or for bindings with some sort of protrusions (artists books often have these). By putting your book in a sturdy box it also helps keep it clean from dust and protects it from falls and mishandling. It essentially creates a micro-chamber that helps control fluctuations of relative humidity and temperature in the environment. Making it the best place for your book to live.
Examples of Clamshell boxes
Clamshell boxes are used to protect rare and fragile materials. They are constructed with high quality archival materials. In this photo the top two boxes are covered in Italian Canapetta bookcloth made out of cotton/linen mixture. Bottom box is covered in Cotlin bookcloth aslo a cotton/linen mix.
Interior of a Clamshell box
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Example of a Portfolio
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Examples of other types of Enclosures commonly used at Research Libraries
If cost and time is an issue you can construct other types of enclosures that are quicker and cheaper to produce but still offer good protection for the item. In this photo there are examples of pamphlet enclosures, tuxedo box and phase boxes.
Example of a Tuxedo box
Example of a Phase box
Example of Phase box using the E-fluted board
