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We normally hardly notice the mass-produced paper products that pass through our hands on a daily basis, which we then recycle. In fact it has recently been predicted that books printed on paper will be replaced by digital formats. However, paper endures and specialist craft papers are now being produced in increasing quantities, especially valued by artists and conservators, but also by tourists visiting paper-producing areas around the world. Paper is therefore flourishing even in our computer and mobile-phone focused world. One of the areas benefiting from this revival is the Himalayas. As well as serving the tourist trade these products are now exported world-wide, as they were when paper first arrived in Europe in the eleventh century. There are even organisations that run Tibetan-style paper making workshops in Amer­ica. This paper focuses on the papermaking revival in Tibet (China), Nepal, Bhutan and Sikkim (India). Using information gained from visits to producers, middle men, as well as retail and export operations, it seeks to compare the economic and social factors influencing the revival, including conservation issues. The conclusion highlights the fact that, even in the twenty first century, hand-crafted items still play an important rôle in our lives.

This paper describes the development of books and libraries in China, from the formation of the first dynasties until the fall of the Empire, at the beginning of the 20th century. Their status and roll were placed in the context of social, political and cultural changes, especially those which had the profound impact on their further development. The invention of paper and xylography as an initial stage in the development of printing techniques were of immense importance throughout the world at that time. Both inventions have contributed to the increase in printing and publishing production, not only within the territory of China but also in other parts of the world. In this paper, they were considered within Chinese society which was their source. Also, the paper considers different types of libraries. Special attention is given to their work in the period of stability which resulted in faster development of cultural institutions. The Imperial Library, as well as the other state libraries, was especially active during the rule of the Song dynasty. Other types of libraries developed mostly during the rule of the Tang, Ming, and Qing dynasties. In spite of the fact that Chinese libraries were not open to the public (they were more depository then rental institutions) they had strong impact, especially on groups closely related to the emperor. Exceptions were monastic libraries, since their rules obliged the monks to write and read books in the silence of the temples. The first part of the paper describes printing production which contributed to the increase in the types and number of publications in all libraries of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is presented an alternative mounting solution that was developed after the treatment of a group of twelve Chinese scrolls of paintings and calligraphy. These art works are part of the Camilo Pessanha (1867 – 1926) collection that belongs to the Museu Nacional de Machado de Castro, and are currently on loan to the Museu do Oriente in Lisbon. The mounting of these scrolls was part of a project that was managed by the Fundação Oriente, and was supervised and carried out at the paper conservation and restoration department of the Instituto dos Museus e da Conservação. Issues pertaining to exhibition, environmental factors, handling and storage of oriental scrolls are discussed.

This paper presents the conservation treatment of a group of twenty Chinese calligraphies and paintings. These artworks are part of the Camilo Pessanha (1867-1926) collection that belongs to the Museu Nacional de Machado de Castro, and are currently on loan to the Museu do Oriente in Lisbon. The project was managed by the Fundação Oriente, and carried out at the conservation and restoration department of the Instituto dos Museus e da Conservação. There were three groups of works of art: scrolls with paintings and calligraphy on paper; scrolls with paintings on gilded paper; and paintings on silk. A brief characterization of the oriental scroll is followed by an overview of the traditional oriental conservation techniques for this type of art, as well as recently described practices. Ethical and theoretical considerations relating to the conservation treatments will be also discussed.

Copyright of Conservar Património is the property of Associacao Profissional de Conservadores-Restauradores de Portugal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Conservar Património is the property of Associacao Profissional de Conservadores-Restauradores de Portugal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Tianjin, China's fifth largest city, suffers from severe environmental problems due to a high prevalence of plastic bag usage. This problem occurs in China's other major cities as well. On June 1, 2008, a law requiring large retail stores in China to charge for bags was enacted in an attempt to curtail plastic bag consumption. As a result, many plastic bag manufacturing plants were closed. However, because of the wide-spread usage of plastic bags, they are still being manufactured and consumed. It is possible that the current plastic bag cost of 0.3 CNY is too low to change customers' consumptive behavior. The purpose of this study is to explore people's attitudes regarding the substitution of plastic bags with bags made from alternative materials, and their willingness to pay for such substitutes. This study used a conjoint choice experiment to measure Tianjin residents' preferences for degradable and non-plastic materials bags. The results show that most people do not like non-degradable plastic bags and would use bags made of other materials if they were sold at a reasonable price. Based on the latent class and socio-demographic segmentation results, there are preference distinctions among age groups. Also, there are niche markets for paper, cloth, and degradable plastic bags where costs are of a lesser concern in consumer decisions. Manufacturers can use this information to more efficiently manufacture appropriate bags for different markets. This will help maximize revenue while continuing to meet demands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A group of five different types of reusable and disposable hot drink cups have been analyzed in detail with respect to their overall energy costs during fabrication and use. Electricity generating methods and efficiencies have been found to be key factors in the primary energy consumption for the washing of reusable cups and a less important factor in cup fabrication. In Canada or the United States, over 500 or more use cycles, reusable cups are found to have about the same or slightly more energy consumption, use for use, as moulded polystyrene foam cups used once and then discarded. For the same area paper cups used once and discarded are found to consume less fossil fuel energy per use than any of the other cup types examined. Details of this analysis, which could facilitate the comparative assessment of other scenarios, are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]