Acme Bookbinding has developed a new concept to protect multimedia items shelved in libraries, museums, and archives. The products consist of one of Acme's library bindings or custom enclosures with a supporting foam sheet fitted inside. The foam sheet is cut out to the shape of the item, providing a snug fit with a thumb hole, then sized to fit the binding cover or enclosure. The foam, Plastizote, is an inert, closed-cell, cross-linked Polyethylene foam with a smooth non-abrading surface. Acme maintains sheets of 3/8 and 5/8 inch thickness. The 3/8 matches the thickness of a CD jewel box, the 5/8 equals the thickness of an audio cassette in its case, and the 3/8 plus the 5/8 accommodates a video cassette out of it case.

Media such as audio cassettes and CDs can be housed with books or separately. Housing with books can be accomplished, either as a binding or in a custom enclosure. As a binding, stubbing matching the thickness of the foam sheet is bound with the textblock. The foam sheet is then sized to match the height and width of the text block and glued to the inside of the back cover to provide a uniform thickness in the binding. When housed together in a custom enclosure the Plastizote is sized to match the height and width of the book. In the case of a small book with a larger foam sheet required to hold the other media, a second foam sheet can be cut to hold the book and matched to the size of the other media's sheet.

We are also offering "Media Cases", which are Roxite C covered and stamped turned-edge cases with Plastizote sheets affixed to the inside of the covers. The media cases allow CDs, audio cassettes, or other miscellaneous items to be shelved like a book.

The sheets and their enclosures can be made to accommodate a single item or multiple items. Multiple items can be grouped either as multiple openings on a single sheet, e.g., four audio cassettes held in a single sheet, and/or multiple layers of sheets, e.g., 4 CDs, two held in each sheet. When multiple sheets are required, sheets not glued into the enclosure will have an acid free board adhered to their base, creating a tray.

To order, if you are using ABLE, choose the library binding or custom enclosure you want. Then in the Collation window add the extra specials FA for a foam insert for an audio cassette, FD for a CD, or FM for misc. other items (we once made one for a small abacus). You don't have to send the items, just let us know the stamping information, book dimensions if there is one, how many CDs or cassettes, and how you want them laid out on the sheets. i.e., 1 to a sheet, 2 to a sheet, etc. For items other than CDs or cassettes send the item so that it can be properly fitted and write in the instructions area, Special foam insert. If you're not using Acme's binding software, enter the same information on a Phase box binding slip or manual binding slip if you are requesting an Adhesive binding.