Schnitzelbank (New York: Press of the Woolly Whale, 1938) is a case study of the occurrence and implications of degrading cellulose acetate (CA) plastic found in books. Schnitzelbank serves as an extreme example of CA degradation, demonstrating the physical and ethical challenges presented by cellulose acetate, which is ubiquitous and often intrinsic to modern press books, livres d’artiste, works of art and mixed-media objects. The author describes the research methods used to discover details of the work’s production, and its accession and condition in other collections. The author discusses history of CA; factors in condition; analytical approaches; polymer degradation; plasticizers; how degradation affects adjacent materials; treatment; ethics of treatment and disclosure of chemical information gained through analysis; storage and handling; health/safety issues; and additional examples of CA in books. Recommendations include a variety of treatment avenues including: separation and isolated active storage, treatment, and/or replacement of parts by facsimile.