The Conservation Unit was featured in the January/February 2010 edition of Duke Magazine. Included in the article are descriptions of the Conservation lab, the types of work performed by Conservation staff, and the different tools used.
All posts by Beth Doyle
Building the Broadside Digital Collection
We are currently digitizing our broadside collection. Before they go to the Digital Production Center, Conservation must prepare them by removing the old encapsulations and making sure they can be handled. There is additional information on this project over at the Digital Collections Blog.
Building the Broadsides Collection, Pt. 1
Building the Broadsides Collection, A large-scale digitization approach
Wow! This Job Sure Keeps Us Hopping
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heo_NcFnnfY
Mixed Blood: Conservation Work and Decision-Making in Support of the Study of Racial History
Curated by Mary Yordy, this exhibit highlights materials held by the Duke University Libraries pertaining to the study of mixed racial heritage. Crossing multiple disciplines and reflecting cultural influences that are international in scope, items from these collections are used heavily and frequently by students, faculty, and scholars. Within this exhibit, the materials show the necessity of conservation work and preservation care to ensure the long term use and availability for future scholars. Located in Perkins LL1, outside Room 023.
(Displayed February 2010 – April 2010)
5th Annual Edible Book Festival (2010)
At our 5th Annual EBF we raised $649 for the DUL Memorial Fund (Helene Baumann Fund) through the silent auction and additional donations. A big thank you to everyone for attending and for making some great entries, and thanks to Mark Zupan for the images. Photos from the event are on our Flickr site. We look forward to seeing you next year!
Winners by Popular Vote
Punniest Entry: Jack and the Beans-Talk! (Meg Brown)
Best Book Structure: Tie between Scarlet Pumpernickel (Erin Hammeke) and Books With Scallion Staples (Rachel Ingold)
Most Edible: All Creatures Great and Small (Beth Doyle)
Least Edible: Damp Squid (Beth Doyle)
Favorite Overall: In Defense of Food (Amy and David Turner)
Best Student Entry: Tie between The Three Golden Keys (Liam Brown) and Mistletoe and the Three Kittens (Eddie Brown).
Most Votes Across All Categories: Mistletoe and the Three Kittens (Liam Brown)
Decorative Papers Exhibit
This fantastic exhibit shows how paste papers and marble papers are made, and how we use these papers in Conservation. It includes images from our recent paste paper workshop, sample images from papers found in the Jantz German Baroque and German Americana Collections, and binding models with hand-made decorated papers created by lab staff, and much more! Located in Perkins LL1, outside Room 023. Duke University Library staff may read more about this in the November 2008 IB.
(Displayed October 2008 – March 2009)
Preservation: Then and Now
The Preservation Department got its start in 2000. This exhibit looks at the development of the department from its beginning to our new space in Perkins Library. The exhibit includes a time line of important events in our history, images of digital projects and conservation treatments, as well as some artifacts that demonstrate what we do. Located in Perkins LL1, outside Room 023.
(Displayed April 2009 – January 2010)
10 years, 10 Treatments
This year marks the Preservation Department’s tenth year serving the Duke University Libraries. This exhibit celebrates the work of the conservation laboratory by displaying a variety of different treatments from the libraries collections. The department is planning several events to mark the occasion which includes this exhibit, an open house, and interviews with staff members; for more information visit Preservation Underground.
(Displayed July 2010-October 2010)
Mastering Craft: Interpreting Historic Bookbindings
The Preservation Department’s new exhibit highlights work from the Triangle Research Libraries (TRLN) Master Bookbinders Group. Our group consists of staff members from the conservation labs of UNC-Chapel Hill, NC State and Duke University libraries. Its purpose is to research historic bookbindings to deepen our understanding of the history of the book, and develop knowledge and skills that help inform our daily conservation work.
(Displayed October 2010-January 2011)
Paste Paper Workshop
Just before leaving Trent Hall, the Conservation staff took advantage of the outdoor space to participate in a paste paper workshop on July 31, 2008. This technique of creating decorative paper using pigments and wheat starch paste is one of the earliest forms used for covers and endpapers. It is commonly found on materials from the 16th to 18th centuries and is still used today.
We used samples from the Jantz collection as inspiration to create, and in some cases re-create, patterns that are both decorative as well as useful for our work. Working outside on a hot and humid summer day was interesting, especially when it rained and we had to move into the women’s restroom in Trent Hall. Luckily for us there was plenty of space in the old dorm restroom to complete our work! Duke University Library staff may read more about this in the September 2008 IB.
In other news, the Conservation Lab has returned to Perkins Library along with the Digital Production Center and Winston Atkins. We moved on August 25-26th, and have been unpacking and settling into our new space. At some point in the near future we hope to have a formal open house to officially open the new lab.
4th Annual Edible Book Festival (2009)
The Edible Book Festival was held in the Gothic Reading Room this year on April 1, 2009. A silent auction was held to raise money for the Helene Baumann Memorial Fund. Read more from the Duke Office of News and Communications. Photos from the event are on the Duke University Libraries Flickr page.
We raised $628 for the DUL Memorial Fund (Helene Baumann Fund) through the silent auction and additional donations. A big thank you to everyone for attending and for making some great entries, and thanks to Mark Zupan for the images. We look forward to seeing you next year!
Winners by Popular Vote
Punniest Entry: War and Peas (Amy Turner)
Best Book Structure: Vellum Bindings (Meg Brown)
Most Edible: Night (Judy Bailey)
Least Edible: Brief History of Thyme (Bridget Booher)
Favorite Overall: Very Hungry Caterpillar (Sarah Hodkinson)
Best Student Entry: Little Enginie That Could (Bernadette O’Reilly and Hannah Reynolds)
Most Votes Across All Categories: Little Engine That Could (Bernadette O’Reilly and Hannah Reynolds)