Category Archives: Conservation

Conservation, Preservation, Preservation Week

Preservation Video Rodeo Roundup, pt. 4 (Insects and Disasters)

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Welcome to part four of our Preservation Week video roundup. Today we have for your enjoyment some fun videos on not-so-fun topics: insects and disasters.

First up, my favorite insect video from the University of Florida Smathers Library Preservation Department. This, my friends, is why you want to keep the lid on the trash cans.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcV-5C8tDP0

From our former colleague comes this humorous video. Thanks to UNC-Greensboro Preservation Committee for a fun look at insects in the library.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SD_HaAw-4Q

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne Preservation Department recently put together some books on shelves to see what happens when a sprinkler head goes off. It’s always fun to watch books get wet.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OD66a9cTa_c

After a flash flood hit the Hamilton Library on the campus of the University of Hawaii, the Conservation Department had to clean and repair the damage.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xi9jYpWo4oM

Just for fun: Mr. Bean tries to thwart security at his local library.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyDY0hiMZy8

Conservation, Preservation Week

It’s Preservation Week! Preservation Video Rodeo Roundup, pt. 1 (Conservation)

Happy 2nd Annual Preservation Week to you all.  There are many exciting events happening across the country for PW this year. To find an event near you, simply find one on the ALA PW map.

In our library, the Preservation Office is hosting a lecture by Ryan Shaw on Wednesday, details can be found at our previous blog post.

Here at Preservation Underground we are hosting a Preservation Video Rodeo Roundup. Each day will have a theme, and we will link to videos related to that theme that we have found on the web. There are tons of videos out there, we will link to our favorites. Please participate! If you have  favorite preservation, conservation or digitization themed videos we should know about, tell us about it in the comment section.

Today’s Theme: Conservation

The J. Willard Marriott Library at the University of Utah put together a fine video showing their beautiful conservation lab. This video highlights some of the work they are doing in both the book lab and the paper lab. Hosted by Randy Silverman, Preservation Librarian.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQNmEDkyOEU

Brigham Young University has a hilarious take on the old TV show called ER. In this video, titled “BR” you get to see the work of the “book doctors” in the conservation lab.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyNbUWvq2mM

The Georgia Archives offers this fantastic video on a recent project to conserve a map dating from 1808.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym-NkKcA7LM&feature=share

Our very own Erin Hammeke was interviewed last year by Duke at Work. We have our own videos listed in the “video” category if you want to see more.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDNbU-XW300

Just for fun: Jeff Peachey, maker of wonderful paring knives, shows us just how easy paring leather should be.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB5ZHNdqTPQ

Conservation, Exhibits

Best Before Treatment Image Ever

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Conservators take images both before and after treatment to document what the item looked like when it comes to the lab, and what it looks like when it leaves the lab. We also create written documentation that describes the condition of the objects as well as the materials and techniques we will use to fix them.

To get ready for the next exhibit “Animated Anatomies,” Erin is working on repairing two flap books from the History of Medicine Collection that will be on display. Her before-treatment documentation has created some of the best treatment images ever.

The exhibit opens on April 6th. These are rare and beautiful research materials from as early as the sixteenth century. If you are in the area be sure to see visit the library to see them.

Image of Witkowski, “Human Anatomy and Physiology” pt. 7.

P.S. If you haven’t done so, please take a couple minutes to answer the five questions in our blog survey. We are currently the front runner in survey responses, but the lawyers are quickly closing in on us. Please help! Your input is important to us.

Collaboration, Conservation, Digital Production Center, Digitizing

Learning On The Job

Recently Alex from the Digital Production Center came by to ask if I could fix a cassette tape. The tape broke while they were digitizing it, and they just needed it to hold together long enough to record Side B. I know a lot about the chemical and physical make-up of magnetic tapes, but I have never had to actually fix one before.

Librarian skills activate! I searched the professional literature and the internet to no avail. There are a lot of DIY articles on the web, but we try to hold ourselves to a higher standard in our lab whenever possible. I finally called a friend who actually does this for a living.

Hannah Frost, Manager of the Stanford University Media Preservation Lab, walked me through how to repair the tape and assured me that I had the skills necessary to do it correctly. In the end the repair took less than ten minutes, and now I know how to do this the next time it happens.

The thing about working in a library is that we collect everything from the usual stuff like paper and skins but we also have poison arrows, glass plate negatives, hair, textiles, paintings, glass eyeballs and magnetic media. I can’t tell you how important it is for a library conservator to create a large network of friends and colleagues who specialize in areas that are not your own. Sooner or later you will find yourself working on something completely different and unknown, and you need to know who to call. Thanks Hannah, I owe you a drink at the next AIC conference.

Collaboration, Conservation, Digital Production Center, Digitizing, Preservation, Videos

Building the Broadside Digital Collection

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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

Conservation, Exhibits

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)

Conservation, Exhibits

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)

Announcements, Conservation, Digital Production Center, Preservation

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.