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ILS 650-S70 – Exercise 3
Exercise 3: Special Workshops and Continue Education and Training for Conservatives and
Preservation Librarians
By Melissa Wilson
Preservation for Library Materials
Dr. Josephine Sche
Fall 2011
November 14, 2011
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ILS 650-S70 – Exercise 3
Preservation librarianship is not the first thing that comes to mind for most people who
have decided to pursue an MLS degree. But upon closer examination, preservation librarianship
is not only an intriguing area of interest, but also an important field of study. Preserving and
conserving library materials and collections can be a perfect way of mixing history and the
library. By conserving historic documents and preserving those that are damaged, preservation
librarians are in essence protecting historic documents and resources for future generations,
thereby preserving our past. Library materials do not last forever, but with careful conservation
and preservation they can last longer.
In the field of preservation librarianship, preservation and conservation are two terms that
are used a lot. Preservation is the preserving or keeping items from becoming damaged, whereas
conservation is the actual repairing of items. Both of these fields go hand-in-hand with
librarianship. Precautions need to be in place to keep materials from being damaged from
disasters, wear and tear, accidents, or age. If damages have occurred then there needs to be
procedures set in place so that things are repaired in the correct manner.
In deciding where to focus my attention, I knew that I had to decide what interested me
more preservation or conservation. For me, all library resources, materials, collections, etc. are
not only sources of information, entertainment, and education; but they are pieces of our history.
Therefore, conservation would be the area that appealed to me the most, for the simple fact that
having the hands-on aspect of repair would give me the feeling of being closer to preserving
history.
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Conservation involves “the direct treatment and/or housing of objects in the collection
including books, manuscripts, videotape or other formats.” (Doyle, 2005) A person needs to not
only be aware of basic preservation, but also advanced repair techniques. Additionally, a
conservator will often do many managerial duties such as, supplies and budgets, quality standard
controls, committees, report statistics, disaster recovery team, and provide training for staff.
(Doyle, 2005)
Career Goals and Interests
The most important career goal to have for not just a conservator, but with any career, is
to grow and expand one’s knowledge base and resources. This is best done by staying in a career
for a certain length of time. This is especially true for a conservator position, because the
learning potential is so great. There are many facets of a conservator from basic preservation to
more advanced skills in repair. But there is an element of on-to-job training that will be involved,
as well. (Doyle, 2005) Hopefully, by working long enough in a field I can eventually gain a
certain level of expertise and for a conservator I would have to work for a longer period of time.
My mother has always told me that for a person to be happy in life, they need to have
satisfaction in their career choice. Otherwise, you can spend your life hating your job and waking
up each day forcing yourself to go to work. Therefore, satisfaction is extremely high on my list
of career goals. Conservation holds a particular interest for me and taking the time to learn and
then work my way up through this career would bring satisfaction.
Another goal deals with being a manager or leader as a conservator. Being a leader is a
way to inspire, motivate, and encourage others to become more educated and to work harder.
There is a certain satisfaction that comes with being a leader; it is a culmination of all of the
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work that was completed to get to this stage. Conservators do not necessarily spend all of their
time doing the repairs; instead they are often put in a supervisor position. They are usually the
ones that manage and train technicians and are there to make sure that goals and standards are
met. (Doyle, 2005)
Ultimately, a conservator position can fulfill all of my career goals in life; expanding my
knowledge resources by working in a position for a longer length of time, gaining satisfaction
from work that interests and fulfills me, and becoming a leader or manager to motivate and
inspire others. The conservator position is one that interests me due to the fact that it brings
together history with the practical hands-on aspect of repair.
Continuing Education Programs
Conservator Program
The Center for the Cultural Record at the Graduate School of Library and Information
Science at the University of Texas at Austin is offering a program called the Conservator
Program, which is a part of the Preservation and Conservation Studies for Libraries and
Archives. This program is meant to train practicing conservators who want to work within the
institutional world of libraries and archives. Participants in this program can achieve a Master
Science in Information Science and a postgraduate Certificate of Advanced Study in Library and
Archives Conservation. This is a three-year program, has a requirement of nine school terms
with 70 semester hours of course work, requires a prerequisite of graduate standing, and upon
completion graduates can fill positions from assistant conservator to head of the department.
(American Library Association, 2007)
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There are five components to this program:
(1) The cultural and theoretical bases of preservation and conservation and their place in
the practice of librarianship and archives management
(2) An understanding of the materials and structures of the physical containers which
store and communicate image and text
(3) The mechanisms by which materials deteriorate and procedures to monitor, assess,
and control processes of deterioration
(4) Technical procedures for the housing and conservation treatment of holdings of
libraries and archives
(5) Administrative strategies facilitating and enhancing the implementation of
preservation and conservation operations. (American Library Association, 2007)
This program is essentially an in-depth, comprehensive, and full-fledge graduate
program. The information in the courses, that will be covered, is immense; essentially everything
relating to conservation librarianship is taught. There are courses about the chemistry, structure,
and technology of books, papers, and other records materials, some are on the protection of
collections, history of materials and bibliography, and the administration aspects, as well.
Students are required to take certain core courses and electives of their choosing depending on
their individual program. In the sixth term there is a project in a cooperating library or archives
and the last two terms are for full-time internship working with a leading conservator. (American
Library Association, 2007)
This program offers the best way to really understand every aspect of conservation
librarianship and is perfect for those people who want an advanced education as a conservator.
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Also this program is meant for people looking for a long program to specialize their education,
instead of a short-term program. This department at the University of Texas is well-known, in
libraries and archives, for having exceptional preservation and conservation programs.
Conservation2 = Preserving Collections x Our Environment Conference
The 25th Annual National Archives Preservation Conference is held for two days in the
month on March, in Hyattsville, Maryland. This conference is “a venue for expert practitioners,
advocates for preservation, the environment and allied professions to present and discuss these
changes, collaborative opportunities and options for the future.” (Preservation and Archives
Professionals, 2011) Participants in the conference vary considerably from conservators,
archivists, and librarians to engineering professionals, architects, and scientists.
This conference explores many different ideas and theories throughout the two days.
Some of these are: climate and economic changes and preservation, conversion to sustainable
preservation environments, how the National Archives reduced energy without renovation, how
environment impacts collection materials, use of environmental control systems and energy,
advances in lighting and impact of technologies on exhibition, and the importance of developing
relationships with allied professionals. Overall, this conference covers a variety of subjects
related to conservation and collections and it brings together the science and library
communities, with environment, conservation, technology, and collection materials.
(Preservation and Archives Professionals, 2011)
Each day of the conference includes back to back lectures and speakers with time allotted
for a discussion after each of these speeches. The conference starts at about 8:00am each day and
ends around 5:00-6:00pm, with breakfast, lunch, and dinner included. All of the speakers are
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expert professionals in their fields and the participants are given information on each lecture
before it begins. (Preservation and Archives Professionals, 2011)
This conference is a big event. The fact that it is being held by the National Archives
gives the event a prestigious tone, but also because so many individuals who are experts and
well-regarded in their fields partake in this conference. This is a great place to get the newest
information from various different areas concerning conservation. The conference in only two
days, so it is not a long-term commitment; but it is also chalk full of information. Also the ability
to have discussions after each and every lecture with the speaker and other participants is a great
advantage, because discussions can help enrich the learning experience. These things are what
make the conference worth attending.
Preventive Conservation in Libraries and Archives Seminar
The Book & Manuscripts Conservation Studio at the St. John Thelogian Monastery in
Patmos, Greece offers different workshops every year on book conservation and historic book
bindings. There are three weekly seminars that are offered every September, one of which is
Preventive Conservation in Libraries and Archives. This year it was tutored by Robert Child. He
is a consultant on preventive conservation and has extensive experience in working in this field.
He now travels around the world lecturing. (Sarris, 2008)
The seminar is open to just 12 individuals, who have a background of book conservation,
bookbinding, librarianship, paleography, or anyone interested in the history and making of the
book. It is not for beginners and participants must have knowledge of terminology and history of
book production. Interested persons must fill out an application and be accepted. The course lasts
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for a week and takes place at a traditional Patmian house close to the monastery of St. John
Theologian. (Sarris, 2008)
The course examines all of the causes of deterioration in great detail. There is a focus on
the effects of climate and environment and the methods used in controlling them to minimize
damage and deterioration, also of the practice of anoxic disinfestations treatments with lowbudget facilities. This course is most helpful to people who work with historic and artistic
collections made up of manuscripts, books, and paper objects. But those who are involved with
the conservation of textiles, wooden objects and other organic materials will find this course
helpful as well. (Sarris, 2008)
Overall, this course is not covering all of the basics of conservation; instead it focuses on
the conservation of books and paper materials. But it would be a helpful seminar for those who
wish to have more specific knowledge and training in this area or for those just looking to have
some hands-on training with experts in a very historically enriched environment.
This seminar holds a personal interest for me, because Patmos, Greece is where my
ancestors originated. My great-grandmother came to America from Patmos and my ancestors
there were important religious figures. It is worth the time and money to go overseas to take this
seminar, so that I can learn an interesting and knowledgeable subject in the same area that my
relatives lived and work. (Sarris, 2008)
Conclusion
Library preservation and conservation is extremely important to keep library resources
intact and usable for patrons everywhere. With time materials age, become obsolete, can face
disasters, and any random accident; by implementing preservation and conservation protocols
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these resources can be saved from permanent loss. A conservator position works directly with
the repair aspect of preservation and this is the job that most appeals to me. I like the fact that I
would have an active hand in helping preserve history for future generations.
Conservation Librarianship is a very specialized career with many different educational
options available. In particular, there are three that cover a range depending on how specialize I
would want my training to be. For a training that is highly specialized and involves many years
and would equal a degree, then the Conservator Program at the University of Texas is great. It
takes place for three years and offers many classes in different areas of conservation. It ends with
an internship with an actual conservator.
A two-day conference with many experts in a variety of areas in conservation is perfect
to get a handle on what is new and innovative in conservation. Also the conference bridges the
scientific community with the library community, as well as offering discussions so that there
can be an exchange of ideas and thoughts. This is perfect for someone who already works as a
conservator and is looking for the latest news and theories. Also it can be helpful to take if I am
still on the bubble of whether to pursue conservation or another field.
The third program is a seminar in Greece. This is highly specialized in just one aspect of
conservation, book and paper conservation. It holds a great appeal, because it is held by experts
in a very historically-enriched environment. There is also the personal advantage of my Greek
ancestral heritage. Overall, this seminar is great if I want to continue my knowledge in the area
of book conservation. It is a good program for someone who is already knowledgeable in this
area and probably already works in preservation.
In the end, to pursue the position of conservator, all of these educational programs would
be helpful. The first program should be taken to achieve a basic understanding and knowledge of
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conservation, then the book conservation in Greece is important to specialize my knowledge of
book and paper conservation and keep me inspired to want to precede further, and finally the
conference is perfect to take every year so that I can be kept up to date with what is new in the
field of conservation. Each program has a purpose and will be important in pursuing this career
choice.
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Bibliography
American Library Association. (2007, January 03). Retrieved November 04, 2011, from
Preservation Programs:
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alcts/resources/preserv/preseddir/presprogs.cfm
Doyle, B. (2005, February). Careers in Preservation Librarianship. Retrieved November 05,
2011, from LIScareer.com: "Preservation Programs," American Library Association,
January 03, 2007.
Preservation and Archives Professionals. (2011). Retrieved November 05, 2011, from National
Archives: http://www.archives.gov/preservation/conferences/2011/
Sarris, N. (2008). Workshops 2011. Retrieved November 05, 2011, from Book & Manuscript
Conservation Studio: http://www.patmosworkshop.com/workshop-2011/