Inside Princeton University Library: “Preservation and Conservation Gives New Life To Well-Worn Items”

From a Princeton University Library Blog Post:

Tucked away on the A Floor of Firestone Library, the Preservation & Conservation Department and its tight-knit staff are hard at work on repairing and conserving the various items that live in Princeton University Library’s (PUL) collections. While some of the staff are gingerly removing old glue from bindings, others are mending tears in ages, all in the name of ensuring PUL items are stable and accessible for years to come.

“The fields of preservation and conservation overlap and influence one another,” explained Preventive Conservator Gillian Marcus. “But generally speaking ‘preservation’ refers to a holistic approach to preventing deterioration and promoting healthy collections through collection maintenance, environment and pest management, housing and storage, emergency preparedness and response, and collection security.”

Conservation, on the other hand, involves physically treating objects to keep them  in tip-top shape for use by Library patrons. “Conservators aim to use materials that are reversible so that as best practices change over time, future conservators can improve or change previous conservation work,” said Marcus.

Read the Complete Blog Post, View Images (approx. 980 words)

Filed under: Academic Libraries, Libraries, Management and Leadership, News, Patrons and Users, Preservation