Chat with the folks from the library’s conservation department who will be showcasing some of their recent projects, which include a variety of rare book treatments, housing projects that keep materials protected in storage, and figuring out how to care for oddities like a movie prop of a crying newborn baby.

The conservation department is responsible for the preservation of the library’s vast holdings of rare and special collection materials. The work they do includes preventive care activities, such as making protective boxes and enclosures for storage and constructing supports for items during exhibitions. They also perform treatments (the conservation term used to describe the repair process) on hundreds of items each year so the materials can be studied and appreciated by students, faculty, and other scholars.

Join us (on the 6th floor of Hatcher) for Third Thursdays at the Library, a themed monthly open house where we share materials from our collections.