It has been very busy in the preservation lab mostly because of our recent project on reclassification. Interesting discoveries within our collection were made every day during this massive overhaul, and I had the pleasure of restoring many of these wonderful finds. As the Preservation Librarian, it is very satisfying to salvage items that are in need of extensive repair, with the end result being a book, document, or map that patrons can continue to utilize and enjoy.
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| 1872 Journal of the Senate before preservation treatment |
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| 1872 Journal of the Senate after preservation treatment |
As the reclassification overhaul progressed, items in poor condition were sent to the preservation lab on carts. Using a number of conservation tools and materials including adhesive, repair tape, Japanese and heat-set tissues, mesh cloth, book cloth, spatulas, bone folders, and brushes, my intern and I continue to work our way through the collection. Repairing books and documents with damage ranging from slight tears to disintegrating bindings and pages requires a lot of time and a lot of patience - but it never fails to be interesting and rewarding!
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| Boston Atlas Before and after preservation treatment |
Kelly J. Turner
Preservation Librarian
