Tuesday, May 1, 2018 Special Collections and Preservation/Conservation staff concluded a series of disaster preparedness and response training with a disaster response drill. We divided up into four teams. Each team retrieved, rinsed, and packed out the material found in a wet, muddy pool of water. Staff had to decide what to keep and whatContinue reading “May Day Disaster Response Drill”
Author Archives: Nancy E. Kraft
Shakespeare At Iowa Items Under Wraps
Friday, August 26, 2016 We’re keeping everything under wraps for the opening day of the Shakespeare First Folio and Shakespeare At Iowa Exhibit. As items were prepared for the exhibit, they were wrapped so not even staff could take a peek. Here some of the books are sitting in front of their individually crafted cradles.Continue reading “Shakespeare At Iowa Items Under Wraps”
Treating A Keith/Albee Scrapbook
Tuesday, August 16, 2016 Submitted by Katarzyna Bator and Bailey Kinsky Our second project this summer is assisting with the treatment of several scrapbooks from the Keith Albee collection. Our work was being overseen by Candida Pagan, Project Conservator. The goal for our treatment is to stabilize the delicate structures for digitization. Picture 1 showsContinue reading “Treating A Keith/Albee Scrapbook”
Finding a Hidden Gem
Wednesday, August 3, 2016 Finding a hidden gem makes Book Repair Supervisor Susan’s day fun. While repairing a book spine, Susan discovered this stiffener (liner) inside the spine; spine liners often were cut from scraps of paper, sometimes unused pages from books already produced by the bindery. The book she was repairing was published inContinue reading “Finding a Hidden Gem”
Documenting and Treating Scrolls: Part 3 Final
Wednesday, July 27, 2016 Submitted by Katarzyna Bator and Bailey Kinsky The Buddhist scrolls from the Ficke collection had experienced pretty significant insect damage which greatly increased the risk of damage during handling. In order to stabilize the paper structure, Kate and I performed some basic paper mends using a remoistenable tissue. We had previouslyContinue reading “Documenting and Treating Scrolls: Part 3 Final”
Documenting and Treating Scrolls: Part 2
Friday, July 15, 2016 Submitted by Katarzyna Bator and Bailey Kinsky Dry cleaning is the first step in most, if not all conservation treatments. Loose dirt and soil buildup collects on exposed portions of the object, in this case on the outermost part of the scroll. Additional dirt can find its way onto the surfaceContinue reading “Documenting and Treating Scrolls: Part 2”
Documenting and Treating Scrolls: Part 1
Thursday July 7, 2016 Submitted by Katarzyna Bator and Bailey Kinsky We are both graduate students at Buffalo State College Art Conservation Department. We are spending the summer at the University of Iowa Library Conservation Laboratory partaking in a practicum of treatment and care of library and archives material. Using theory and techniques learned duringContinue reading “Documenting and Treating Scrolls: Part 1”
IMALERT Disaster Hotline for Cultural Collections Live July 1, 2016
Friday, July 1, 2016 During a disaster, time is critical but help is a phone call away. IMALERT Hotline: 319-384-3673. As of today the Iowa Museums, Archives, and Libraries Emergency Response Team (IMALERT) is providing a hotline service to cultural institutions experiencing an emergency or disaster. The IMALERT Hotline at 319-384-3673 can connect staff withContinue reading “IMALERT Disaster Hotline for Cultural Collections Live July 1, 2016”
Box Making Day
Friday, June 10, 2016 It was all hands on deck yesterday, as staff made boxes for the many items awaiting protective enclosures in the conservation lab. The boxes ranged from the simple 20-point card 4-flap wraps to the more complex, double-walled, fabric covered hinged box.
Rescuing Photographic Negatives
Wednesday, March 16, 2016 With much trepidation yesterday, I went off to work with Tish Boyer at the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium in Dubuque to assist her in salvage efforts of significantly damaged photographic negatives. Tish had shared photos of the damaged items ahead of my visit. The sight was not pretty! TheContinue reading “Rescuing Photographic Negatives”