The Conservation Unit will be hosting intern Melissa Bradshaw through mid-December. During her internship, Melissa will assist with routine treatment and participate in the Structure of the Handmade Book course.
Melissa comes to us from the Preservation & Conservation Studies Program, School of Information, at University of Texas at Austin.
The University of Iowa Libraries
NEWS RELEASES
University of Iowa News Release
Release: March 18, 2003
UI Libraries Helps Teach Preservation Of Cultural Materials
Several University of Iowa librarians will help document managers from across Iowa learn how to preserve important papers and materials in a series of lectures and workshops offered by the Iowa Conservation and Preservation Consortium.
The program, titled “Preservation 101,” is designed for archivists, conservators, county clerks, curators, genealogists, librarians, museum workers, registrars, volunteers, and anyone else who cares about conserving and preserving our cultural heritage. Six lectures will be offered via the Iowa Communications Network (ICN), along with three hands-on practicum workshops. The first two sessions will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. April 2 and May 22 at 18 ICN sites.
The April 2 session will focus on preservation considerations and cautions about paper, ink, adhesives, and leather. The May 22 session will cover photographic, reprographic and printing processes. The training program is projected to conclude in June 2004.
University of Iowa Libraries’ Nancy E Kraft, head of the Preservation Department and Conservation Unit, is directing the preservation training program. UI Libraries Conservator Gary Frost and UI Libraries Assistant Conservator Kristin Baum, along with Iowa State University Library Conservator Ivan Hanthorn, will teach the first session. Henry Wilhelm of Grinnell, Iowa, one of the world’s leading authorities on the preservation of color photographic images, will teach the May session.
Preservation 101 is sponsored by the Iowa Conservation and Preservation Consortium (ICPC), a membership organization seeking to initiate, encourage, and enhance preservation and conservation activities by providing basic preservation education and training. Funding for developing the preservation training program was partially supported through funding from the Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) act through a Historical Resource Development Program (REAP/HRDP) grant from the State Historical Society of Iowa.
Each ICN session registration fee is $20. Discounts are available for groups, multiple sessions, and ICPC members. Request a registration form by contacting Nancy E Kraft, ICPC, University Libraries, 100 Main Library, Iowa City, IA 52242-1420 or 319-335-5286 or at ICPC website http://web.grinnell.edu/individuals/stuhrr/icpc/icpc.html
The program will be offered through the ICN sites below:
Boone — Ericson Public Library, ICN Room, 702 Greene St.
Cedar Rapids — Kirkwood Community College, 104 Washington Hall, FARM, 6301 Kirkwood Blvd. SW
Charles City — North Iowa Area Community College, Charles City Center, Room 106, 200 Harwood Dr.
Cherokee — Washington High School, Armory Building, Fiber Optic Room, 600 West Bluff St.
Clinton — Clinton High School, Room 143, Eighth Ave. S. and Ninth St.
Cresco — Northeast Iowa Community College, ICN Room, 1020 Second Avenue SE
Davenport — Davenport Public Library, Meeting Room A, 321 Main St.
Denison — National Guard Armory, ICN Room, 12 N. 35th St.
Dubuque — Carnegie – Stout Public Library, ICN Meeting Room, 360 West 11th St.
Fort Dodge — Fort Dodge Public Library, ICN Room, 424 Central Ave.
Griswold — Griswold High School, Room 105, 20 Madison
Iowa City — University of Iowa, Room 107, North Hall, End of North Madison St.
Marshalltown — Iowa Valley Community College, Room 806, Continuing Education Center, 3702 South Center St.
Mt Pleasant — Iowa Wesleyan College, Room 201, Hershey Hall, 601 Broadway
Pella — Carnegie-Viersen Public Library, ICN Room, 603 Main
Sioux City — Western Hills Area Education Agency 12, Room 209A, 1520 Morningside Ave.
Spencer — Spencer Public Library, ICN Room, 21 East Third St.
Urbandale — Urbandale Public Library, ICN Classroom, 3520 86th St.
STORY SOURCE: University of Iowa News Service, 300 Plaza Centre One, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-2500.
CONTACT(S): Tom Snee, 319-384-0010, tom-snee@uiowa.edu.
Release: March 4, 2003
The University of Iowa Alumni Association and the UI Libraries are co-sponsoring a preservation techniques program at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 19, at the State Historical Society Building, 600 East Locust in Des Moines, Iowa.
Nancy E. Kraft, head of the Preservation Department and Conservation Unit at the UI Libraries, will present this Lifelong Learning program titled “Handle with Care: Preserving Memories.” Kraft, who consults on preservation issues throughout the state, will discuss preservation techniques she uses to safeguard family photos, scrapbooks, cookbooks, artwork, oral history and other cherished memories.
The Wednesday evening program is free and open to the public. For more information or to register, contact the UI Alumni Association at 1-800-IOWALUM (469-2586) or register online at:
http://www.iowalum.com/lifelonglearning
STORY SOURCE: University of Iowa News Services, 300 Plaza Centre One, Suite 371, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-2500.
CONTACTS: Media: George McCrory, 319-384-0012, george-mccrory@uiowa.edu. Program: Staci Valenta, assistant director of Alumni Programs, 1-800-IOWALUM (469-2586), staci-valenta@uiowa.edu
OTHER INFORMATION: http://www.iowalum.com/lifelonglearning
2003 Friends of the Libraries Annual Event
The Preservation Department will be featured in a Friends of the Library Event on Thursday, April 10, 2003. The event, Keepsakes: Preserving Your Personal and Family Treasures, will be held in the IMU Second Floor Ballroom and will encourage participants to learn about organizing and preserving your family history materials, such as mementos, photographs, books, collectibles, digital and analog (film and magnetic).
The event starts at 6:00 pm with a reception and demonstrations by Gary Frost, University Conservator; Kristin Baum, Assistant Conservator; David McCartney, University Archivist; and Susan Hansen, Book Repair Supervisor. An illustrated lecture will be presented at 7 PM by Nancy E. Kraft, Head, Preservation Department. Demonstrations will continue after the lecture, along with a coffee and cookies reception.
This event is sponsored by the Friends of the University of Iowa Libraries and is FREE and open to the public (but reservations are appreciated). For more information call 335-6093 or e-mail lib-friends@uiowa.edu.
On November 11 Tim Moore delivered a traditional lying press, tub, and plow to the UI Libraries Conservation Lab. This bookbinding equipment, in use since the 16th century, is still considered best for book edge trimming and pasteboard cutting.
The press and plow builder, Tim Moore, is a master crafts-man internationally recognized as one of the few remaining experts in the manufacture of traditional papermaking and bookbinding equipment. He may be the last remaining maker of traditional western paper making molds, which involves the operation of his own handmade loom for weaving the wires of mold covers. His work in bookbinding equipment is equally important to that field. Tim has provided many innovations as well as his reproductions of traditional equipment. The innovations include his famous piercing jig, which produces accurate, saddle piercing of the sewing holes in the folds of gathered pages. The Moore piercing jig is both elegant and practical and is now a standard requirement for fine limited edition and book conservation work. Other Moore innovations include an improved tying-up press, an elevated, bench-top repair press, and his all-new vertical plow.
The traditional Moore lying press and plow will be used in the UIL/UICB course, “The Structure of the Handmade Book.” During the class on the 11th, Tim provided a comparative demonstration of both the traditional horizontal plow and the prototype for his new vertical plow.
On October 17, 2002 Jay Woodson and a small team of student workers successfully completed a yearlong marking project. The project involved remarking 13,988 Chinese volumes from the former Wade-Giles system to Pinyin. The marking project followed from the University of Iowa Libraries Pinyin bibliographic conversion project.
For decades, American libraries used the Wade-Giles system to romanize Chinese texts; however, the international community, the U.S. Government & news media adopted the Pinyin system. In October of 2000, the Library of Congress replaced the Wade-Giles system with the Pinyin system of romanization. The University of Iowa Libraries, like all American libraries, converted to the Pinyin system as well.
On October 7th, 2002 the UI Preservation Department hosted a tour for twelve Russian museum officers. The group was traveling the U.S. as part of an international visitor program on museum management.
Nancy Kraft welcomed the visitors on behalf of the department and the library Director. She then offered comments on our disaster response planning and the various initiatives involved. Gary Frost also welcomed the group and presented a display of binding models that represent the long history of sewn board structures associated with the Eastern Church tradition. Jim Croft offered background and discussion on bone tool technology and linen thread. Kristin Baum described our current efforts to digitize the department monitoring of storage conditions, which are based on Climate Notebook/ PEM datalogger technology developed at the Image Permanence Institute. Kristin also described her project on natural dyeing of hand made papers. Lucy David, our volunteer in the Conservation Lab, described her work in book repair. Finally, Carlo Mori described his training and projects as an Intern in the department.
The group was enthusiastic throughout the one-hour tour and asked many important questions. The entire exchange was supportedby very talented translation, but the immediacy of the exchange was apparent by all the animation, on both sides.
Their visit to the University of Iowa also included a visit to the Iowa Women’s Archives, the Museum of Natural History, University of Iowa Museum of Art, and the Medical Museum in the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics. Their trip to Iowa is also to include visits to the Iowa Children’s Museum, the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, and the Herbert Hoover Presidential Museum & Library, among other stops.
Preservation Department will be hosting Italian intern Carlo Mori from August- December 2002. Carlo is in his second year at the Fondazione per la Conservazione e il Restauro dei Beni Librari, located in the Umbrian town of Spoleto, a program whichinstructs students from all countries of Europe.
Carlo’s curriculum at the Spoleto program includes codicology, conservation and preservation, with courses taught by Tom and Sylvia Albro, Robert Futernick, Chris Clarkson, Nicholas Pickwoad, Tony Cains and John L. Sharpe. The school will also conduct research in the field of book and paper conservation. The program consists of two years in academic and bench studies, with a third-year internship in recognized conservation laboratories outside Italy.
Jesse Meyer, a young vellum and parchment maker, from Montgomery, New York, made a visit to our shop at the UI Libraries on September19, 2002. He provided a wonderfully clear and well expressed narrative of his long family history in leather tannage, which dates back 450 years, originating in Germany. He also taught us the basics of his own craft of making deer, goat and calf skin vellum. Jesse is the only known parchment maker in North America.
If you are interested in learning more about Jesse’s parchment, you can contact him at mctanner@pioneeris.net.
On Tuesday, August 13th, Gary Frost, UIL Conservator, taught book sewing to kids of all ages at the Iowa State Fair. Young fair goers were able to pick from a colorful array of cover papers and then sew their cover and specially printed sheets into souvenir booklets. The hands-on exhibit was presented by the Preservation department as part of the entertainments at the University of Iowa booth at the Fair.
Adults, including teachers and librarians, also took an interest in the hand bookbinding exhibit. A surprising number of Fair visitors told stories of early job experiences in the publications industries. Gary reported that,”the traffic was immense with plenty of real interest in the UICB Bookbinding kits that we had on display.”
George McCrory, from UI’s University Relations, was also pleased with the Library participation which provided contrast with other medical and physics presentations. Gary encouraged more participation of the Libraries as well as the School of Library & Information Science in future Iowa Fair presentations.