The Brodsky Endowment for the Advancement of Library Conservation
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Rare Skills for Rare Books:
Book conservation education
A lecture featuring
Consuela "Chela" Metzger
Lecturer - Book Conservation at the Kilgarlin Center for Preservation of the Cultural Record at the
University of Texas at Austin
Friday, November 7 at 4 p.m. in the
Peter Graham Scholarly Commons
E. S. Bird Library, Syracuse University
“European hand bookbinding practice does not form the best foundation on which to build or even graft the principles of book conservation.” Christopher Clarkson 1978
Even in our screen-driven age, the book still carries monetary, artistic and symbolic value, in addition to its intellectual content. What skills must a book conservator have to treat damaged rare books properly? Is the restoration/conservation of books a craft related to bookbinding? And if so, what is the best way to teach that craft?
I have been teaching book conservation at the graduate level since 2001, but to me these questions remain unsettled and unsettling. I hope to bring together observations from my life as a librarian, bookbinder, book conservator, and educator to explore the skills needed for book conservation in the 21st century.
The Workshop:
Structure as Decoration: an Exploration of Early Stationery Bindings Made with Lacing and Tacketing
A two-day workshop with Chela Metzger
Saturday and Sunday, November 8-9, 2008, 10a.m. – 5p.m.
This course is inspired by the varied and beautiful
lacing and tacketing found on account-books, or
stationery bindings in medieval and early modern
Europe. These blank books were created to hold records
of businesses and organizations, and have a different
set of aesthetic and structural practices than the
bindings found on regular scholarly and religious
books. Lacing on these books is somewhat like appliqué
or lacing on western gear and can be as complex as the
Islamic inspired mudejar star patterns found on
stationery books in Spain, or the simpler lines and X
patterns found all over Europe. Tacketing is a sort
of “staple”, usually of twisted parchment, which holds
the pages to the cover, or holds the cover together,
and tackets can also take many forms.
Participants will have an opportunity to make their
own parchment tackets, practice lacing and tacketing
techniques off the book, practice making loops and
buttons off the book, and then create at least one
traditional stationery binding, combining techniques
as desired. Prior experience hand sewing books is
useful, but not required.
Workshop Registration:
Date: Saturday and Sunday, November 8-9, 2008
Time: 10a.m. – 5p.m.
Location:
Preservation Department, Bird Library
Syracuse University Library
222 Waverly Ave
Syracuse, NY 13244
Registration Fee: $125 + $55 Materials Fee
Lodging: Information can be found at here
Download the registration form here
Note: This workshop is free to Syracuse University students, however you must fill out and send in the registration form. By registering you agree to attend the workshop on both days.
About the Speaker:
Consuela "Chela" Metzger is a librarian, bookbinder and book
conservator currently teaching full-time at the
Kilgarlin Center for Preservation of the Cultural Record University of Texas at Austin School of Information. After completing an internship in rare book conservation at the Library of Congress in 1994, Ms. Metzger worked as a project conservator for over five years at the Huntington Library rare book collections in San Marino, Calif. She also worked as one of the teachers for the Lampadia/Getty-sponsored conservation education program for visiting South American conservators. In Fall, 2000, Ms. Metzger conducted a 3 month Fulbright Lectureship in Argentina. She occasionally teaches workshops in special collections conservation in Latin America, and writes articles and book reviews in the field of book arts and bookbinding in the US. She has a particular interest in Latin American print culture, the history of books and reading, and the material culture of record keeping structures used in archives and accounting. She is also a member of The Bonefolder's editorial board.
In terms the workshop, she is always curious about new book structures, and is especially enjoys the varied books folks have used for record-keeping and accounting historically. Her work in Latin America has fostered a strong interest in Spanish/Islamic influenced bindings and her father was an amateur creator of western style laced and braided items, so lacing was part of her childhood.
Past Events in the Series
The links below will take you to the video, full text, and/or images of the lectures and workshops. Just click on your speaker of choice.
Contact Information:
Peter Verheyen
Head, Preservation
222 Waverley Ave
Syracuse University Library
Syracuse, NY 13244
pdverhey@syr.edu
315.443.9756
About the Series:
 The Brodsky
Series for the Advancement of Library Conservation is endowed through
a generous gift by William J. (’65, G’68) and Joan (’67,
G’68) Brodsky of Chicago, Illinois. Beginning with the academic year
2004/2005, the endowment will be used to sponsor programs that promote
and advance knowledge of library conservation theory, practice, and application
among wide audiences, both on campus and in the region. Programs will
typically include lectures and workshops by prominent library conservators.
The idea for an endowed lecture and workshop series on library conservation
was inspired by Joan Brodsky’s strong interests in the traditional
arts of book production and her experiences working as a volunteer in
conservation facilities, including the Newberry Library and the Spertus
Museum in Chicago. Joan Brodsky also serves on the board of visitors for
the School of Information Studies, from which she earned a graduate degree
in library science. She remarked that “Bill and I are delighted to
establish a program that promotes the understanding and importance of
book and paper conservation. We hope and expect this initiative will fill
a void that currently exists in this field. We are excited that our gift
will both enhance learning within the university community and also showcase
our library and its expertise in the art of con-servation.”
The educational programming sponsored by the endowment will be organized
by Peter Verheyen, an conservator, craft binder, and book artist who directs
the conservation lab at the Special Collections Research Center at Syracuse
University Library. According to Verheyen, “The Brodskys’ gift
will enable us to offer high-quality theoretical and practical learning
opportunities in library conservation that will appeal not only to students
and faculty from the School of Information Studies, but also from the
College of Visual and Performing Arts, which offers a graduate degree
in Museum Studies and courses related to the arts of the book. It will
also contribute significantly to regional educational needs and bring
prominence to Syracuse University nationally.” Endowment-sponsored
events will complement the internship, independent study, and class presentations
currently offered by our conservation lab, which have already led some
students to pursue library conservation as a career.
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