The Brodsky Endowment for the Advancement of Library Conservation

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

November 7-9, 2008

Click to see a full illustrated report

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.

• [NEW] Consuela "Chela" Metzger –  Rare Skills for Rare Books: Book conservation education – November 7-9. 2008.

• William Noel – The Archimedes Palimpsest – November 1, 2007.
• Gary Frost – The Aesthetics of Conservation – November 3-5, 2006.
• Hedi Kyle – Conservation and the Book Arts – Creative and innovative solutions for preserving library and archival materials – October 7-9, 2005.
• John F. Dean – Conservation and Preservation in the Digital Age – April 1, 2005.

Contact Information:

Peter Verheyen
Head, Department of Preservation and Conservation
Syracuse University Library
222 Waverley Ave
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.