Special Collections
Research Center

Bookmark us @
<http://scrc.syr.edu>

Conservation & Digital Access

Staff

• Peter D. Verheyen
  Preservation and Digital Access Librarian
  (315) 443-9756
  pdverhey@syr.edu
  Curriculum Vitae
  The Book Arts Web - Online subject resources for bookbinders, book artists and, conservators
  
  
• David Stokoe
  Conservation Librarian / Rare Book and Paper Conservator
  (315) 443-9937
  djstokoe@syr.edu
  

What We Do:

The Conservation Lab is responsible for the treatment and preservation of materials in the Special Collections Research Center. The Conservation Lab was founded in 1995, and since then has grown in scope of treatments and staff. It is led by the Conservation Librarian, under the direction of the Preservation and Digital Access Library, himself a fully trained conservator. The team is complemented by work-study students and occasional interns.

Working closely with curatorial staff, treatment candidates are selected at time of acquisition, use by patrons and staff, selection for exhibitions, and collection level conservation treatment surveys. In conjunction with the Preservation Department, Conservation staff is also involved in environmental monitoring and disaster planning.

Treatments in the Lab range cover all levels, from simple repairs to full treatments involving the pulling, washing and deacidification, and rebinding of books. Rehousing options include phase boxes, drop-spine boxes, encapsulation, and special enclosures.

Images of the Lab:

Conservation Manuals:

All manuals are in Adobe Acrobat format.

Book Conservation

• Conservation Recase - Recasing in cloth retaining the original sewing and adding new endsheets.
• Molded Paper Spine - For recasing pre-1800 volumes sewn on raised cords, providing a much more sypathetic appearance than recasing in cloth.
• Thin Paper Spine - Rebinding for books less than 1cm thick.

  Enclosures

• One-Piece Tuxedo Phase Box - Cut and folded four flap enclosure.
• Two-Piece Tuxedo Phase Box - Cut, folded, and assembed four flap enclosure.
• Phase Box - Cut, folded, and assembed four flap enclosure.
• Mylar Phase Box - As above but with Mylar wrapping for the spine to show contents.
• Corrugated Cardboard Clamshell Box - Cut out of one piece of board with glued corners.
• Drop Spine Box - Trays cut & assembled and covered in cloth.
• Windowed Drop Spine Box - As above but with a window in the spine to show contents.
• Encapsulation - Mylar encapsulation using an edge welder.

  Other

• Exhibit Cradles - Made of Vivak, a plexiglass which can be cut on the boardshear and folded by hand.
• The Care and Handling of Books and Manuscripts: A Workshop for SUL SCRC Staff and Students. In PowerPoint format.

Resources:

• Archival 101: Answers to questions concerning selecting the most appropriate materials to house your collections, different storage options, terminology found in various catalogs, and how to get the best deal from vendors. Last presented to CLRC in March of 2006.
• Archival Papers and Adhesives for Dissertations
• CLRC Calendar: Images from the CLRC's 2005 calendar designed by Donia Conn to raise awareness of the myriad of preservation issues faced by libraries and other cultural repositories.
• Conservation and Preservation Resources
• Environmental Monitoring and Control
• Local and Regional Conservation Referral List
• Storage of Architectural Materials at the Syracuse University Library - Article published in the Book and Paper Group Annual, 2003, of the American Institute of Conservation.

Treatment Examples:

Shown here are examples of some of the treatments completed in the Conservation Lab.

Conservation & Digital Access

Staff

About

Manuals

Resources

Treatments

Internships and Student Opportunities

Resources in the Book Arts