Conservation
Located within the University Library, the conservation lab treats both circulating and non-circulating material. Conservation staff complete a variety of repairs from the simple to the complex. Treatment decisions are made with consideration given to the history of the item, its use, and its storage location. The most common treatments for circulating books are board reattachments and spine repairs. Non-circulating or rare material are treated after consultation with the curators. Treatments can vary from humidification and flattening to mending to full rebinding.
In addition to repairing collections material, staff members conduct surveys that can shed light on the condition or preservation needs of a particular collection or area of the library. Staff also create custom housing for books, paper, textiles, ephemera, and 3D objects that are a part of the University's holdings.
The work completed by members of the conservation lab is done in accordance with the American Institute for Conservation's Code of Ethical Practice.