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, Filed Under: Conservation, Meet the Staff

A day in my life as a preservation and conservation intern

As an English student at Florida A&M University, I was attracted to this internship because it granted me an opportunity to really explore an archival library. As a writer, I have learned that research is an important part of my process, and I thought it would be really interesting to spend my time learning preservation and conservation methods for research materials.

I was completely new to this field. Learning bookbinding was one of the most rewarding parts of my internship. There’s just something fascinating about learning how something is made, especially because I have so many books. I also really enjoyed working in preservation and helping with the sink mats for David O. Selznick’s storyboards and rehousing the large photographs by Carleton E. Watkins.

Now I’ll be able to impact my own campus library and continue learning how to preserve items that will be beneficial to future researchers.

Alicia Bush’s internship was made possible by the HBCU Library Alliance and the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation. It introduces interested students attending historically black colleges and universities to the field of preservation and conservation.

8:30 a.m.

Photograph conservator Diana Diaz and I rehouse some large photographs (around 18” x 21”) of Yosemite Valley by Carleton E. Watkins. We used archival polyester film and a Polyweld machine to make U-shaped pockets, and high quality mat board to support the photographs. Given the size of these images, it’s best to work with someone else to properly handle the photographs.
Photograph conservator Diana Diaz and I rehouse some large photographs (around 18” x 21”) of Yosemite Valley by Carleton E. Watkins. We used archival polyester film and a Polyweld machine to make U-shaped pockets, and high quality mat board to support the photographs. Given the size of these images, it’s best to work with someone else to properly handle the photographs.
Here, I’m pasting paper corners to the supports to keep the photographs in place.
Here, I’m pasting paper corners to the supports to keep the photographs in place.

11 a.m.

Preservation technician Genevieve Pierce and I work on sink mats for storyboards from the David O. Selznick collection.
Preservation technician Genevieve Pierce and I work on sink mats for storyboards from the David O. Selznick collection.

2 p.m.

Book conservation fellow Kimberly Kwan teaches me how to bind a book. She is showing me how to trim book cloth before I paste on decorative papers.
Book conservation fellow Kimberly Kwan teaches me how to bind a book. She is showing me how to trim book cloth before I paste on decorative papers.

3:45 p.m.

I’m looking at leather samples under a microscope and making sure the image appears on screen. The leather fibers are a reference to determine the condition and treatment of leather on old books.
I’m looking at leather samples under a microscope and making sure the image appears on screen. The leather fibers are a reference to determine the condition and treatment of leather on old books.