Conservation is the practice of prolonging the lifetime of cultural heritage materials, like books, documents, and artworks. Conservators traditionally use interventive, physical repair techniques to enhance preservation and access. Today, conservators also embrace preventive, collections care strategies to broaden our impact. We work hand in hand with archivists, librarians, and curators to make sure that our cultural record lives on for years to come.

Learn more from the selected conservation treatment reports linked below.

Sam Houston to Henry Clay Davis, 1860

Remove manuscript from laminated housing; wash and deacidify paper; stabilize iron gall ink with calcium phytate treatment.

Our Indian Summer in the Far West, 1880

Travelogue with original albumen photos; guard and re-sew full volume; determine page order and original materials through archives research.

Meeting of the Citizens of San Felipe, 1836

Remove and replace disfiguring fills in a significant early Texas broadside.