Special Collections Conservation

Housed within the Reyniers Building, Conservation facilities consist of two labs with specialized equipment to support conservation treatment of rare and unique materials held by the University Libraries. The unit is staffed by a conservator (Liz Dube), a conservation technician (Diane Sikorski), and student assistants.

The Conservation Unit is responsible for evaluating the condition of rare and/or unique library collections and for providing preventative and remedial conservation treatments as necessary. Unit staff work closely with subject specialists, curators, and staff of Rare Books & Special Collections to determine priorities for conservation. Materials treated by the unit include rare books, early bound manuscripts, modern manuscripts and art on paper.

In addition to treatment, the Conservation Unit engages in preventative conservation activities such as environmental monitoring and control, emergency response and salvage of library materials, assessments and condition reports for materials loaned, and exhibit preparation activities.