Some scenes from the move of our archives and special collections: empty shelves contrasted with full book trays on their way to offsite storage. My library will be undergoing a massive renovation early this coming year, and I am the one managing the logistics involved in moving our collections to offsite storage and other points […]
While making photocopies of some moldy archives material, my student worker noticed that someone (presumably the person whose papers these are) had used this document to blot their lipstick. 💋💄
Ummm… …okay, that works I guess.
This from a great little book called “A Library is to Know”, which is a parody of Maurice Sendak’s “A Hole is to Dig”. Parsons, Arthur Hudson, 1910-1959. A Library Is to Know. [Jacksonville, Ill.: New Method Book Bindery, 1961. You can read the whole thing for free on the HathiTrust!
I was able to visit the famous Ludu Library and Archive, which is located in Mandalay, Myanmar. One of the library staff knew I was going to visiting, so he showed me this Burmese-language bookbinding manual when I arrived. You have no idea how excited I was to look through this book!
Even in Myanmar, there are minions. But at least these minions are aware of library preservation issues.
I can’t make this stuff up, it practically writes itself… in the margins of this book. Seriously, stop writing in library books!
Me IRL (Image from “The Children’s Book on How to Use Books and Libraries” by Moot and Baisden, 1937.)
Sometimes being a book conservator means you have to do a little dental work on Dracula’s fangs. This is a pop-up book that’s going into an upcoming exhibit in our library – unfortunately, one side of Dracula’s teeth had become detached and pushed back into his mouth. Using tweezers, I carefully unfolded his teeth, and […]
Back in 1977, one of our library staff literally stapled some replacement pages into this book. It got the job done, but the results are not that ideal, as it makes it hard to read those pages and could tear the original pages they are stapled to. But this was way before my library had […]