Yale Bulletin and Calendar

December 15, 2006|Volume 35, Number 13|Four-Week Issue

Staff in the Preservation Department preserve and maintain Yale Library's special collections and rare materials.

Exhibit showcases work of
Preservation Department

"Preservation in the Present," an exhibition showcasing the behind-the-scenes work of a Yale University Library department, is on view through Jan. 31 at Sterling Memorial Library, 120 High St.

Subtitled "Your Preservation Department at Work," the exhibit explores how that department's staff works to care for the library's collections.

Featured in the exhibit are a timeline showing the history and development of preservation pursuits at the Yale Library, as well as primary activities of each of the four units within the Preservation Department: the Conservation Lab, Reformatting and Media Preservation (RaMP), Field Services and Collections Care.

The staff in the Conservation Lab use skilled techniques to treat special collections and rare materials -- i.e., bound volumes and paper-based artifacts, including art on paper, archival materials, as well as photographs, parchment and leather items. This section features examples of materials both before and after treatment.

RaMP staff is responsible for maintaining access to the information contained in library resources regardless of the materials' original format. Conservators move that information to a new and more stable format when access is compromised due to decay or obsolescence. The display shows some examples of what can be done for brittle materials and obsolete media to make them accessible to users.

The Field Services staff provides advisory support, outreach, education and coordination of preservation projects and services for all library collections on the Yale campus. Examples of some of those projects, such as environmental monitoring and emergency planning and response, are featured.

Finally, the Collections Care staff is responsible for the conservation and repair of the circulating and reference collections for all library collections. The display explores the different types of treatments and enclosures that protect and restore circulating volumes.

The Sterling Memorial Library, 120 High St., is open for exhibition viewing 8:30 a.m.-4:45 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday; 8:30 a.m.-9:45 p.m. Thursday; 10 a.m.-4:45 p.m. Saturday; and noon-4:45 p.m. some Sundays (check the website at www.library.yale.edu/rsc/sml). For information, call (203) 432-2798.

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