Internship in paper conservation at the National Library of Australia, Canberra, 1983-1984

Abstract

This dissertation describes the work carried out by me in the Preservation Services Branch of the National Library of Australia during the period 1983 to early 1984. Conservation activities at the Library are organised in three broad categories, with the following goals: preparation for exhibitions, ongoing full conservation of the Library collections, in a staged process [and] methods development and materials investigation. The internship program was devised to allow time to be spent in each of these three areas. The amount of time spent in each area roughly reflected the allocation of conservation staff resources to each section at that time. In the exhibitions program, objects were prepared for display at the National Gallery of Australia. These included watercolours and hand-coloured prints. Under the ongoing conservation program, a wide range of paper objects were treated. Objects from the Library’s Special Collections are treated in order of priority determined by Librarian staff. Works treated included newspapers, both bound and unbound, movie posters, and magazines. Work in the third area involved both routine testing methods of conservation materials, involvement in a phase preservation project, and investigations into new methods of preventive conservation.

Date of Award	1984
Original language	English