Next in our series of interviews with Digital Library Program staff. Today, Lizzie Curran, Assistant Conservator, answers questions about her work. Follow Lizzie and her colleagues at the Dartmouth College Library’s Preservation Lab on Instagram.
What does an Assistant Conservator do?
As the assistant conservator, I repair both the special collections in Rauner Library as well as the general circulating collection, fixing what needs to be fixed and beyond! Which is to say: I put covers back on, stick split spines back together, and flatten or mend where needed. I also build custom boxes and other enclosures for objects that come in to the lab. I am also the liaison to the Digital Library Program, so we can keep communication open between departments as objects come in to be digitized and need conservation.
How did you get here? That is, what was your path to becoming an Assistant Conservator here at Dartmouth?
I attended the North Bennet Street School in Boston and studied bookbinding there, full time for two years. During that time, I had an internship at Dartmouth (!) and a fellowship at the University of Washington in Seattle working with their special collections. I was most recently a conservation technician at the Huntington Library in San Marino, CA, where I was doing something similar to what I’m doing here at Dartmouth, but in a private library setting. I moved back east in April, and the rest is history.
What’s a notable (interesting, challenging, unusual) project that you’ve worked on recently?
Lately I’ve been mending maps of cities and towns in New Hampshire to be digitized in the Evans Map Room. They span the entire twentieth century, so it’s interesting to see the evolution of the materials they’re printed on and purposes of the maps. For example, the earlier in the century the map is, the more information on land plots and land owners is given—later on, there are tourist destinations and historical landmarks noted instead. The things that haven’t changed in the last hundred years are also interesting; Route 4A in Enfield has been exactly where it is…for a long time.
What do you wish that more people knew about preservation and conservation (in relation to digital libraries or not)?
I wish people knew you should never “fix” a book yourself and put tape on it! Really though, I think what preservation addresses is how we think about accessing our information in the future. Though the future may lie in the digital world, print will certainly be around and we’re handling the print objects of the future right now. It’s not modern-day tape that drives me nuts, it’s tape from 1950. I’m just trying to help out Preservation Services in 2050, who will undoubtedly be chipping off tape from 2016 unless we alert the public now!
Who are you when you’re not being an Assistant Conservator?
I’m always keeping my hands busy somehow—I love baking, sewing, knitting, drawing, and making things in general. I like birdwatching while meandering around my neck of the woods in Vermont. Currently I’m in the throes of being a new homeowner and all the challenges that brings, ie: how to use a wood stove.
What’s the most unusual item that you’ve come across in your work so far with the DLP? (question from Bill)
The most unusual item I’ve seen here so far is a large project we’re doing with some albums from the Marcus Jewelry Company, which was based out of New York City around the turn of the last century. The little painted jewelry designs pasted in to the albums told us a lot about life and aesthetics in 1910, and the artistry of the tiny paintings was amazing. There were even little mockups of glitzy belt buckles with a velvet ribbon tacked in to the book. Some had moveable overlays to show you how a pin could transform to a necklace… really neat stuff like that.
What question would you like another member of the Digital Library Program staff to answer?
What has been a notable challenge with a DLP project?