Book & Paper Conservation

The Preservation Office's Conservation Unit is responsible for the physical treatment of the book and paper holdings of all Emory Libraries. While the primary objective of the repair operation is to preserve the intellectual content of the materials, consideration is also given to retaining as much of the original artifact as possible. Deteriorated or damaged components are replaced with more permanent and durable materials. And, while every attention is paid to the visual appearance of an item, this element is secondary to an item's structural needs.

Routine book repairs include simple pages mends, the insertion of a replacement page, the renovation of an old spine, and the fabrication of a new case that has been title stamped. Protective enclosures may also be made by conservation staff when a curatorial decision is made to not interfere with an artifact's integrity.

Staff in the Emory Libraries identify items that require repair. Damaged items are usually identified by circulation or stacks maintenance staff.

The treatment decisions for Special Collections materials are made jointly by Conservation and curatorial staff.