Preservation awareness workshop

Third Preservation Awareness Workshop
Library of Congress
April 21

If you're like most people, you probably have old family
photographs, important papers, special books in your home that are
fading, yellowing and growing ever more fragile--but you don't know
what to do to preserve them. The Library of Congress Preservation
Directorate is holding its third annual workshop to help you learn
more about how to take care of your valuable collections, and the
many resources that are available to you.

The first preservation awareness workshop, held in 1996, proved so
successful, with more than 600 people in attendance, that the
Library decided to make the workshop an annual event.  Once again,
the general public will have an opportunity to view demonstrations
and gather information from conservators and other specialists at
the Library of Congress on April 21, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  No
reservations are necessary.

The day long free event will take place in the Mumford Room, sixth
floor of the Madison Building, 101 Independence Ave. S. E.
Co-sponsored by the Library's Center for the Book and the
Preservation Directorate, the workshop is part of the celebration of
National Library Week.

Throughout the day, visitors will be able to see live demonstrations
of gold tooling, paper mending, book sewing, materials testing, and
matting and hinging of works of art on paper.  Table displays,
manned by Library staff, will provide answers to your questions and
printed information on the handling, and storage of books, papers
and documents, fine prints, photographs, CDs, sound recordings and
motion picture film.  There will be slide presentations on the
factors that place your collections at risk and provide information
on when it is wise to seek professional advice.

The emphasis of the workshop will be on the preservation and storage
of books, paper, newspaper, cassettes, videos, sound recordings and
film.  Last year, for example, the participants learned that storing
family documents and photographs at the proper humidity and
temperature is critical and that anything of value should never be
stored in an attic or a basement.  Many attendees also learned that
photographs should never be housed in "magnetic" albums.

In addition to the Library's professional conservation and
curatorial staff, representatives of nonprofit professional
associations in the preservation field as well as companies that
manufacture and distribute conservation products will be on hand to
answer questions and offer other information on preservation
products and issues.

As an added feature this year Professional Conservators, members of
the American Institute for Conservation, will be available to assess
the condition of books, documents, and photographs, suggest
conservation treatment options and provide storage advice for
personal treasures.

Additionally, Mr. Allan J. Stypeck, host of the popular NPR show
"The Bookguys," will be available to appraise (free of charge) old
books, prints, photographs, manuscripts and sound recordings.
Persons who have such items whose worth they would like to have
assessed should bring them in.  Mr. Stypeck will be at the
Preservation Awareness Workshop from 9 am to 5 pm.

Amparo R. de Torres
Special Projects Officer
Conservation Division, LM G 38
Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave., SE
Washington, D. C. 20540-4500, USA
202-707-1026
Fax: 202-707-1525

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 11:76
                 Distributed: Wednesday, March 11, 1998
                       Message Id: cdl-11-76-021
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