Fenella France appointed Chief of Preservation Research and Testing Division at Library of Congress

Fenella France Named Chief of Preservation Research and Testing
Division at the Library of Congress

Fenella France, lead scientist for preservation research at the
Library of Congress since 2007, has been named chief of the
Library's Preservation Research and Testing Division by Deanna
Marcum, associate librarian for library services.  France has over
20 years' experience in heritage preservation science, including 10
years working for such federal agencies as the Library of Congress,
the Smithsonian Institution, and the National Park Service and
another decade as a research manager, lecturer, and fellow abroad.

France holds a Ph.D and a master's degree in textile science, as
well as a master's degree in business administration and a
bachelor's degree in commerce from universities in New Zealand and
Australia.

   "Fenella France is a major asset to this crucial area at the
    Library," Marcum said. "She has a prolific publication record
    and her projects have been featured in many local, national and
    international journals.  Her groundbreaking studies here at the
    Library of Congress have made her a finalist for the prestigious
    federal 'Service to America' medal in the category of science
    and the environment," Marcum said.

France in 2010 made a major discovery concerning the Library's draft
copy of the Declaration of Independence, in Thomas Jefferson's
handwriting with edits by John Adams and Benjamin Franklin.  Using
hyperspectral imaging equipment, to distinguish discrete layers of
ink using various spectra of light, France revealed that Jefferson
in the draft declaration initially wrote the word "subjects," then
carefully rewrote over it to make that word "citizens."

France described that discovery as

   "a spine-tingling moment ... I was processing data late at night
    and realized there was a word underneath citizens.  Then I began
    the tough process of extracting the differences between
    spectrally similar materials to elucidate the lost text."

>From 2001 to 2007, France was the project and scientific manager
for Art Preservation Services in New York, where she developed
strategic plans and conducted scientific research for the American
Museum of Natural History, the Historic House Trust and Peebles
Island, as well as Ellis Island's Treasures Gallery rehabilitation
and the New York Port Authority's World Trade Center 9/11 Project.
She also worked during that time as research manager for the
National Park Service's web-accessible Fiber Reference Imaging
Library and served as a textile scientist for the Smithsonian
Institution's Star-Spangled Banner Project, which restored the
original United States flag that had flown over Fort McHenry in
Baltimore during the War of 1812.

Starting in 1998, France was technical manager of the Star-Spangled
Banner Project. While at the Smithsonian and other cultural
agencies, she supervised teams of up to 20 conservation
professionals, administrators, and scientists for a number of
large-scale projects.

>From 1989 -1998, at the University of Otago, New Zealand, France
served first as a research fellow and textile-science lecturer and
later as research and international postgraduate research manager.
In the latter capacity she oversaw a substantial budget and managed
work and performance reviews for more than 700 graduate students and
technical staff, developing research projects, policies and
procedures, as well as course curricula. She also collaborated with
the school's Board of Graduate Studies to implement disciplinary and
performance actions involving students, supervisors and examiners.

France has also managed a small business, overseeing budget,
performance improvement and regulatory issues, ensuring all
nondiscrimination and affirmative-action requirements were met.

   "She has a unique blend of experience in science and
    administration that will contribute to the Library's management
    needs, as well as its mission and goals," said Dianne van der
    Reyden, the Library's director for preservation.

Dianne van der Reyden
Director
Preservation Directorate
Library of Congress


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 25:11
                 Distributed: Saturday, August 20, 2011
                       Message Id: cdl-25-11-001
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