William Minter appointed senior book conservator at Penn State University Libraries

Libraries appoint William Minter as new senior book conservator

The Penn State University Libraries recently appointed William
Minter as its first senior book conservator, a move that will
greatly enhance the Libraries' existing preservation program for
rare and historical collections.  Minter, who has more than 35 years
of experience in fine bookbinding and conservation, began his
appointment this semester in the University Libraries' Digitization
and Preservation Department.  The position is funded by a challenge
grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and a matching donation
from Jeffery L. and Cynthia King that established the King Family
Conservation Endowment in the University Libraries.

Bill Minter is a true leader in the field of conservation," said
Barbara Dewey, Dean of University Libraries and Scholarly
Communications.  He brings a wealth of experience and exceptional
skill.  Penn State is fortunate to have him join us." Minter will
provide leadership to expand the current conservation program to
include enhanced conservation treatments, plan and implement
conservation policies and provide training and outreach services to
the Libraries, the Penn State community, and beyond.  My goal is to
build a meaningful conservation program, which not only preserves
the collections for future generations, but also reaches out to
other Pennsylvania institutions and helps them care for their
collections," he says.

Minter graduated from Stout State University in Wisconsin (now the
University of Wisconsin - Stout) with a degree in industrial
technology and a concentration in graphic design.  He then pursued a
seven-year apprenticeship with William Anthony, a noted fine-design
bookbinder and book conservator in Chicago.  Following the
apprenticeship, Minter opened his own bookbinding and conservation
business, specializing in bookbinding and the conservation of rare
books and manuscripts for university libraries, museums, rare book
dealers and private collectors.  He relocated his shop to Woodbury,
Pennsylvania, in 1994.

Minter's experience is extensive and varied, and includes working on
projects for a wide range of organizations such as the Library of
Congress, the National Park Service, the University of Chicago's
Joseph Regenstein Library, the National Gallery of Art and many
others.  From 2009 to 2012, he was senior project conservator in the
Heritage Science for Conservation program at Johns Hopkins
University, where he worked on projects in collaboration with
chemists and material engineers.

Minter has served as chair for the Book and Paper Group and
Conservators-in-Private-Practice--both groups within the American
Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works.  He has
also held various leadership positions for Chicago Hand Bookbinders
and the Chicago Area Conservation Group.  In addition, he is a
member of the Guild of Book Workers and the American Library
Association.  Minter's influence on book conservation also extends
to the technology used in the field.  In 1978, he developed the
Minter Ultrasonic Welder for polyester film encapsulation, an
important piece of equipment that enables the efficient and
reversible encapsulation of fragile documents without causing damage
to the material.  Approximately 200 models are in use today, in the
United States and in other countries.

For additional information, see

    <URL:http://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/digipres.html>


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 27:31
                Distributed: Thursday, February 6, 2014
                       Message Id: cdl-27-31-001
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