Volume 19, Number 4
Sep 1995

New Schools in Europe; Preservation Course in Argentina

Spoleto. The first European School specializing in book conservation and restoration was established in the medieval Umbrian town of Spoleto under the patronage of the European Union, the Italian Ministry of Culture and the Region of Umbria. The School is directly under the auspices of the Istituto Centrale per la Patologia del Libro (ICPL), an institute established in Rome in 1938 for research and conservation of book and paper materials. The ICPL is the Italian Government institute which oversees the conservation of materials in state libraries throughout Italy. The aims of the school are:

• to improve the care and conservation of library materials within the European Union;
• to provide students with direct access to leading specialists;
• to redress the problems caused by incorrect conservation techniques;
• to provide both academic and practical studies;
• to conduct research in book and paper conservation science;
• to provide a comprehensive curriculum including history of the medieval and Renaissance periods, Latin paleography, history of bookbinding techniques, codicology and cataloging of manuscripts, art of the manuscript and printed book, calligraphy, papermaking, conservation techniques;
• to be open to citizens of all the European Union states.

For further details contact Regione del'Umbria, Giunta Regionale, Ufficio per i beni e i servizi bibliotecari e archivistici, Palazzo Broletto - Via Mario Angeloni - 06100 Perugia, Italy (tel. 39 75 540 2218 or 504 2925; fax 39 75 504 2334). (from the June Paper Conservation News)

France and Portugal. In France, Dominique Predali, of 22 rue Bouquet, F-76000 Rouen, is in the process of setting up a European Training Centre for teaching the restoration of books and documents, aimed mainly at mature students.

In Portugal, Pedro de Azevedo (Rua Custódio Vieira, 2 - 2° Dto - 1250 Lisboa - Portugal; tel. 351 1-69 16 21) has been working to establish a bookbinding school in Lisbon. In the June GBW Newsletter, he was happy to announce that it will open next October. Fifteen pupils from 18 to 25 years of age will attend a 3-year course on conservation, restoration and bookbinding, which is in a part of the Academia das Ciências.

Preservation Course in Buenos Aires. This year, for the first time at the Library School of the University of Buenos Aires, a postgraduate course on Library Preservation was taught by book conservator María Esteva.

The course was designed as a practicum, and the Library of the School of Engineering was chosen as the study case. In order to pass the course, the students had to present a report including assessment and recommendations on the repair unit, disaster preparedness, staff and users preservation education, preservation planning and other topics.

The Library School Faculty is evaluating the results of this class, and planning to include the subject of preservation in the curricula of the licenciatura (postgraduate career). Maria Esteva's address is Av. San Martín 1039, (1661) Bella Vista, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina.