Taking the Law into Your Own Hands: Establishing an In-house Book Repair Program

Law collections pose some unique problems in terms of their physical care due to filing and updating practices, use patterns and special binding structures such as loose-leafs and pocket parts. This workshop is designed to address specific preservation needs of law collections through lecture, demonstration and hands-on opportunities. Participants will learn the fundamentals of book repair, treatment options and decision-making, and preservation best practices. Emphasis will be placed on moving knowledge into practice through guidelines for establishing institution-appropriate in house book repair programs, by training the trainers in basic book repair techniques and providing all participants with a start-up tool kit.

Fine Bird Books

The Department of Special Collections is fortunate to have a number of 19th Century illustrated bird books. These books, filled with hand-colored plates, were produced at a time when there was tremendous interest in the descriptions of new species of birds. At the same time, a new printing technique, lithography, made illustration of new species a simpler process. This combination of art and science resulted in lovely volumes like those on display.

Illustrated Botanical Books, Fifteenth, Sixteenth, Seventeenth Centuries

No attempt has been made for a comprehensive coverage of the many outstanding illustrated botanical books for this three hundred year period. Rather the aim has been for a combination of interesting illustrators and famous botanists. Like the exhibit on fine bird books, these books on display have been taken from the Rare Books division of Special Collections.