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Conservation Laboratory Opens This fall, the Library celebrated the opening of the John “Bud” Velde Jr. Library Conservation Laboratory, a critical component of its preservation efforts. The laboratory is funded in part through an outright gift from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and a generous gift from the estate of John “Bud” Velde Jr. (1917-2002). The state-of-the art laboratory, located on the second floor of the Oak Street Library Facility, provides resources for a variety of repairs on both general and special collections. It allows the Conservation Unit to undertake many new types of treatments, including the application of chemicals and enzymes for stain and adhesive removal, mending tears and losses with paper pulp and Japanese tissues, and washing items in dionized and pH-buffered water to ensure their longevity. The unit also will expand the repair and conservation of cloth and leather-bound books; construction of customized, protective enclosures; salvage of wet and moldy materials; and preparation of exhibits. According to Jennifer Hain Teper, head of conservation, the opening of the Conservation Laboratory is a long-awaited event. “Our move to the new laboratory is very exciting,” she says. “The new space is more than four times larger and, compared with our previous location, provides many more capabilities—especially in the area of rare book and special collection conservation.”
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