Forum Network

Stanley Cushing discusses the development of the Athenaeum's artists' books collection, and James Reid-Cunningham addresses conservation as a profession.

Conservation concerns are frequently heard in libraries, as time and use take their toll on treasured holdings. Collections assembled over decades, or centuries as in the case of the Athenaeum, offer daunting challenges. Few libraries can boast of the long history of tackling these problems that is apparent in the history of the Athenaeum. This lecture tells the story of the rise of book conservation as a profession, and outlines the conservation issues facing the library at the beginning of the 21st century.

Rare books curator Stanley Cushing discusses examples of avant garde design, structure, and materials that are pushing the accepted limits of the concept of the book.