Preservation Internship Spotlight

I had a fantastic summer immersing myself in the work of the UW Libraries Conservation Center, carrying out treatments and learning about the specialties and responsibilities of each team member. I am especially grateful for the mentorship of Senior Conservator Leith Calcote, who provided daily lessons and guidance. I was first introduced to materials, tools, and terminology used in bookbinding and in book and paper conservation, and I created models of sewing structures.  

For my internship projects, Leith selected ten books from all over the world of various binding styles and materials, each between 100 – 260 years old. These books demonstrated different types of damage typical of aging books, and we met with curators to develop a treatment plan based on the individual needs and future use of each book. We performed repairs of increasing complexity, each new treatment building on previous methods. Different projects involved an introduction to additional processes such as digitization, papermaking, preparing adhesives, making book cloth, toning paper, and building custom enclosures.  

I finished the internship with an expanded understanding of the role Preservation serves in the library system and the university, and the role of a book conservator in this setting. I also completed the internship with more confidence and hope as I pursue conservation, thanks to a supportive team and fascinating projects. It’s exciting to know that because I spent some time learning from them, a few books previously too brittle to touch are now stronger and safer than before, that students and scholars will be able to handle them and learn from them in the future.  

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Hadley Nelson is from the Seattle area and began bookbinding in 2011. She received a BA in Art Practice from Stanford University, where she made artists’ books and paintings, studied art in Paris and Bhutan, and worked in the university’s art library and special collections. In 2019, she studied museology and exhibition design in London through Sotheby’s Institute of Art. Since returning, she has interned with private practice conservators in Seattle and Portland, working on treatments of sculptures, architectural features, murals, and objects. In the fall, she will begin a year-long internship in the conservation department of the Seattle Art Museum.