Inside ZSR
Libraries are so important to our individual communities. This was my primary thought as I finished a week of book repair workshops across North Carolina. I began teaching book repair in 2004 with the North Carolina Preservation Consortium (NCPC). In 2004, I was involved with NCPC and had two training days at the Etherington Conservation... more ›
We all try to describe the work we do to others. Many times, it is an abstraction to the listener, who must ask additional questions to understand. Helping others understand our work can be tricky. For the past three years, my work has really focused strongly on enclosures (archival boxes, pamphlet binders, Colibri dust jackets,... more ›
I am returning to our theme for Mentoring Month – unexpected and reinvigorating mentoring experiences. I have had the privilege of having Student Assistants in ZSR Library for almost 30 years. These experiences with these students left me dumbfounded, amazed and awed by these incredible individuals. Is this mentoring from the bottom up? I’ll share... more ›
I was fortunate to attend the 2023 Standards of Excellence Seminar (referred to as Standards) in San Francisco. This meeting draws upon book binders, conservators, artists, and others who work in this general area. It is a unique opportunity to meet, and hear from these individuals and learn from the demonstrations that are presented. I... more ›
Biblio Tech Binding Workshop From April 5 to June 21, each Tuesday night from 6-8:30 pm, I attended an online workshop with Karen Hanmer. Karen possesses the knowledge of how books are constructed from the beginning to the present. She is a wonderful teacher. The workshop, entitled Biblio Tech, is geared toward making historical and... more ›
Photograph of Leslie MacWeeney by Alen MacWeeney In April of 2020, I was able to locate and interview Dolmen Press artist, Leslie MacWeeney. Just finding Leslie and being able to interview her was a thrill. I did a blog post in Irish Ink about her in 2016. However, it’s one thing to read about someone... more ›
It’s March, 2020, and I’m home. When can I safely go back to work again? This question reverberated in my brain, and I’m sure the brains of all of my colleagues at ZSR Library. Slowly, I began to wonder how and if I could do my work, which is primarily, hand work. As this idea... more ›
How does one, who primarily performs hand work in their job, keep their fingers nimble during a quarantine? For me it was taking a series of 10 book making workshops. The workshops were taught remotely through the Book Arts Program at the Marriott Library at the University of Utah. The university has had a Book... more ›
On Friday, November 15th, I traveled to the McKimmon Center at N.C. State University for a presentation and conference. the conference theme was When the Unthinkable Happens! Disaster Preparedness for Cultural Heritage Organizations. There was a vast array of presenters from all kinds of institutions covering many types of disasters: -State Historic Sites -Lyrasis -N.C.... more ›
Philadelphia is a wonderful city known for its urban murals, art museums and great universities. Philadelphia was also a great site for the 2019 Guild of Book Workers Standards of Excellence Seminar. I was able to visit the Kislak Conservation Center, which is part of Special Collections & Archives at the Van Pelt Library at... more ›