Third Day - IST 511

Phew! Today was a very busy day! We had an overview of library systems (which was a review for me) before we had a panel of five librarians from different libraries speak about their experience in libraries. One of the librarians was from Polaris (a library vendor, especially for public libraries).

In the afternoon, we learned the history of books and their progression over time. Professor Lavender showed us some rare books starting with a cuneiform tablet that was 4,000 years old. Next, we saw a section of papyrus that was about 2,000 years old. These were very interesting to see. There were many more old books that we saw that each had unique qualities. I particularly liked the the first "moveable" book written in 1544 and the book that had four edge watercolor paintings on them. It was very evident that Professor Lavender has a passion for his work with these rare items. It was great to have this "insider" look into a small portion of the great collection of rare books that S.U. maintains in this special collection.

Time spent in the Preservation and Conservation Departments was fascinating. Both Peter Verheyen and David Stokoe did a great job informing us about the important roles these departments play in both the repairing and conservation aspects of the materials in the S.U. collection. Patience is key here as this work is very meticulous. I know that this would not be my forte, yet I have gained a new respect and appreciation for these processes.