we absolutely have to do this project! the more damaged or vulnerable items will be treated here at the conservation laboratory. so, this is an example from the manuscripts collection, it s a map, and here it is, being surface cleaned, and clodagh is using what we call a smoke sponge, you see the kind of muck that we get off, and then a very fine brush to make sure no debris is left. so, over here, this book had suffered from the boards separating, and it has been re backed with this new piece of leather, and the next stage is to look at the pages of the book. oh, wow. and in this case, there is a running tear, so in situ tear repair will happen now just to prevent that from extending through use. yeah, so, researchers who are going to be reading this a lot, will be turning pages,
and then a very fine brush to make sure no debris is left. so, over here, this book had suffered from the boards separating from the block, and it has been re backed with a new piece of leather and the next stage is to look at the pages of the book. and in this case, there is a running tear, so in situ tear repair will happen to prevent that from extending through use. so, researchers who are going to be reading this a lot, will be turning pages, which leads to wear and tear? correct. in our treatment, we have that in mind, and what we are looking to do is stabilise the item, we can t leave the collection just sitting on the shelf as a backdrop, it s an incredibly valuable resource, it s telling us about our past, it needs to be enjoyed, it needs to be used, it needs to be celebrated.