Megan McAtee/University Relations

Whitney Baker makes sure KU Libraries' materials stand the test of time.

Campus closeup

Whitney Baker, conservator/associate librarian, KU Libraries

Years at current job: I started at KU in October 2002, so roughly 6 3/4 years.

Job duties: Within the context of the larger preservation department, I oversee staff and students in the repair and stabilization of our paper-based collections, such as books, maps, documents and manuscripts, in the Jerry and Katherine Stannard Conservation Laboratory. I treat collections from Spencer Research Library’s three divisions: Rare Books and Manuscripts, the Kansas Collection and University Archives. I also assist the head of preservation in providing education and training for library staff and users on collection care and handling, and in promoting sound preservation practices and principles throughout the libraries. Finally, I serve on the Library Collections Emergency Committee and respond to disasters that affect our library collections, such as a roof leak or mold outbreak.

What’s one thing that would surprise people about your work? For many people the most surprising thing about my career is that this profession actually exists — it’s not something most kids aspire to be when they grow up — and that training to be a conservator, at this point in the development of our profession, really requires a graduate degree. Conservation’s national organization, the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, maintains our code of ethics, which requires that our conservation treatments be documented for posterity in written and photographic form, be reversible whenever possible, represent the minimal and most appropriate treatment and incorporate chemical and material science principles. Conservators serve as advocates for the tangible artifact.

What is the biggest threat to preservation of library materials? My specialty is paper, which is, in general, a fairly stable material. Even a brittle piece of paper can be read when in quite a decayed state and can often manage to survive passively for many decades. However, more modern library materials, from audio/visual to digital collections, are much less stable, usually require machine intervention for use and necessitate more active preservation to ensure their long-term survival. Garnering the resources to keep abreast of and devise preservation strategies for ever-changing and increasingly less permanent technologies is a substantial challenge.

What are the common methods used to preserve or repair materials that have been damaged or are deteriorating? The Stannard lab receives materials from all the KU libraries, both circulating collections that may be checked out and taken home, and materials from Spencer Research Library that are used only in-house. We try whenever possible to batch our work and use standard procedures to gain efficiencies.

Some materials come to us for stabilization or a simple treatment before they are used to avoid future damage. Examples include placing a flimsy music score in a sturdy pamphlet binder to add protection, or tipping in a printer’s error sheet in a new book. However many items come to us in a damaged state. We might mend a torn map, replace a missing spine or create a new binding for an item, depending upon its condition, use and needs. In addition, we regularly construct or order protective enclosures for items with loose parts or pieces that cannot be bound or rebound.