Tag Archives: Preservation

Silent no more. PBS’s “The Art Show” to feature Theda Bara, Archives & Rare Books and The Preservation Lab

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theda bara

Theda Bara, born Theodosia Burr Goodman on July 29, 1885 to a local Jewish family, attended the University of Cincinnati from 1906-1908 before leaving to pursue an acting career. Bara became one of the biggest stars of the silent film era making 40 films between 1914 and 1926. Her femme fatale roles earned her the nickname “The Vamp.”

While most of the films Theda Bara starred in were destroyed in a studio fire, her name lives on at UC with the T. Everett Harré Manuscript on Theda Bara, which is housed in the Archives and Rare Books Library.

This weekend’s episode of CET and ThinkTV’s “The Art Show” will feature Theda Bara and the manuscript in Archives and Rare Books. View it Saturday, May 17 at 6pm on CET or Sunday, May 18 at 5:30pm on Dayton’s ThinkTV. It will also appear on the PBS App and is currently viewable on YouTube.

Included in the episode, Chris Harter, university archivist and head of the Archives and Rare Books Library, talks about the 450-page typewritten manuscript that documents Bara’s life. It was intended to be a memoir ghostwritten in collaboration with Bara, but was never published. Holly Prochaska, preservation librarian and head of the Preservation Lab, talks about how they worked to ensure that the manuscript and letters between Bara and Harré are protected and will remain available for study and research long into the future, thus cementing Theda Bara’s legacy.

chris harter being interviewed by CET

The Preservation Lab presents “More than Conservation” Thursday, May 1

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Join us for the Annual Preservation Lab Open House, Thursday, May 1, 2-4pm, 3rd floor Langsam Library. “More than Conservation” will include tours of the lab, demonstrations of projects and treatments, cookies, bookmarks, and stickers!

preservation open house

Want a sneak peek of the work of the Preservation Lab? Stop by Langsam Library’s 4th floor to learn about artist’s books and book arts, Tuesday, April 15, 2-3:30pm; and Thursday, April 17, 10:30am-noon to learn about the anatomy of a book.

Formed in 2012, the Preservation Lab is a book and paper conservation lab. The Preservation Lab provides the full suite of preservation services to the University of Cincinnati Libraries and, for a fee, to other cultural heritage institutions. The Preservation Lab’s expertise is in book and paper conservation, with services available in general circulating materials repair, single-item conservation treatment, housing, exhibition prep, and preservation consulting.

The Preservation goes “Back to Basics” at their Open House on Thurs, May 2nd

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Join the Preservation Lab, Thursday, May 2 from 2pm-4pm as they celebrate Preservation Week with their annual Open House. Located in the 300 Level of the Walter C. Langsam Library, the Preservation Lab’s Open House theme is “Back to Basics” and will feature samples of their work, opportunities to meet and greet preservation colleagues and cookies!

open house graphic

The Preservation Lab is a collaboration between the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library and the University of Cincinnati. The Lab is located on UC’s Main campus on the 300 level of the Walter C. Langsam Library, 2911 Woodside Drive. Information about parking on campus, both metered and garage parking, is available on UC’s website. Woodside Garage and Campus Green Garage are the garages closest to Langsam Library. There will be signs directing visitors to the Lab’s floor from the main level of Langsam Library (400 level), but assistance is available at The Desk @ Langsam.

To learn more about the Lab, subscribe to the Preservation Lab’s blog and follow them on Instagram –@thepreservationlab or subscribe to the Lab’s YouTube channel.

Preservation and Exhibition: DAAP Library’s Teaching Collection and upcoming gallery talk on Dec. 5

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Reprinted from the Preservation Lab blog

For the past six months, the Preservation Lab’s Jessica Ebert and Catarina Figueirinhas have been working with the Robert A. Deshon and Karl J. Schlachter Library for Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP) on housing their Teaching art collection, including prior acquisition and newly acquired items. This collection consists of different art prints on paper, print plates and manuscript parchment leaves in need of long-term housing. In addition to housing, this collection is used for teaching in a classroom setting and for exhibition.

Most of the collection only requires simple matting systems, but some require more intricate matting systems such as the copper plate along with its print, a project mentioned in a previous blog post entitled How many magnets is too many magnets!?.

As some of the items of this collection were being prepared to go on exhibit, we had the opportunity to create mounts for other items, such as two parchment scrolls that were included in the exhibit. This was a fun project to work on, as it required us to create a support that would secure both scrolls, while providing an elegant solution for display.

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“Off the Shelf and into the Lab” May 6th webinar to highlight medical history, preservation and the UC Libraries’ Adopt-A-Book program

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Join the Henry R. Winkler Center for the History of the Health Professions and the Cecil Striker Society for the History of Medicine, Thursday, May 6 at 7:00 p.m. for the 3rd lecture in the Cecil Striker Webinar series. Off the Shelf and into the Lab: Medical History, Preservation and the University of Cincinnati Libraries’ Adopt-A-Book Program will demonstrate how the work of the Preservation Lab protects Winkler Center collections and how those interested can support their work through the Libraries’ Adopt-a-Book program.

The webinar will be held on Zoom and the link available soon on the Winkler Center’s website at https://libraries.uc.edu/libraries/hsl/winkler-center/cecil-striker.html.

Speakers:

  • Christa Bernardo, director of development
  • Ashleigh Ferguson Schieszer, conservator and co-manager of the Preservation Lab
  • Holly Prochaska, preservation librarian and co-manager of the Preservation Lab

cecil striker flyer

Originally formed in 1976, the Cecil Striker Society for the History of Medicine was called the Medical History Society. One month after its first meeting Dr. Striker died, prompting members to rename the organization the Cecil Striker Society. Its purpose is to promote and perpetuate an interest in the history of medicine and all related disciplines in the health care field.

Position Opening: Digital Imaging Coordinator (3-year appointment renewable), University of Cincinnati Libraries

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The University of Cincinnati Libraries is seeking a digital imaging coordinator (a 3-year, renewable position).  Within the University of Cincinnati’s Preservation Services and Lab, the person in this position coordinates the UC Libraries’ digital imaging projects and workflows, ensuring successful project completion; operates and maintains digitization equipment and software; creates imaging workflows, including image quality controls, digital conversion and production reports. The digital imaging coordinator will work in a learning environment within a highly collaborative library atmosphere to increase and enrich online access to the UC Libraries’ collection of rare and unique materials.

For more information and to apply, please visit http://bit.ly/2KMmipn.

Preservation Week 2018 – Be Our Guest at the Annual Open House April 26th!

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By Holly Prochaska, Preservation Librarian

It’s spring in Cincinnati, which means two things – the epic weather battle between winter and summer (snow yesterday, 71 degrees Fahrenheit tomorrow) and the annual Preservation Week Lab Open House!

preservation week

This year marks the lab’s 7th year of participation in this national event, an American Libraries Association initiative aimed at raising “awareness of the role libraries and other cultural institutions play in providing ongoing preservation education and information.”  Our event is open to the public – come one, come all!

The Open House will include a behind the scenes tour of the lab, a peek at amazing collection items being preserved for our parent institutions – the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County and the University of Cincinnati Libraries, and of course a new bookmark.

This year our theme highlights the versatility and artistry of the book, from a complex composite object such as a scrapbook to a simple one-page zine.  We’ll also touch on the evolution of the book form, from cuneiform to artist’s book.  As is our tradition, we’ll set up “stations” were visitors can roam, explore, and learn at their own pace.

We are looking forward to see you all on, Thursday, April 26th, 1:30-3:00 pm, 300 Langsam Library.  And yes, there will be cookies!

‘Preserving the Past for the Future’ Exhibit Showcases Preservation Lab

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preservation exhibitJust in time for Preservation Week (April 23-29), a new exhibit, “Preserving the Past… for the Future,” showcases the services and mission of the Preservation Lab.

Beginning in January of 2012, the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County (PLCH) and University of Cincinnati Libraries (UCL) began a long-term collaboration to provide conservation and preservation treatments in an equally-managed, staffed, and equipped preservation lab situated in UC’s Walter C. Langsam Library. Employees from both PLCH and UCL work on the general circulating and rare/special collections of each institution.

special collectionThe exhibit, located on the 4th floor of Langsam Library, showcases the work of the lab as well as educates about the difference between preservation and conservation, what makes an item a “special collection,” and the techniques and tools used in the care of collections. The exhibit also features both before and after images of the treatment done to the objects and explains the process. The exhibit was curated by Holly Prochaska, preservation librarian, Ashleigh Schieszer, lab conservator, and Jessica Ebert, conservation technician, and was designed by Jessica Burhans, communications co-op design student. Continue reading →