Some terminology-learn to know what you're getting
One of the main motivators for me to work on this blog is to have a place to compile a list of useful information and resources to educate my friends and clients about bookbinding, conservation and the like. I thought I'd start out by sharing with you my thoughts about distinguishing between some important terminology that gets thrown around a lot. Terminology is a pretty serious issue in the field of conservation, due mostly I think to the fact that conservation is one part art, and a very hefty part, science. To that end, conservators need to have a strict and concise set of vocabulary to communicate with one another. To be clear, the following definitions are not that. This is my take on the topic, and so for more information, I encourage you to take a spin out on the web to get a broader sense of these words and how they are applied.
Bookbinding
Pertaining to the craft and manufacture of books. This may be accomplished by hand, by a skilled artisan, or through a commercial manufacturing process. It includes the vast array of published books on the market, but also includes the genre of artists books, sculptural books, and some loose definitions of basically anything that can be "bound." I once created a book for an Edible Books and Tea event, in which I bound some slices of roast beef together with linen thread. Bookbinding- it's creative, utilitarian, and often delicious.
Conservation (of art, not land, not ecosystems)
Pertaining to the combined art and science of repairing historic works of art. Conservation deals with the maintenance and repair of an object to prolong its life and usefulness, as determined by the owner, or curator for the item. Of course for me, this means books, but the field includes other specialties such as paintings, objects, works on paper, and buildings and landmarks. Conservation typically refers to the hands-on treatment work involved in carrying out appropriate repairs. It also extends to the knowledge of the scientific principles involved in the chemical degradation of work over time, affects of environmental conditions, and the procedures for the appropriate assessment, written and photographic documentation, and research that is necessary to appropriately treat an object. When I use the term "appropriate" this means that there are certain rules that a professional conservator will do their best to adhere to. The rules are designed to protect the integrity of the object, and to provide a just and responsible service to the custodian of that object. The American Institute for the Conservation of Historic Artifacts (AIC) is a professional membership organization for conservators, and has produced some great documentation about the field in general, and moral conduct that its members abide by. You can find their link under my "Professional Organizations & Resources" header in the sidebar.
Preservation
Often confused with conservation, this area of practice does have a lot of overlap. Typically I would distinguish the two by saying that preservation involves the wider scope of issues such as controlling environmental conditions for collections, understanding appropriate housing and storage issues, in addition to reformatting and replacement of damaged, or destroyed items (this is essentially relevant for books and documents in a library context). Preservation deals less with the heavier end of the science aspects, and also tends to be less hands on with treatment. Still, keeping current with the latest technology used to care for collections is the prime responsibility for those in the preservation field.
Restoration
Restoration is a term that I hear a lot that does make me a bit wary. Generally, restoration refers to the art of returning an object to its original condition. The thing is that once an object sustains damage, or is showing age, there is no going back to "original condition." Those days are gone, my friend. Now there are some very skilled people out there that can restore an object to approximate the look and feel of the original in a very convincing, and almost indiscernible way. For me, there are a few issues that go with this. Just because something looks "pretty" again, does not mean it is in good, or even improved condition. A good restorer, must also be well trained in the history of the artifact he/she is working with, to be able to accurately reproduce the qualities the original may have had. Particularly with books, you often find a lot of repair work, or replacement parts that one may think were original components, but were simply added at some point as an old repair. A restorer needs to be able to distinguish between the two.
So, having looked this over, you may be wondering which category I belong to. Good question, and one you should ask of anyone who lays a hand on your collection. At the moment, I would say that I am a bit of a mix of most of these categories. First and foremost, I am a bookbinder--I make books. And if you're a keen observer, you'll also know by now that I fix them too. I have spent some time working in conservation labs as a technician (one who fixes books), and I am a member of the AIC. I have studied chemistry, and have done numerous workshops on preservation, and know a thing or two about environment, deterioration, and proper storage and handling issues. so, you could say I know a bit about preservation. So do I consider myself a conservator? Though I have knowledge of, and adhere to a big list of conservation principles, I would not use that term to describe myself quite yet. I am in the process of pursuing my formal training to become a conservator (which means getting another masters degree, currently I have an MFA in Book and Paper Arts). There are excellent conservators out there who have not completed formal degree training programs, but who have learned by apprenticeship. That method of entering the field is closing down, and is hard to come by, so for me, I will call myself a conservator once I get the piece of paper that says I have completed a requisite number of experiences to qualify me to practice as a professional conservator. The topic of education and training is one that I will leave for another time, as it is a heated issue still among practitioners, though I think very interesting.
My main point here is just for you all to be aware that when you take a book to get fixed, there are many different backgrounds and fields that "book fixers" come from, so in all cases ask questions about who you're dealing with, and have a clear communication about what is going to happen to your book, what your wishes are, and how it will be treated. Also make sure you have a clear understanding of potential limitations to any repair treatment. Again for more information check out the AIC's excellent articles to selecting a conservator and caring for your collections.
Bookbinding
Pertaining to the craft and manufacture of books. This may be accomplished by hand, by a skilled artisan, or through a commercial manufacturing process. It includes the vast array of published books on the market, but also includes the genre of artists books, sculptural books, and some loose definitions of basically anything that can be "bound." I once created a book for an Edible Books and Tea event, in which I bound some slices of roast beef together with linen thread. Bookbinding- it's creative, utilitarian, and often delicious.
Conservation (of art, not land, not ecosystems)
Pertaining to the combined art and science of repairing historic works of art. Conservation deals with the maintenance and repair of an object to prolong its life and usefulness, as determined by the owner, or curator for the item. Of course for me, this means books, but the field includes other specialties such as paintings, objects, works on paper, and buildings and landmarks. Conservation typically refers to the hands-on treatment work involved in carrying out appropriate repairs. It also extends to the knowledge of the scientific principles involved in the chemical degradation of work over time, affects of environmental conditions, and the procedures for the appropriate assessment, written and photographic documentation, and research that is necessary to appropriately treat an object. When I use the term "appropriate" this means that there are certain rules that a professional conservator will do their best to adhere to. The rules are designed to protect the integrity of the object, and to provide a just and responsible service to the custodian of that object. The American Institute for the Conservation of Historic Artifacts (AIC) is a professional membership organization for conservators, and has produced some great documentation about the field in general, and moral conduct that its members abide by. You can find their link under my "Professional Organizations & Resources" header in the sidebar.
Preservation
Often confused with conservation, this area of practice does have a lot of overlap. Typically I would distinguish the two by saying that preservation involves the wider scope of issues such as controlling environmental conditions for collections, understanding appropriate housing and storage issues, in addition to reformatting and replacement of damaged, or destroyed items (this is essentially relevant for books and documents in a library context). Preservation deals less with the heavier end of the science aspects, and also tends to be less hands on with treatment. Still, keeping current with the latest technology used to care for collections is the prime responsibility for those in the preservation field.
Restoration
Restoration is a term that I hear a lot that does make me a bit wary. Generally, restoration refers to the art of returning an object to its original condition. The thing is that once an object sustains damage, or is showing age, there is no going back to "original condition." Those days are gone, my friend. Now there are some very skilled people out there that can restore an object to approximate the look and feel of the original in a very convincing, and almost indiscernible way. For me, there are a few issues that go with this. Just because something looks "pretty" again, does not mean it is in good, or even improved condition. A good restorer, must also be well trained in the history of the artifact he/she is working with, to be able to accurately reproduce the qualities the original may have had. Particularly with books, you often find a lot of repair work, or replacement parts that one may think were original components, but were simply added at some point as an old repair. A restorer needs to be able to distinguish between the two.
So, having looked this over, you may be wondering which category I belong to. Good question, and one you should ask of anyone who lays a hand on your collection. At the moment, I would say that I am a bit of a mix of most of these categories. First and foremost, I am a bookbinder--I make books. And if you're a keen observer, you'll also know by now that I fix them too. I have spent some time working in conservation labs as a technician (one who fixes books), and I am a member of the AIC. I have studied chemistry, and have done numerous workshops on preservation, and know a thing or two about environment, deterioration, and proper storage and handling issues. so, you could say I know a bit about preservation. So do I consider myself a conservator? Though I have knowledge of, and adhere to a big list of conservation principles, I would not use that term to describe myself quite yet. I am in the process of pursuing my formal training to become a conservator (which means getting another masters degree, currently I have an MFA in Book and Paper Arts). There are excellent conservators out there who have not completed formal degree training programs, but who have learned by apprenticeship. That method of entering the field is closing down, and is hard to come by, so for me, I will call myself a conservator once I get the piece of paper that says I have completed a requisite number of experiences to qualify me to practice as a professional conservator. The topic of education and training is one that I will leave for another time, as it is a heated issue still among practitioners, though I think very interesting.
My main point here is just for you all to be aware that when you take a book to get fixed, there are many different backgrounds and fields that "book fixers" come from, so in all cases ask questions about who you're dealing with, and have a clear communication about what is going to happen to your book, what your wishes are, and how it will be treated. Also make sure you have a clear understanding of potential limitations to any repair treatment. Again for more information check out the AIC's excellent articles to selecting a conservator and caring for your collections.
Posted by Jen at 1/7/2010 7:54 PM 
Categories: Binding and book repair at Red Letter
Tags: preservation bookbinding restoration conservation
Categories: Binding and book repair at Red Letter
Tags: preservation bookbinding restoration conservation
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