New York Public Library
NYPL Mission and Research Centers[edit | edit source]
The mission of The New York Public Library is to inspire lifelong learning, advance knowledge, and strengthen our communities.
The New York Public Library (NYPL) – established in 1895 by the combination of the free, public Astor Library, the application-only Lenox Library, and the Tilden Trust – is the largest public library system in the United States with 90+ circulating library branches and three research centers: the 1911 landmark building on Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street (Stephen A. Schwarzman Building); the Library for the Performing Arts (at Lincoln Center); and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture (in Harlem). The three research centers hold tens of millions of research and special collections and host over a dozen fellowships supporting scholarly work using these collections.
https://www.nypl.org/research/collections
https://www.nypl.org/help/about-nypl/history
https://www.nypl.org/help/about-nypl
About NYPL Conservation[edit | edit source]
NYPL Conservation supports the paper-based collections of the three research centers, which are served by 16 curatorial divisions across 13 reading rooms. NYPL Conservation is centralized and is located in the borough of Queens, in a purpose-built center for library technical services.
NYPL Conservation consists of two units – the special collections Goldsmith Conservation Lab and Collections Care. Conservation supports the collections of the Research Centers and provides conservation assessment, specialized rehousing, treatment, research, training, and outreach to advance the preservation of collections used in the Library’s active reading rooms and selected for acquisition, digitization, exhibition, and loan. NYPL Conservation is one of four divisions under Preservation and Collections Processing, along with Special Collections Processing, Collection Management, and the Systems and Operations unit supporting this work.
As of 2022, there are 16 positions in NYPL Conservation – 10 full-time permanent positions, 1 full-time two-year post-graduate position, 1 full-time jointly-supported internship position (interns receive primary support from their school and supplemental support from the Conservation division), and 4 part-time paid student positions (through the Library Page program).
Staff[edit | edit source]
Mary Oey, Head of Conservation
Alex Bero, Book and Paper Conservator
Ania Dyczewska, Collections Care Supervisor
Emma Guerard, Post-Graduate Paper Conservator
Natalia Maliga, Conservation Technician, Collections Care
Ursula Mitra, Senior Book Conservator
Emily Müller, Paper and Book Conservator
Hanako Murata, Senior Photograph Conservator
Grace Owen-Weiss, Conservator of Rare Books and Paper
Denise Stockman, Senior Paper Collections Conservator
Addison Yu, Conservation Technician
Interns[edit | edit source]
- In 2022, NYPL Conservation started offering supplemental support for interns, intended to top off the financial support conservation graduate students receive from their schools.
| Year | Name | Conservation School |
|---|---|---|
| Summer 2023 | Eclair Morton | Garman Art Conservation Department, Buffalo State University |
| 2022-2023 | Alexa Machnik | New York University Institute of Fine Arts Conservation Center |
| Summer 2022 | Celia Cooper | New York University Institute of Fine Arts Conservation Center |
| 2021-2022 | Shaoyi Qian | New York University Institute of Fine Arts Conservation Center |
| Summer 2021 | Abigail Slawik | New York University Institute of Fine Arts Conservation Center |
| 2019 | Cat Stephens | New York University Institute of Fine Arts Conservation Center |
| 2011 | Renee Wolcott | Winterthur- University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation |
| 2008 | Fletcher Durant | University of Texas at Austin |
Social Media[edit | edit source]
@nyplconservation https://instagram.com/nyplconservation/
NYPL Blog Posts by NYPL Conservation:
"Washing a Water-Damaged Book: Conservation Treatment of a 1622 Copy of John Smith’s 'New England's Trials'," (Celia Cooper) The blog of the New York Public Library, September 1, 2022
"Encapsulation: A Useful and Versatile Tool for Book and Paper Conservation" (Shaoyi Qian) The blog of the New York Public Library, June 27, 2022
"Conservation Treatment of Hendrick Doncker’s Zee-atlas from 1660; Or, How an Atlas Gets Stressed, and What Book Conservators Do About It" (Abigail Sliwak) The blog of the New York Public Library, September 28, 2021
"Inside the Conservation Lab: Two Jack Kerouac Scrolls" (Denise Stockman) The blog of the New York Public Library, June 11, 2019
"Inside the Conservation Lab: Lead White Conversion" (Denise Stockman) The blog of The New York Public Library, November 14th, 2016.
"Inside the Conservation Lab: Lead White Conversion" (Denise Stockman) The blog of The New York Public Library, January 28, 2016.
"Inside the Conservation Lab: Treatment of an Engraving on Silk" (Denise Stockman) The blog of The New York Public Library, August 3, 2015.
Preservation Week 2015: Taking Care of Your Collections at Home (Shelly Smith) The blog of The New York Public Library, April 16, 2015
"Reference Book List: A Selection of 'Classic' Artist Manuals" (Denise Stockman) The blog of The New York Public Library, April 29, 2014.
"Be An Informed Consumer of Custom Picture Framing" (Denise Stockman) The blog of the New York Public Library, April 3, 2015
"Rare, Restored Magic Posters from the New York Public Library Now Accessible in an Online Database" Herb's Magic, October 14, 2014
Articles by NYPL Conservation Staff[edit | edit source]
Reidell, Sarah. "Indian Coloured Drawings: Modern Repair Techniques for an Album of 19th Century Paintings on Mica." The Book and Paper Group Annual 33 (2014): 71-81.
Smith, Shelly. “Book and Paper Group Tips Session 2013: Contemporary Treatment-Tips and Techniques 'Action Bias'.” The Book and Paper Group Annual 32 (2013): 88-89.
Reidell, Sarah. “Book and Paper Group Tips Session 2013: Contemporary Treatment-Tips and Techniques.” The Book and Paper Group Annual 32 (2013): 80-90.
Stockman, Denise. "Hazardous Waste: Where on Earth Should it Go?" AIC News, vol. 38, no. 2, p 12. American Institute for Conservation, Washington, DC. 2013
Knipe, Penley, Nancy Ash, Scott Homolka, Stephanie Lussier, Sarah Reidell, and Kristen St. John. “BPG Discussion Groups: That Was Then, This is Now” AIC News Vol. 37, No. 3 (May 2012), p. 1, 3-5.
Owen, Grace and Sarah Reidell. “Cast Composites: A System for Texturing Repair Materials in Book Conservation” Topics in Photographic Preservation 14 (2011): 250-262.
Owen, Grace, and Sarah Reidell. “Cast Composites: A System for Texturing Repair Materials in Book Conservation.” The Book and Paper Group Annual 29 (2010): 92-93; 98-105.
Durant, Fletcher. “Library Collections Conservation Discussion Group 2010: Conservation in the 21st Century: Revisiting Past Practices and Their Evolution in Institutional Settings: Digitization-Driven Large-Scale Treatment Projects: Old Volumes with New Needs and Considerations.” The Book and Paper Group Annual 29 (2010): 91-92.
Haun, Werner, and Laura McCann. “Library Collections Conservation Discussion Group 2009: Library Collections Conservation 2.0-New Directions-New and/or Adaptive Materials, Methods and Technologies Used in the Conservation Treatment and Housing of Library Collections.” The Book and Paper Group Annual 28 (2009): 107-114.
Anderson, Priscilla and Sarah Reidell. “Adhesive Pre-Coated Repair Materials”. BPG Annual 28 (2009): 109, 111-113.
Del Federico, Eleonora, Silvia A. Centeno, Cindie Kehlet, Penelope Currier, Denise Stockman, and Alexej Jerschow. “Unilateral Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Studies of Oil Stains on Paper.” Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, Volume 396, Issue 1, p 213. Springer: New York, NY. 2010.
McCann, Laura and Sarah Reidell. “Library Collections Conservation Discussion Group: Digitization Project Case Studies”. BPG Annual 27 (2008): 115-117.
Stenstrom, Anna and Marc Reeves. “The Use of Fluid Dispensing Equipment in Conservation Treatment.” The Book and Paper Group Annual 23 (2004): 89-92.
Reeves, Marc and Anna Stenstrom. "The New York Public Library Preservation Database: online artifactual treatment documentation management system." In IADA preprints 1999: 9.e IADA-Kongress, København, 16-21 August, 1999 = 9th IADA-congress, Copenhagen, August 16-21, 1999. København: Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Conservation. 1999, p. 47-50.
Stenstrom, Anna. “The Development of Interventive Conservation Treatment Techniques: Procedures for the Repair of Artifactual Library and Archival Materials.” The Book and Paper Group Annual 16 (1997).
Reeves, Marc, Anna Stenstrom and Myriam Sanchez-Posada De Arteni. "Aspects of examination and treatment of parchment materials. Part 1: Design and construction of a magnetic mount microclimate system for the Towneley Lectionary miniatures Part 2: Notes on the eighteenth-century Mapa de la Sierra Gorda in the New York Public Library collections." In International conference on conservation and restoration of archive and library materials, Erice, Italy, CCSEM, 22-29 April 1996, preprints, vol. I, Roma, Istituto Centrale per la Patologia del Libro, 1996, p. 355-361.
Martinez, Jo Ann and Marc Reeves. “Collections Maintenance Activities at the New York Public Library, Research Libraries.” The Book and Paper Group Annual 11 (1992).
Arteni, Stefan and Sanchez-Posada De Arteni, Myriam. “Drawing materials and water-base mediums.” In Conservation, restoration of leather and wood: training of restorers: Sixth International Restorer Seminar, 1987 Veszprém, Hungary. Éri, István; and Sárközy, Gabriella (Editors). Központi Muzeumi Igazgatóság (Hungary), Budapest, Hungary (1988) pp. 449-456
Sanchez-Posada De Arteni, Myriam. "Tales of Japan": a travelling exhibition of Japanese art from the New York Public Library.” In The conservation of Far Eastern art: preprints of the contributions to the Kyoto Congress, 19-23 September 1988. Mills, John S.; Smith, Perry; and Yamasaki, Kazuo (Editors). International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, London, United Kingdom (1988): 95-97.
Arteni, Stefan and Sanchez-Posada De Arteni, Myriam. “Peinture, restauration, et société.” In ICOM Committee for Conservation 8th triennial meeting: Sydney, Australia, 6-11 September 1987: preprints. Grimstad, Kirsten (Editor). The Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles, California (1987): 525-531.
Sanchez Posada De Arteni, Myriam. "A short survey of the new exhibition department of the New York Public Library." In Fifth international restorer seminar, Volume 1. Eri, Istvan and Gabriella Sarkozy (editors). National Centre of Museums, Budapest, Hungary (1985): 41-48.
Arteni, Stefan and Sanchez-Posada De Arteni, Myriam. “Color mixtures, a clue to the study of oil paintings.” In Fourth International Restorer Seminar, Veszprém, Hungary, 2-10 July 1983. Tímár-Balázsy, Ágnes (Editor). Központi Muzeumi Igazgatóság (Hungary), Budapest, Hungary (1984): 121-134.
Arteni, Stefan and Sanchez-Posada De Arteni, Myriam. “Glass sub-surface painting in Romania, 17th to 20th centuries.” In ICOM Committee for Conservation 7th triennial meeting: Copenhagen, 10-14 September 1984: preprints. Froment, Diana de (Editor). International Council of Museums, Paris, France (1984).
Arteni, Stefan and Sanchez-Posada De Arteni, Myriam. “Critical evaluation of data on the composition of ancient materials. Part I: structural components of the paint layer. Part II: paints and techniques.”In ICOM Committee for Conservation 7th triennial meeting: Copenhagen, 10-14 September 1984: preprints. Froment, Diana de (Editor). International Council of Museums, Paris, France (1984).
Arteni, Stefan and Sanchez-Posada De Arteni, Myriam. “Critical evaluation of data on the composition of ancient materials. Part I: structural components of the paint layer. Part II: paints and techniques.”In ICOM Committee for Conservation 7th triennial meeting: Copenhagen, 10-14 September 1984: preprints. Froment, Diana de (Editor). International Council of Museums, Paris, France (1984).
Arteni, Stefan and Sanchez-Posada De Arteni, Myriam. “Critical evaluation of data on the composition of ancient materials. Part I: structural components of the paint layer. Part II: paints and techniques.”In ICOM Committee for Conservation 7th triennial meeting: Copenhagen, 10-14 September 1984: preprints. Froment, Diana de (Editor). International Council of Museums, Paris, France (1984).
Arteni, Stefan and Sanchez-Posada De Arteni, Myriam.“From handcraft to mass production: notes on the manufacture of oil painting materials.” In ICOM Committee for Conservation 7th triennial meeting: Copenhagen, 10-14 September 1984: preprints. Froment, Diana de (Editor). International Council of Museums, Paris, France (1984).
Arteni, Stefan and Sanchez-Posada De Arteni, Myriam. “Materials of the artist: the survival of traditional grounding and priming methods for oil painting.” In ICOM Committee for Conservation 7th triennial meeting: Copenhagen, 10-14 September 1984: preprints. Froment, Diana de (Editor). International Council of Museums, Paris, France (1984).
Arteni, Stefan and Sanchez-Posada De Arteni, Myriam. “The secret of the masters: historical controversies and hypotheses.” In ICOM Committee for Conservation 7th triennial meeting: Copenhagen, 10-14 September 1984: preprints. Froment, Diana de (Editor). International Council of Museums, Paris, France (1984).
Arteni, Stefan and Sanchez-Posada De Arteni, Myriam. “Painter, manufacturer of artists' materials, and conservator: historical and aesthetic significance of their role in the survival of a painting.” In ICOM Committee for Conservation 6th triennial meeting, Ottawa, 21 - 25 September 1981. Preprints. ICOM, Paris (1981): 9.
