Ask an Expert
I sat down with Beth Stone, an assistant conservator at the University of Iowa Libraries, to get her thoughts on how "behind-the-scenes" museum staff can engage the public.
As an assistant conservator, Beth Stone stays busy with the variety of roles she fills at the University of Iowa Library Preservation & Conservation Department. While the overall mission of the department is “Preserving Iowa’s past to enrich Iowa’s Future,” Beth specifically works to create housing for objects needing special storage care. She also deals with pest management throughout collection storage, exhibition spaces, and University Libraries. Although she admits both of these tasks can be tedious, they are exciting because she gets to work with students every day. "It's really great being able to teach basic skills to people who might want to enter the field," she gushes. Although leading the students takes time away from her own work, she says it's the most rewarding (and challenging) part of the job.
The work she does at her bench includes delicate book repair and treatment. She gets excited about the older, more puzzling materials because they involve creative problem solving. "I wish there was a typical day," she laughs, referencing the unpredictability of her work days.
But why does all of this matter to the public? The re-housing and repairs benefit objects of value and relevance. Some of the materials will go back into circulation and others are part of special collections but still accessible by the public. As for museums, every item that goes on display anywhere in the University of Iowa goes through the conservation lab first. Beth and her team look over and take care of the objects and documents to ensure they are stable enough for display. The department has treated items from the Stanley Museum of Art and collaborated with the Pentacrest Museums for public outreach events. They have also assisted local museums, including the African American Museum of Iowa and the National Czech & Slovak Museum, with flood recovery.
Beth emphasized how conservation labs across the country have recently started pulling back the curtain with initiatives such as live webcam conservation and lab tours. Conservators love getting to explain to people what they do because without conservators, museums and their objects might start falling apart!
