Special Collections and Book Repair

The class tour of the special collections and book repair/preservation/conservation sections of Bird Library was very eye-opening. As a librarian-in-training, I was completely clueless about the behind-the-scenes aspects of the library (besides the cataloging and technical services). I'm now more cautious about how I treat books; I've never been picky about whether the spines on my books crack and I always bend the pages. However, I only do those things to my own books, and never to a library book. I also now understand why I'm always cold in the library; it's because the temperature has to be monitored in order to keep the books in excellent condition. The whole session about book repair intrigued me but when I heard that it takes about 6 years to get the experience and fulfill the requirements, as well as the fact that the pay isn't that great, I was kind of put off. But now I definitely have a greater appreciation for the staff's ability to keep Bird's large collection in great condition. My favorite part of the tour was the Special Collections. As a student wandering Bird, I haven't seen many signs about the Special Collections section of the library. I tried once to go to the 6th floor but got very nervous and confused about the elevator set-up. But getting a chance to see a sample of the Special Collections from Ken Lavender was really exciting. My favorite book was the personal copy, belonging to Queen Elizabeth the First of the history of the Roman Empire. That would probably be my "fire book" too.