Newberry Library. Conservation Dept.

The Conservation Department was created at the Library in 1975 and included production binding, fine binding, and paper and leather conservation and restoration in a Bindery Section and a Conservation Section.

Although the Library had supported bookbinding facilities since the mid-1890's, it had no department charged with conserving and preserving the library collections until 1964 when Paul Banks, appointed the Library's first conservator, took charge of conservation, binding, printing, and photoduplication in what was to become the Technical Department in 1965. In 1970, fine binding and paper and leather conservation split off under Banks to form the Conservation Laboratory. In 1975, production binding and the Conservation Laboratory were reunited in a new Conservation Department, which by 1983, also included the Photoduplication Section.

With the appointment of a Conservator in the 1960's came an increased awareness of the importance of the environment in preserving library collections.

Paul Banks initiated the monitoring of temperature and relative humidity in bookstacks, reading rooms, and office areas, and worked also to reduce or eliminate harmful atmospheric and lighting conditions throughout the Cobb Building.

Although the Preservation Librarian position was created in 1981, the Newberry Library had employed a conservation administrator since 1964, when the soon-to-be-named Technical Department was formed under Paul Banks.

As the Library's first conservation administrator, Banks supervised binding, photoduplication, printing, and conservation until 1970 when the department was disbanded. In 1975, Banks took charge of the new Conservation Department, including the Conservation and Bindery Sections. Bank's position, vacated in 1981, was filled by Bonnie Jo Cullison, Preservation Librarian (1981-1989), who as department head supervised the Conservation and Bindery Sections, and in 1983, the Photoduplication Section as well. Cullison was succeeded by Joan Ten Hoor in 1990.