Note: The following links will take you to external sites.
Conservation Resources
The Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) is a non-profit, regional conservation center that offers a variety of online resources, including preservation leaflets, resources for family and private collections, a suppliers’ list, and disaster assistance.
The American Institute for the Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) offers a series of guides, called Caring for Your Treasures, with material-specific information about storage and care of items in personal collections. This website also provides information on how to find a conservator and a nation-wide directory of qualified professionals.
CoOl (Conservation Online) — a resource operated by the Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation — is a full text library of conservation information, covering a wide spectrum of topics of interest to those involved with the conservation of library, archives and museum materials.
The Library of Congress also has a very informative website with advice on the care, handling and storage of various types of objects, as well as how to prepare, protect and preserve family collections.
The Book Arts Web features links to a large selection of websites including educational opportunities, professional organizations, tutorials, reference materials, and galleries with images.
The Guild of Book Workers is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting interest in and awareness of the tradition of the book and paper arts. This site (as well as the various regional chapter sites) provides information regarding programs, workshops and study opportunities, along with supplies and services.
Archival Supplies
An easy way to protect rare and fragile materials from damage caused by light, pollutants, environmental fluctuations and poor shelving and handling is to store them in appropriate archival enclosures. For a detailed directory of suppliers, refer to NEDCC’s suppliers’ list.
Disaster Recovery
Natural disasters, as well as those caused by accident or negligence, can do irreparable damage to collections. For assistance in preparing for and dealing with the aftermath of a disaster, refer to NEDCC’s Disaster Assistance information. Their disaster hotline 978-470-1010 is available 24-hours/day, 7 days/week. In the New York metropolitan area, Polygon and Rapid Refile can also provide emergency assistance.
Library Patrons
Due to a planned renovation project, the Coller Rare Book Reading Room will be closed to readers from February 1, 2013. We anticipate that the room will reopen for use on June 1 2013.
Please contact history@nyam.org or 212-822-7313 with queries. We will do our best to accommodate readers and reference requests, but please note that some parts of the collection will not be accessible, response times will be slower and appointment times may be limited.
