Conservation Treatment

NYAM’s Collections

Conservators in the Gladys Brooks Conservation Laboratory are responsible for carrying out all item-level treatments on NYAM’s library and archival collections necessary to ensure the long-term survival of and access to these materials.

The New York Academy of Medicine’s Library is one of the largest medical libraries in the United States, with a collection that includes over 550,000 volumes (35,000 of which are considered rare and include both printed books and manuscripts), 275,000 portraits and illustrations and about 400,000 pamphlets. Although the conservation staff is responsible for the care of all of NYAM’s library and archival materials, most item-level treatments are carried out on NYAM’s special collections because of their rarity and value.

The majority of NYAM’s rare books were printed in Europe and the Americas between the 16th and 18th centuries and are in bindings made of leather (tanned and tawed) or vellum. As a result of use, environmental conditions and natural aging, books suffer from a number of common types of damage including detached covers and spines, missing headcaps, broken sewing and torn and brittle paper.

Damaged or at-risk items are typically identified during use by library staff and patrons and by Conservation staff through selective surveys of the collections. Types of Treatments Before beginning treatment, Conservators assess the condition of collection items, draft condition statements and treatment proposals, and photo-document the items.

Conservation treatments used to stabilize books include surface cleaning, paper mending, washing, deacidification, humidification and flattening, joint strengthening, board reattachment, water-soluble and pressure-sensitive tape removal, rebacking and rebinding paper, cloth, leather, and vellum.