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Close-up view of two hands carefully at work on an aged, yellowing manuscript with handwriting

Care and Handling Training: an Important Preservation Step

Posted by: Beatriz Haspo

During this summer, the Collections Management Division (CMD) embarked on a marathon of in-person care and handling training sessions for staff and contracts to illustrate the importance of following best practices when managing the materials throughout daily activities in order to preserve and prevent damages to the collections.

Close-up view of two hands carefully at work on an aged, yellowing manuscript with handwriting

Meet the new Collections Management Division Chief: Cathy Martyniak

Posted by: Beatriz Haspo

On November 8th, 2021 the Preservation Directorate welcomed a new Chief of the Collections Management Division (CMD). Cathleen (“Cathy”) L. Martyniak joined us from the other side of the country, moving to the greater Washington DC area from California. According to the Director for Preservation, Jake Nadal, “she will manage a Division that provides essential …

Close-up view of two hands carefully at work on an aged, yellowing manuscript with handwriting

A Special Treat for the Season: The Miniature Collection at the Library of Congress

Posted by: Beatriz Haspo

One of my passions is miniatures. I love how delicate they are, how engineered and practical they can be. I specially love miniature books. For almost two decades, I have had the privilege of working with the miniature books from the General Collections at the Library of Congress. In my capacity as Collections Officer, I have been able to propose and implement measures to improve security, preservation, and access of the miniature books for future generations. Learn more about the history of miniature books and see some example from the Library's impressive collection.

Close-up view of two hands carefully at work on an aged, yellowing manuscript with handwriting

Introducing the Collections Management Division

Posted by: Beatriz Haspo

In this blog, I present the Collections Management Division or CMD, one of the largest divisions in the Library of Congress and part of the Preservation Directorate. Here are some highlights of what we do, starting with the mission. CMD is responsible for the safekeeping of the Library’s collections through inventory control, storage, and delivery …