IRENE, which stands for Image Reconstruct Erase Noise Etc., is a method for extracting sound from mechanical audio recordings, such as phonograph records and cylinder records. What makes IRENE special is that the entire process is contactless, allowing us to extract audio from broken, fragile, and otherwise unplayable objects while reducing the possibility of damage.
Lieselotte Dubert, interned for the Preservation Research and Testing Division (PRTD) over the summer, she worked to expand their colorant reference collection. PRTD has a collection of over 500 pigments and dyes within their collection of reference materials and samples.
The following is a post by Anna Katherine Overstreet and Alexandra Ptacek, 2022 Junior Fellows, Preservation Directorate. Anna Katherine recently graduated with her undergraduate degree in mathematics from Mississippi State University, and she will be returning in the fall for a graduate degree in statistics. Alexandra is a graduate student of Anthropology and Museum Studies …
Amidst the festivities as we celebrate Independence Day, this blog takes a moment to consider the significance and responsibility that went into outlining, drafting, and shaping our nation as the Founding Fathers put pen to paper.
Cindy Connelly Ryan, Preservation Science Specialist, recounts her trip to the 50th annual meeting of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC) this May, held in-person for the first time since 2019.
For over a decade, scientists at the Library have been using sealed, low-oxygen anoxic display encasements for the concurrent exhibition and preservation of iconic objects. The Library currently maintains two of these exhibition encasements for displaying iconic maps by Abel Buell and Martin Waldseemüller.
Every year the Preservation Directorate of the Library of Congress participates in American Library Association’s Preservation Week. This annual celebration highlights preservation efforts in libraries, archives, museums, historical societies and collecting institutions in communities all across the country. Fenella France, Chief of the Library’s Preservation Research and Testing Division (PRTD), started out Preservation Week with a heritage scientific introduction to the world of fragments.
This is a guest post by Hadley Johnson, a Library Technician with the Preservation Research and Testing Division. She writes about some of the projects she worked on remotely, while starting as a new employee during COVID lockdown.
Staff at the Library of Congress love to showcase the collections with the public. As exhibitions are being planned , the Conservation Division (CD) and Preservation Research and Testing Division (PRTD) have been collaborating to assess the items selected for display. As part of this process, staff in CD typically review every item in an exhibition to determine how to safely display it. This review includes evaluating possible treatments, the kinds of mounts or cradles for display, and various ways that lighting might affect the item.
