In celebration of Washington’s birthday this year, learn about a special portrait of the nation’s first president. Scientists in the Library’s Preservation Research and Testing Division, working with a visiting researcher, recently discovered the use of a unique artist material in the drawing, making it a truly exceptional portrait of President George Washington.
Summer intern Oliver Ding discusses working with the Preservation Research & Testing Division in the heart of Washington D.C. Through the American Chemical Society’s Project SEED, Oliver gained access to a Fourier-transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), dabbled with lignin spot tests, and explored the complexity of colorants on paper.
This year the Conservation Division welcomed a brand new addition – a digital box cutter! This tool is crucial to creating collection enclosures in a fast and efficient manner. Farewell, old boxmaker, you served well, and welcome to our newest conservation tool.
The following is a guest post from Lillian Williams, 2024 Junior Fellow in the Preservation Services Division. Before I came to the Library of Congress, I excitedly told many people about my upcoming internship and the Unfurling the Reel Deal: A Journey Through Microfilm History project. I got the same two questions each time: …
On Friday, March 8th, staff from each division of the Preservation Directorate were invited onstage at Washington, D.C.’s comic convention, Awesome Con, to speak about their work at the Library as part of the convention’s Science Fair. This is their story.
Though the binding staff at the Library no longer binds items on site, they do conduct a thorough review of each item once it returns from the commercial bindery. This peer-review system provides complete accountability and quality assurance for over 2,000 items each week.
The staff of the Processing and Preparation Section have a high standard for the bound items that leave their doors. As part of that pursuit of perfection, they pick up on certain bits of language, both foreign and computer programming. This is the first post of a series on that pursuit.
