Tag Archives: public library

Save the Date: Virtual Lab Tour 1/26 at noon!

The Lab will be offering a virtual lab tour on Tuesday, January 26th at noon (EST).  The Facebook Live event will be hosted on the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library’s Facebook page.  Staff will give a tour of all of our most used and loved areas of the lab and will highlight how we use the spaces and the equipment, tools, and supplies stored in each space.  Following the tour, we will be doing a live Q&A where you can ask us any questions you might have.

We hope you can join us for our first Virtual Tour, but don’t worry if you can’t, a recording of the tour will be available after the event so that you may view it at your leisure.

Jessica Ebert (UCL) – Conservation Tech/Photographic Documentation Specialist/Student Supervisor

Meet Kasie Janssen, our newest Preservation Lab team member!

Meet Kasie Janssen, the newest addition to the Preservation Lab, located on UC’s Campus. Employed by the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, she will be filling the position, Senior Conservation Assistant.
Welcome Kasie!
Chris Voynovich:   What drew you to conservation?

Kasie Janssen:   Actually, I was applying to go to library school at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. My initial interest was in archiving but there was not a graduate assistantship available in the archives, but there was in conservation. That was my first introduction to the field of conservation. The heavens opened because my background was English and studio art. It was the perfect melding of books, literature and tactile materials. After that, I went through two years of library school while working in the conservation lab at UIUCC.

Chris:  You came from a Conservator of Special Projects position at the Newberry. What are you looking for in this Senior Conservation Assistant position in the Preservation Lab at the Public Library of Cincinnati?

Kasie: I am excited and looking forward to concentrating on the technical side of conservation where my responsibilities are focused on collection treatment.

Chris:  Do you like Charles Dickens?

Kasie:  Yes. How did you know that?! My favorite is David Copperfield. I’ve read it almost four times. I love and have read all his novels. My interest started in undergraduate school. It was a kind of a love-hate relationship. To me, they were initially kind of dense, but I loved the humor and that was what hooked me.

Chris:  So you like the Green Bay Packers?

Kasie: Yes. I grew up watching football in Wisconsin. I am a lifelong Packers fan. My husband likes hockey, the Anaheim Ducks, so these are my two main sports to watch.

Chris:  What do you know about Cincinnati or the Tri-State?

Kasie:  Not a lot. I’ve heard about the food scene and I’ve heard of the East side vs. West side rivalry!

Chris:  Do you have a favorite conservation project you have done?

Kasie:  One of the most surprising items I was able to prepare for an exhibit was an Oscar, for Ben Hecht’s screenplay for the 1927 film Underworld, which won the Academy Award for Best Original Screen Play.  It was cool to hold an Oscar, which is heavier than you would expect.

Chris:  What kind of treatments do you like doing most?

Kasie:  I like repairing a book from start to finish. It’s a satisfying feeling of accomplishment when I get a book that is completely falling apart and can do all the treatments necessary to repair.

Chris:  Favorite book?

Kasie:  Life of Pi, by Yann Martel.

Chris:  Favorite musical artist?

Kasie:  I like Folk, 80’s, Indie, depends on my mood.

Chris:  Favorite movie?

Kasie:  Shawshank Redemption.

Chris:     If you could travel anywhere where would you go?

Kasie:    I like traveling places that have a lot of nature. I guess New Zealand though it is pretty far away.  The flight is intimidating, and I know it would take a long time to get there.

Chris:     Do you have any hobbies?

Kasie:    I like hiking and biking. It’s nice to see a hill again after coming from the flat-lands of Chicago. 😀

Chris:     What is your favorite flavor birthday cake?

Kasie:    Chocolate with chocolate icing.

Chris:     Do you prefer coffee or tea?

Kasie:    Coffee.

Chris:     Do you play any musical instruments?

Kasie:    No. I’ve played piano and flute but not in 5 years. I sing sometimes…(when no one hears me).

Chris:     Do you have any pets?

Kasie:    I have a cat and a dog. The cat’s name is Dany, short for Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones. My dog’s name is Brie, short for Brienne of Tarth. She is a Greyhound and she is a couch potato.

Chris:     How many cities have you lived in?

Kasie:    Five states; I was born and raised in Wisconsin.  As an adult, I’ve lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Houston, Texas, Wisconsin, and Champagne, Illinois for Grad school.  I moved to Chicago for my first job after Library school – and now to Cincinnati! But my favorite is Wisconsin because it feels like home.

Chris:     What is your favorite book structure to make?

Kasie:    I like Long Stitch bindings. The sewing structure on the outside of the spine is beautiful and so customizable.  But I always like to learn new binding structures.

Chris:     Who do you think has influenced you most personally?

Kasie:    My mom because we are really close. She is a very independent and active person. I feel like I’ve tried to follow those qualities. She is not afraid to try or get involved new things. She is a great lady.

Chris:     Do you lean more toward Vampires or Zombies?

Kasie:    Zombies. I do think the conservation lab would be a great place to be during a Zombie Apocalypse because we have all the sharp tools like a guillotine and scalpels. We know where the “safe house” is!

 
Interview by Chris Voynovich (PLCH) — Senior Conservation Assistant

Madisonville Scrapbook

What a joy to have had the opportunity to recreate the Madisonville Scrapbook and make a support for it to be permanently displayed in the Madisonville Branch Library.


I love a challenge, and working with oversized pieces is always exhilarating. I am glad to be part of the team that was instrumental in preserving some of the valuable and exciting history of Madisonville. Props to Ashleigh Schieszer (overseer and mastermind), Jessica Ebert (documenter extraordinaire) Catarina Figueirinhas (artwork holder and pillar of steadfastness) and last but not least, Veronica Sorcher (supplying fun and offering her whole self as practical point of reference for the whole project).

Jessica and Veronica assisting Chris with adhering the turn-ins

Jessica and Veronica assisting Chris with adhering the turn-ins

My hope is that this project will be a catalyst for highlighting the importance of caring for and preserving the valuable history found in each community that the Public Library has the honor to serve. Though this project may seem a bit sizable, in truth it was worth the effort. I am confident that every community has remarkable history that can be cared for, as we preserve these stories we remember the events and individuals that have come before us. Let’s partner together to capture aspects of our culture that make up our past.

Veronica kindly obliged to modeling the scale of the scrapbook and its new cradle.

I am humbled and greatly appreciative for the opportunity to work in this department with such a great staff, and to be instrumental in preserving great works of art and historical information.

Before

After

Please click on the following link to download a one-page wonder zine about the preservation of the Madisonville scrapbook that you can cut, fold, and DIY!

ScrapbookOnePgWonder_CV_withInterior

Chris Voynovich (PLCH) – Senior Conservation Technician

Celebrating Innovation

On Nov. 1st in Langsam Library, Preservation Librarian, Holly Prochaska was mentioned at the UC Bicentennial publications reception for her essay titled, Serendipity and Stewardship as part of UC Libraries commemorative book, From the Temple of Zeus to the Hyperloop: University of Cincinnati Stories, edited by Greg Hand.  Her essay describes how the first-ever collaborative lab came to fruition in Cincinnati, OH and is accompanied by an array of essays written by varying authors who highlight innovative leadership in Cincinnati, including one essay by Archives and Rare Books Librarian, Kevin Grace, whose stories are always captivating.

During the bicentennial reception we also learned how Greg Hand’s anthology of over 30 essays complemented Professor David Stradling’s publication about Cincinnati’s historical celebrity, Daniel Drake.  Known for many accomplishments, I was surprised to learn how Drake played an instrumental role in the formation of the first public lending libraries in Ohio!   Stradling’s book, In Service to the City: A History of the University of Cincinnati, is an in-depth dive into Drake’s wide reaching influence in the 19th century.  Drake’s legacy and passion may be of interest to innovators today.  As a contemporary innovator, it’s easy to see why Holly was invited to write about her leadership role in the formation of the collaborative lab, as well as how nicely these books complement one another.
Meanwhile, at the Public Library… On Sunday, Nov. 4th, Public Library staff were given commemorative pins to celebrate milestone years of employment at the Staff Retiree and Recognition Reception.  Of particular mention…Chris Voynovich received a 2018 Rufus Award and was honored for 20 years of employment at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.  Nominated by former Senior Conservation Assistant, Veronica Sorcher, the Award recognized Chris in the category for Growth and Innovation for his work on preserving the oversized Madisonville Sesquicentennial scrapbook from 1959!  After a year of collaboration between the Madisonville Branch and Digital Services, the scrapbook was digitized, conserved, and returned home in improved condition with a brand new custom cradle, approximately 4 feet long.   Way to go, Chris!
Having only been gone a few short months, Veronica’s nomination of her colleague, Chris Voynovich, is a nostalgic reminder of Veronica’s thoughtful contributions she’s made over the last seven years at the Preservation Lab.  In Chris’ words, “I was blown away and almost fainted when the Director of the Library walked in the department to give me a Rufus award!”  Veronica, we’re wishing you well as you settle in near family in Nova Scotia!
Ashleigh Schieszer (PLCH)  —-  Special Collections Conservator, Lab Manager

Fun with PhotoDoc: Infrared (Edition 7)

At the end of last year the lab purchased a modified UV-Vis-IR Nikon through MaxMax so that we can start to play around with infrared photography.  Infrared photography (IR) is commonly used in fine art conservation as an examination tool.  Reflected IR can be helpful when trying to identify pigments, inks, coatings, etc. and transmitted IR can helpful for viewing watermarks, underdrawings, and linings. We’ve only just started dabbling with IR photography, but I wanted to share some photos from my most recent session with reflected IR.

This is a full leather photo album from the Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County’s collection.  This early 1900s photo album contains hand-colored silver gelatin photographs taken by A. Nielen.   The photographs appear to depict his travels through the US and Canada, and various landmarks and neighborhoods of Cincinnati are represented.

This seemed like a good object for reflected IR because of the hand-coloring on the photographs and the white ink inscription below each photograph.  I began by taking a representative visible light image (first image below) using our modified UV-Vis-IR camera, incandescent lighting, and the X-Nite CC1 filter on our 50mm lens.  Then, being careful not to move the position of the camera or the object, I switched to the X-Nite 830 filter (830nm) and converted that image to grayscale in Photoshop (second image below).  Then I took my visible light image and my reflected IR image into Photoshop to create the false-color image (third image below).  The digital false-color image is a combined representation of the visible and infrared images, and it’s actually quite simple to make.  You basically copy and paste the various channels for the VIS and IR image as follows, green to blue, red to green, and IR to red.  The false-color image allows you to better differentiate and characterize the various materials (pigments, inks, etc.) and potentially even identify them if you have sufficient known samples to use as references.

Like I said, we’ve only just started using IR and we’ve got a long way to go, but I’m looking forward to experimenting and learning more about it as time goes on.

Jessica Ebert (UCL) – Conservation Technician & Photographic Documentation Tech