The phrase “chain of custody” doesn’t illicit much excitement generally speaking, but it’s one part of the workflow in the Preservation Lab that leads to the exciting part — materials return days!

We count on paper forms (pictured below), our homegrown treatment database, and our partner’s catalogs to make sure that at all times our partners know where their treasures are in the conservation workflow.

(Left) Paper treatment forms where we record our conservation time. (Right) My office area with materials preparing to “go home” after chain of custody work completed.

The materials above are ready for return. This happens at regularly scheduled meetings where the materials are delivered back by the lab and the treatments are discussed with the subject selectors. At the return meetings we also do our new intake… and the process begins again!

Holly Prochaska (UCL) —- Preservation Librarian