UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State University Libraries’ Conservation Centre will host its third annual William D. Minter Lectureship in Conservation Thursday afternoon, April 28, welcoming book conservators and similar experts from around the country as well as members of the public. The 2022 event will feature a conversation with Timothy Barrett, renowned U.S. papermaker and professor emeritus of University of Iowa Center for the Book and the University of Iowa’s School of Library and Information Sciences. Examples of his work will be on display.
“Timothy Barrett was chosen as our speaker for this year because of his life’s work with handmade paper. At an early age, Tim was enthralled by the characteristics of a sheet of handmade paper. During his career, he has made paper by hand for the conservation of books, and he has researched the history of paper. His research has been important to our understanding of this basic commodity found in library collections. We are fortunate that he is willing to share his experiences with everyone,” said Bill Minter, University Libraries senior book conservator and namesake of the annual lecture.
Interested attendees are welcome to attend either in person or virtually. The event will be held in Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, on Penn State’s University Park campus and streamed live online at 4 p.m. Eastern time. Attendees are requested to please reserve a limited seat in Foster Auditorium or to register to attend virtually via Zoom. All registrants will receive a confirmation email, with Zoom registrants receiving information about joining the webinar.
Barrett’s career began with a Fulbright Fellowship in Japan studying papermaking. In 1986 he joined the University of Iowa Center for the Book (UICB) as its paper specialist where he served as the director from 1996 to 2002 and again from 2012 until his retirement in May 2020. His research on early European handmade papers resulted in his receiving a MacArthur Fellowship in 2009.
Barrett specializes in handmade papers for conservators of rare books and works of art on paper as well as for fine press printers and book artists. One of his many achievements was to produce a special paper for the Charters of Freedom in the National Archives Rotunda in Washington, D.C. There, the United States’ Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights and Constitution rest on the paper he created with his students and colleagues. Barrett is author of three books and 36 articles or book chapters on the history, technique, science and aesthetics of hand papermaking.
The William D. Minter Lectureship in Conservation was established in 2019 to raise awareness and advance the knowledge of book and special collection conservation history, theory and practice.
The Conservation Centre is a part of the University Libraries’ Preservation, Conservation and Digitization Department, which is responsible for the preservation of the University Libraries’ collections in all formats including paper-based books, works of art on paper, photographs, maps, media and digital files.
Please contact Sue Kellerman, Judith O. Sieg Chair for Preservation and head of the Preservation, Conservation and Digitization Department, at lsk3@psu.edu or 814-863-4696 with any questions.