[Eril-l] Best of Core Forum Webinar: Judging a book by its cover: Investigating arsenic and other heavy metals in 19th century book bindings

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Best of Core Forum Webinar: Judging a book by its cover: Investigating
arsenic and other heavy metals in 19th century book bindings

Date: Tuesday, May 6, 2025

All webinars are one hour in length and begin at 11 am Pacific, noon
Mountain, 1 pm Central, and 2 pm Eastern time.



Description:

Recent research in the cultural heritage conservation field has identified
arsenic and other toxic heavy metals in pigments used in 19th century book
bindings. How hazardous are these materials, and what should libraries do
if they have 19th century items in their collections? This presentation
will provide background information on this growing field of interest, and
a broad overview of some of the research to date. We will also provide a
case study of the ongoing research project at the University of Illinois
Library, testing for the presence of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, mercury,
and lead in pigments used to color bookcloth and paper. We will describe
our planning process, communication plans, the current state of our
findings, what we've learned so far, and outstanding questions. Not every
library has the staff or funding to undertake a large-scale research
project, so we will also provide tips to identify potentially problematic
pigments, as well as things to consider when handling or providing access
to these materials.

Learning outcomes:

At the end of this session, the attendee will be able to

   -

   identify materials in their collections that may contain toxic heavy
   metals.
   -

   analyze existing research to make informed decisions about how to handle
   and provide safer access to these materials.
   -

   effectively communicate to their colleagues and patrons about the
   current understanding of the potential hazards and outstanding questions.


Who should attend?

People in preservation, academic libraries, special collections, archives,
and anyone whose collection includes 19th century materials.

Presenters:

Arthur Hall (he/him) is the Collections Care Graduate Assistant for the
University of Illinois Library Preservation Services department. He is
currently working toward his MSLIS from UIUC, where he received his BFA for
New Media in 2023.

Shelby Strommer (she/her) is the Collections Care Coordinator in the
Preservation Services unit of the University of Illinois Library. She holds
a Master of Science in Information from the University of Michigan, where
she specialized in Preservation. She is also a member of the National
Heritage Responders, a volunteer group of professionals who provide support
to cultural heritage institutions during emergencies and disaster recovery.

*****************

Registration fees for webinar:  Core Member $57.67; ALA member: $71.10;
Non-member $79.00

For additional information and access to registration links, please go to
the following website:

https://elearning.ala.org/local/catalog/view/product.php?productid=1454

Core webinars are recorded and registrants receive a link to the recording
shortly following the live event.

For questions about registration, contact ALA Registration by calling
1-800-545-2433 and press 5 or email registration at ala.org.

For all other questions or comments related to Core webinars, please
contact Core CE staff at corece at ala.org.

*Posted on behalf of the Core Continuing Education Committee.*
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