Preserve My Feelings Next…
Hello, Readers!
In my first week with the Phoenix Art Museum, my mentor took me to work with her in the library. Since I decided to focus on preservation, I learned what considerations are taken to prevent the books from deteriorating. For example, many of the older books were kept in boxes or wrapped in paper to protect the covers of the books from reacting with the environment or the other books on the shelves. I also learned how to do some book repairs, like using pH-neutral glue and tissue paper to fix the ripped hinges of a book.
Additionally, we made progress regarding the March 7th gallery. After measuring all of the documents, we worked on organizing them into different boxes based on their placement on each wall. I started looking into what frames we could possibly use to display the more fragile items like the newspaper clippings or the handwritten documents, and next week, I will continue this process as well as researching the different materials used in framing such as hinge tape or matting.
The moment from the first week of my Senior Project that stood out most to me was when I helped with tossing out some older books. The library had been holding on to them for over 25 years, and they no longer had the space or resources to keep them. No one else was willing to take them, so unfortunately, they had to throw them out. My mentor, another worker from the library, and I threw the books into a dumpster, and they landed ungracefully at the bottom of that large green bin. A poem formed in my mind at that moment:
Sadness wells up in my heart
As the books are tossed and soon settle
With their last breath, one final sigh
But, their lives were not in vain
The knowledge’s form has only changed
I went to the Phoenix Art Museum to study the methods to prevent important things from being lost, yet when it came to losing those books, the only way of preserving my feelings was poetry. Next week, I will work hard to frame the documents for the gallery, and hopefully I can extend their lifetimes through my efforts and delay the bittersweet ending I saw with the books.
All images are mine.
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